by Mark Twain
They look alike, but they live in very different worlds. Tom Canty, impoverished and abused by his father, is fascinated with royalty. Edward Tudor, heir to the throne of England, is kind and generous but wants to run free and play in the river—just once. How insubstantial their differences truly are becomes clear when a chance encounter leads to an exchange of clothing—and roles. The pauper finds himself caught up in the pomp and folly of the royal court, a role which is further complicated when the king dies soon after the switch; and the prince wanders horror-stricken through the lower strata of English society.
Out of the theme of switched identities, Mark Twain fashioned both a fiery assault upon social hypocrisy and injustice and a riotous comedy filled with high-spirited play.
They look alike, but they live in very different worlds. Tom Canty, impoverished and abused by his father, is fascinated with royalty. Edward Tudor, heir to the throne of England, is kind and generous but wants to run free and play in the river—just once. How insubstantial their differences truly are becomes clear when a chance encounter leads to an exchange of clothing—and roles. The pauper finds himself caught up in the pomp and folly of the royal court, a role which is further complicated when the king dies soon after the switch; and the prince wanders horror-stricken through the lower strata of English society.
Out of the theme of switched identities, Mark Twain fashioned both a fiery assault upon social hypocrisy and injustice and a riotous comedy filled with high-spirited play.
Reviews-
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This rendition of this classic work is not an outstanding audio performance. Kandinsky fails to capture the correct tone for Twain. In telling the tale of the poor boy and prince who mistakenly swap identities, the author is also chuckling with the reader over the foibles of the rich and the poor. To be at its entertaining best, this work needs to be a performance piece with broad accents and wickedly whispered asides from Twain. Kandinsky's voice is sometimes grating. T.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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August 6, 2001
With his legendary humor and delightful wit, Reiner gives new life to this classic Twain tale. The multiple Emmy Award winner and recent Television Hall of Fame inductee beautifully shifts between several accents, dialects and moods, letting listeners commiserate with the author's young protagonist, Tom Canty. Raised in a raucous family of beggars and thieves, Tom dreams and reads of princely life to escape his miserable 16th-century London existence. After wandering to Westminster and meeting benevolent Prince Edward Tudor (who bears an uncanny resemblance to the ragamuffin Tom), the pair exchange clothes and unwittingly identities. Reiner's vocal performance of this heartwarming story is sure to keep the entire family entranced. Listeners will be pleased that this volume is only one of several in a Mark Twain series read by Reiner. -
October 4, 1999
Made less satirical than Mark Twain's classic and simplified for younger readers, this retelling is still a lively romp. A beggar and a prince look so alike that they change places but then cannot immediately switch back. Mayer's (The Unicorn and the Lake) adaptation is serviceable if not sparkling; she retains all the key scenes of the story but flattens Twain's archaisms. While some of the original's sophisticated humor gets lost in the translation, much of it remains. For example, when Edward, the prince, tries telling pauper Tom's parents that he is really the Prince of Wales, Tom's mother responds, "Oh, poor Tom, it's all those books you read that's done this to you." And in court, when Tom is given a finger bowl, he drinks from it, announcing, "This is a very flavorless soup." Lippincott (Bruce Coville's Magic Shop series) vibrantly renders the ragged features of the paupers, and his tableaux are full of life. His palace scenes are ornate, light-filled watercolors of splendor in which the boys' homely, toothy faces seem like the only real and honest things. For readers not yet ready for Twain, this version, like its model, will make them think about their places in the world. Ages 7-up. -
[Editor's Note: The following is a combined review with ANNE OF GREEN GABLES.]--Imagination is key to both these classics. Young Anne ("Anne with an e"), adopted into a Prince Edward Island household, uses her imagination and determined spirit to fill her world with hopes and aspirations. And the "dreamings and readings" of the pauper Tom Canty set off the cascade of mistaken identities that comprise Twain's famous tale. The St. Charles Players offer amusing adaptations of these stories with accessible, appealing performances. Here is family listening to entertain different ages and interests. The casts are a bit uneven, but each has some outstanding roles. These are not sophisticated productions, but the spirit of these classics is undaunted--like Anne of Green Gables herself. R.F.W. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
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Storytelling is a captivating art, and Jim Weiss is a master captivator. Mark Twain would appreciate the dexterity with which Weiss tells this classic in one hour without removing any of the key plot points, pathos, or humor. After an interesting, accessible introduction to Twain and the book, Weiss launches into telling the story that many know, but few have read. He tells it simply, with just enough verbal emphasis to heighten the dramatic moments without sensationalizing them. I might have wished for a touch of music to accompany the introduction and the finale. Otherwise, this is well nigh perfect. A delightful listen that will captivate children and their adult friends. A.C.S. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
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Mark Twain's 1881 tale recounts the switched identities of young beggar Tom Canty and Edward, Prince of Wales. The fable resonates with today's youngsters who dream of the lives of pop stars, athletes, and even royalty. Kenneth Jay does a fine job of portraying characters who step from the streets and court of Tudor London. His voice is clear and distinct with the accents of the different social classes. His Cockney sounds real enough for American ears without being so thick it's hard to understand. As usual, the Naxos music selections add a nice tone. Here's a fine rendition of one of Twain's best-loved stories. R.F.W. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
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[Editor's Note: The following is a combined review with A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT.]--It's easy to imagine Samuel Clemens and Carl Reiner as best of friends, had not the one died 10 years before the other was born. Twain would have enjoyed Reiner's work in "Your Show of Shows," "The 2000 Year Old Man," and "The Dick Van Dyke Show," just as Reiner clearly appreciates Twain's humor. The appreciation comes across in Reiner's readings of these two historical farces. Despite the good humor and the best intentions, there's something unfortunately incongruous in the juxtaposition of Twain's stories with Reiner's voice. As warmly entertaining as it is to listen to Carl Reiner, his Bronx Jewish accent and intonation don't jibe well with Twain's Mississippi and New England style, or with the medieval English settings of these two novels. S.E.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
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This rendition of this classic work is not an outstanding audio performance. Although RNorman Dietz holds the listener's interest,he he fails to capture the correct tone for Twain. In telling the tale of the poor boy and prince who mistakenly swap identities, the author is also chuckling with the reader over the foibles of the rich and the poor. To be at its entertaining best, this work needs to be a performance piece with broad accents and wickedly whispered asides from Twain. This version includes the footnotes, which add little to the piece. T.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
- E. L. Doctorow, award-winning American novelist "Twain was...enough of a genius to build his morality into his books, with humor and wit and—in the case of The Prince and the Pauper—wonderful plotting."
