Title: The Prince and the Pauper

Author: Mark Twain

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 188

Rating: 3*/5

Mark Twain – The Prince and the Pauper

I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed reading it, but I’m also glad that I’ve finished it. It’s the sort of book that’s a classic, and so it should be read at least once if you get the chance, but because it’s not exactly easy to read, you might want to think twice before committing yourself.

You probably know the plot already because the book has entered popular culture, but loosely speaking it’s about the bizarre circumstances around two boys – a prince, and a pauper – who look alike and end up accidentally swapping lives. It’s deliciously ironic throughout, and while it does take a while for the plot to really kick in, you end up hooked.

Of course, the language is archaic – even more archaic than it needed to be – but that’s because it was written a long time ago, and Twain set it even earlier. But in the context of the story, it worked – it just forced you to concentrate.

Mark Twain

Click here to buy The Prince and the Pauper.