About this title: Tom Canty and Edward Tudor could have been identical twins. Their birthdays match, their faces match, but there the likeness stops. For Edward is a prince, heir to King Henry VIII, whilst Tom is a miserable pauper. But when fate intervenes, Edward is thrown out of the palace in rags, leaving ignorant Tom to play the part of a royal prince. Even ...
read more
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Book Sales
Date Published: 02/2006
ISBN-13:9788188280377ISBN:8188280372
Description: Fine Like New, Unread, not previously owned. May show signs of wear including remainder marks or stickers on book or cover. 207 p. read more
Edition: Complete and Unabridged.
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Russell, Geddes & Grosset
Date Published: 1990
ISBN-13:9781855345010ISBN:1855345013
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Some edge and corner wear with cover creases. Previous owner's name with gift note inside. 282 p. read more
"This is one of my favorite books of Mark Twain. Tom Canty is a poor boy in the London slums. His birth only brings more poverty to his already dirt poor family. Edward VI is the long awaited heir to the English throne. They are born on the same day and look so alike they can't believe it. They exchange clothes and Edward VI ends up being thrown out of the palace by guards who think he is the poor boy he looks to be. Both boys have difficulty fitting into the other's lives.
Tom comes to like the life at the palace, but misses his freedom and his mother and sisters. Edward leads a hard life on the road and would have died without the help of a minor nobleman named Miles. The bulk of the books is the mad life of the poor boy during which Edward VI learns how many of his subjects live. He resolves to change things if he can get back to the palace and be restored to his rightful place.
The book is full of Twain's wit and biting social commentary. His way with words in outstanding and the Middle English dialect is only distracting at first."
"One of Twain's/Clemens most literate books and best stories. The story is timeless and reaches potentially across all of those barriers of class, background, ethnicity, religion, and gender to name a few. The tale can be adapted or viewed from almost any background and be powerfulll There is an inclusion in the 'film' shelf for this work as so many good/great movies have adapted or told this tale.
I'd recommend this one for almost all ages and tastes as part of the grand survey of great U.S. literature."
"This book starts out when Edward VI is still the Prince of Wales and Henry VIII is still the King of England. As a young boy, he meets Tom Canty, a pauper who lives in a one-room hut with his abusive father and terrible grandmother, as well as his loving mother and two sisters. Edward witnessses one of the guards abusing Tom Canty as he stood outside of the palace gates and Edward promptly ushered him in to the palace to be fed, etc. The boys start talking and end up discussing how fun it would be to pretend to take each other's places just for a day. They switch clothes, leaving Edward in Tom's rags and Tom in all the pomp and splendor of the royal garbs. Looking in the mirror at the change, they realize that there appears to have been no change at all. The boys are identical in appearance. Due to a series of events that ensure, everyone believes that Edward is a pauper and Tom Canty the Prince of Wales, soon to be King. When the boys try to protest and declare their true identity, they are ridiculed and both assumed to have gone mad.
I loved reading about Edward's adventures much more than Tom's. Although I enjoyed the parts involving Tom's adventures, I found myself quickly reading to read through them to get to the parts about Edward. My favorite character has to be (aside from Edward), Miles Hendon. I won't say much about him so as not to give away any spoilers for anyone who doesn't know the story but he's fantastically written and a wonderful character!
This book is the second by Mark Twain that I have read, having read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn years ago. I can't wait to read more by him. I found it an incredibly easy and quick read to get through. It's also an excellent look at how people are treated based on appearances alone and made me think about how quick we are to judge others. Twain stayed true to the time by using Shakespearian English for the dialogue (and only the dialogue) of all of his characters. Being a huge fan of Shakespeare, I loved this but realize that not everyone will.
If you're a fan of Tudor times or a fan of the classics in general this is, in my personal opinion, not one you should miss."
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
rating
