The Prince and the Pauper

(1882)

Young Prince Edward lived a life of luxury with servants to grant his every wish. Tom Canty spent his days begging on the streets, and his nights in a hovel with his tyrannical father. When the two boys meet, a simple switch of clothing sets them on a path they'd never dreamt possible. The prince, mistaken for Tom, is forced to live a pauper's life, while Tom unwillingly takes on the life of a prince. And in the end, each boy finds the king inside himself.

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A long time ago, in the land of England that is ruled by the vicious King Henry VII, two young boys find themselves trapped in each other's worlds. One, a prince, the other a pauper, adjust to the very different situations of which they are now entrapped. Written in 1881, Mark Twain captures the world of Tudor England with astounding accuracy.--Submitted by S. Russell

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The Prince and the Pauper, written by Mark Twain tells the story of two unsatisfied boys switching lives and the consequences they receive. It takes place in the United Kingdom, in the 16th. century. The young prince of Whales, was tired of his boring life, he wanted more adventure. With the help of Tom Canty, a beggar’s son, he realized his dream was not at all, what he had expected. This book teaches to be content with what you already have, and to be wise in what you long for. --Submitted by jen akosa

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Recent Forum Posts on The Prince and the Pauper

Loved the book !!

well even though I am only 13 years of age I certainly did loved the book
It got a part of me and pryed it open
It is one of the most beautiful ephemeral stories I've ever read
and the most human story
I usually love books with Vampires in them
but the way they spoke had it's beauty
especially the prince (love him) Prince (king) Edward Tudor
He has pride and stance wich compells me to think and ponder of how he became human because of becoming a pueper even if he did not even act like one he was always sure and faithful ,
always believing ..........
It was a great book and I think it will always be....
signing out
Adeiux moi prithee

Posted By Shea at Mon 23 Sep 2002, 12:00 AM in The Prince and the Pauper || 2 Replies

the book

I thought The Prince and the Pauper was an interesting book about what could've happened to England in that time frame.

Posted By Cheri at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in The Prince and the Pauper || 0 Replies

Commenting

In school we are reading your book and I don't like the fact it needs to be forced upon us. I do enjoy what I have already read, but it is just to long. I know it is a novel and a Classic at that but still.

Posted By lori barbeau at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in The Prince and the Pauper || 0 Replies

No Subject

i must admit that when i first started reading this book i didn't think it was going to be any good. but as i got further along i found that this book is very informative. it is also a wonderful imagination starter. i found myself imaging of all the characters and locations.

Posted By Lauren at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in The Prince and the Pauper || 0 Replies

prince and the pauper

there was nothing really wrong with this book. except for the fact that the words were all old fashioned and sorta hard to understand. and it was boring. when i was 8 or so i read this story in a disney picture book and i found it SO much more interesting. maybe its cause i need pictures, or maybe it was just the magical world of disney. i also read the princess and the pauper in an archie comic, and that was way more interesting too. i think the overall story line is good, they want to switch lives, but mark twain just went way too deep into describing it. it just got me bored after a while. so maybe if there is ever a reindition of p&p there should be pictures ^_~

p.S~ miles seemed really nice =P

Posted By Skye at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in The Prince and the Pauper || 0 Replies

xD bad book xP

i read this book in 6th grade and i found it very confusing. i think i'll take this time to mention that it was required. ya know, "read it or get an f". i have to read it again for historical fiction, and i still think it's really confusing, not to mention it bores the crap out of me. i usually like reading, and i will read for hours at a time. other mark t. books were good but on this one, it was way to much historical stuff and not enough story. it probably would be good for history, but half the time i had no idea what it was talking about. when i read a boring book i just skim through, and i tried that. but if you skim through this book, you miss a lot of important stuff. so i tried reading it again, but i couldnt. it was too boring. so to summarize my ramblings, all i have to say is that i would NEVER read this book again, unless forced too.
~|3re the bee <(|l|l|:) buZZ
p.s. on a happier note, mark twain apparently did alot of painstaking research on this book

Posted By •ºBreeZyº• at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in The Prince and the Pauper || 0 Replies

Classic Style

I this book Twain brings out his classic style. Plenty of excitment, to keep readers of all ages interested, and a display of his mastery of the English language, and ability to write the way the charactor would speak. Hats off to the genius.

Posted By Dave Schaedig at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in The Prince and the Pauper || 0 Replies

The Prince and the Pauper

This book is great. For those who found it less than interesting, I just have to say that in order to enjoy Twain's books and appreciate his work for the masterpieces they really are, you have to look beneath the surface. The themes do not only involve the adventures and misfortunes of the two little boys. Mark Twain creates the story to symbolically speak out his point on his views on the monarchy of England and the injustices of the political rulers of the time. His use of satire and irony are perfected in this book and when seen, they make this book a powerful voice of this time, a voice that was probably shared by many of the "common" people of the time.

Posted By Lizzet Rojas at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in The Prince and the Pauper || 0 Replies

Different

When i was in year 5 (5th grade) we had to read this book, and i found it very very boring! The rest of my family however injoyed the book very much. I just coudent read it, i found it hard and boring. So i chetet by just watching the movie! Now i an in year 8 and resently i came acrosse the movie on tv, and i got verry in to it and now i am reading the book again and i absolutly love it. I think that it was a mistake of my teacher to make us read it so erly. Because now i see it as a grate book and i will read it again and again. To be honest i found Tom Sawyr much more boring! So maby if you dont like it now you should try to read it acouple years later and maby you will change your mind like i did!

Posted By Unregistered at Thu 11 Sep 2003, 12:00 AM in The Prince and the Pauper || 12 Replies

The Prince and the Pauper

I really enjoyed the Prince and the Pauper. It is one of those unique stories that really stays with you. Mark Twain certainly did this work justice. Apart from the colorful and humerous characters that seem practically alive, and a well developed and imaginative plot, this story has many life lessons interwoven in it's fabric. It was a fun and thrilling adventure that kept me reading non-stop from beginning to end. In short--it's among the greatest works of literature that I have ever encountered.

Posted By Hon Rosie at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in The Prince and the Pauper || 0 Replies

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The Prince and the Pauper

(1882)

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