Some days, you’re ready to rule the world. And some days, you need some emotional support before you’re ready to claim your rightful seat on the throne. Whichever day you’re currently having, here are six books fit for a queen (or king)—right down to the crown jewels on the cover.
Hardcover
-
PICK UP IN STORECheck Availability at Nearby Stores
Available within 2 business hours
Related collections and offers
Overview
"When I am king they shall not have bread and shelter only, but also teachings out of books, for a full belly is little worth where the mind is starved." -Mark Twain, The Prince and the Pauper (1881)
The Prince and the Pauper-A Tale for Young People of All Ages (1881), by Mark Twain, set in 16th-century England, tells the story of two young boys who were born on the same day and are identical in appearance: Tom Canty, a pauper who lives with his abusive father, and Edward VI of England, son of King Henry VIII of England. In this tale, Twain satirizes social conventions and offers a critique of legal and moral injustices.
This replica of the original edition of The Prince and the Pauper, containing 192 illustrations by Frank T. Merrill and John Harley, is a testament to the perennial quality of this classic.
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9781646793242 |
---|---|
Publisher: | Cosimo Classics |
Publication date: | 01/01/1900 |
Pages: | 416 |
Product dimensions: | 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.06(d) |
Age Range: | 13 - 18 Years |
About the Author
Date of Birth:
November 30, 1835Date of Death:
April 21, 1910Place of Birth:
Florida, MissouriPlace of Death:
Redding, ConnecticutRead an Excerpt
I The Birth of the Prince and the Pauper
In the ancient city of london, on a certain autumn day in the second quarter of the sixteenth century, a boy was born to a poor family of the name of Canty, who did not want him. On the same day another English child was born to a rich family of the name of Tudor, who did want him. All England wanted him too. England had so longed for him, and hoped for him, and prayed God for him that now that he was really come, the people went nearly mad for joy. Mere acquaintances hugged and kissed each other and cried. Everybody took a holiday, and high and low, rich and poor, feasted and danced and sang, and got very mellow; and they kept this up for days and nights together. By day London was a sight to see, with gay banners waving from every balcony and housetop and splendid pageants marching along. By night it was again a sight to see, with its great bonfires at every corner and its troops of revelers making merry around them. There was no talk in all of England but of the new baby, Edward Tudor, Prince of Wales, who lay lapped in silks and satins, unconscious of all this fuss, and not knowing that great lords and ladies were tending him and watching over him—and not caring either. But there was no talk about the other baby, Tom Canty, lapped in his poor rags, except among the family of paupers whom he had just come to trouble with his presence.
All new material in this edition is copyright © 1988 by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
Table of Contents
I. | The Birth of The Prince and the Pauper | 23 |
II. | Toms Early Life | 27 |
III. | Tom's Meeting with the Prince | 37 |
IV. | The Prince's Troubles begin | 49 |
V. | Tom as a Patrician | 57 |
VI. | Tom receives Instructions | 73 |
VII. | Tom's First Royal Dinner | 89 |
VIII. | The Question of the Seal | 97 |
IX. | The River Pageant | 103 |
X. | The Prince in the Toils | 109 |
XI. | At Guildhall | 123 |
XII. | The Prince and His Deliverer | 133 |
XIII. | The Disappearence of the Prince | 151 |
XIV. | "Le R oi est mort--Vive le R oi" | 161 |
XV. | Tom as King | 179 |
XVI. | The State Dinner | 195 |
XVII. | Foo-Foo the First | 203 |
XVIII. | The Prince with the Tramps | 223 |
XIX. | The Prince with the Peasants | 237 |
XX. | The Prince and the Hermit | 247 |
XXI. | Hendon to the Rescue | 259 |
XXII. | A Victim of Treachery | 269 |
XXIII. | The Prince a Prisoner | 281 |
XXIV. | The Escape | 289 |
XXV. | Hendon Hall | 295 |
XXVI. | Disowned | 309 |
XXVII. | In Prison | 317 |
XXVIII. | The Sacrifice | 333 |
XXIX. | To London | 341 |
XXX. | Tom's Progress | 347 |
XXXI. | The Recognition Procession | 353 |
XXXII. | Coronation Day | 365 |
XXXIII. | Edward as King | 385 |
Conclusion: Justice and Retribution | 399 | |
Notes | 405 |
Reading Group Guide
Set in sixteenth-century England, Mark Twain’s classic “tale for young people of all ages” features two identical-looking boys—a prince and a pauper—who trade clothes and step into each other’s lives. While the urchin, Tom Canty, discovers luxury and power, Prince Edward, dressed in rags, roams his kingdom and experiences the cruelties inflicted on the poor by the Tudor monarchy. As Christopher Paul Curtis observes in his Introduction, The Prince and the Pauper is “funny, adventurous, and exciting, yet also chock-full of . . . exquisitely reasoned harangues against society’s ills.”
This Modern Library Paperback Classic is set from the Mark Twain Project edition, which is the approved text of the Center for Scholarly Editions of the Modern Language Association.
1. The Prince and the Pauper is set in sixteenth-century Tudor England during the reign of Henry VIII. This time was marked by a great social and economic disparity between the rich and the poor. How does Twain tackle this issue in the novel? What did you learn from this time period about democracy and monarchy?
2. Some might say Miles Hendon acts as the "hero" in this novel. What heroic qualities does he possess? Is he lacking any that prevent him from being a true hero?
3. What are some of the similarities between Tom's and Edward's lives? What makes the other's life more appealing to Tom and Edward, respectively? How do they grow through their experiences?
4. In the novel, children believe that Edward is the king while the adults do not. Are there other examples where children have greater knowledge than adults? ConsiderTwain's implications here.
5. The Prince and the Pauper has been compared in style to works of Dickens. What aspect of the novel stands out to you most?