The Prince and the Pauper

Mark Twain was a famous American writer, journalist, and public figure. His works span many genres—humor, satire, philosophical fiction, journalism, and more. William Faulkner called him the first truly American writer, and Ernest Hemingway believed that all modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain— The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . The Prince and the Pauper is Twain's first and most famous historical novel. It tells the story of two boys born on the same day—Prince Edward and a street urchin named Tom Canty—who happen to look remarkably alike and switch places. Tom stays in the royal palace, while Prince Edward ends up in the slums of London. The book is presented with the unadapted text of the novel, accompanied by commentary and a glossary.