Prinz und Bettelknabe (1882)

I knew I would like this book, I just didn't know how much.
The story is quite predictable, but the characters are good enough to make you interested in their misadventures anyways. I laughed quite a few times due to some of the situations the characters were in and their reactions to it. The story also has dark moments that show the differences between rich and poor and the injustice of the world. I enjoyed the small notes about historical events that were used on this book as well.
I really liked the main characters, Tom Canty and Edward. They were so different from each other but deep down they were both kind and merciful. Miles Hendon was ok and the scene with the hermit actually scared me.
It is the first book I've read by Mark Twain and makes me want to read others, but I'm not sure if I would enjoy them as much. ( )

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Twain included a lot of discussion about the horrific punishments of the day: being hung, drawn and quartered, lowered alive into boiling oil, placed in the stocks, whipped, and burned at the stake. There is also child abuse as Tom is beaten by his father (who then beats his mother and little sisters when they try to defend him). I would not read it to a small child. Better saved for the teen years. ( )

Mark Twain's classic tale of two identical-looking boys -- the prince and pauper of the title -- who switch clothes for a lark, only to find themselves trapped in each other's roles, with no one able or willing to believe they really are who they say they are.

I first read this when I was about ten, and I hadn't remembered it particularly well. Indeed, I think I had the sense that it was some sort of vaguely ahistorical fairy tale, when it's actually quite firmly grounded in English history -- the prince in question is Edward VI -- complete with historical quotations and footnotes.

I do have the feeling that I enjoyed it well enough as a kid, and I'm pleased to report that's also true on an adult re-read. It's an entertaining enough tale, especially the twists and turns of the true prince's unhappy adventures. There's also humor here, of course, although it mostly feels rather low-key, compared to the sharp, acerbic wit Twain was sometimes capable of.

Not at all low-key, though, are the vivid contrasts between the absurdly lavish pomp of the prince's world and the brutal, unjust squalor of the pauper's. Nor is the obvious equality of spirit between the two boys. As social commentary goes, it's something of a blunt instrument, perhaps, but an effective one, all the same. ( )

4/26/22