The Prince and the Pauper

The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain (1881)

Young Prince Edward VI and pauper Tom Canty, identical in appearance, swap places — the prince discovers the cruelty of poverty while the pauper struggles with the burden of power. Twain's first historical novel.

Historical Significance:
Set in 1547 England, The Prince and the Pauper was Twain's attempt to prove he could write "serious" literature beyond his humor. Published in 1881, it was his first novel set in England and his first attempt at historical fiction. The "switched identities" plot device, while not invented by Twain, was perfected here and has been imitated in hundreds of subsequent works from Disney's The Parent Trap to countless films. Twain's daughter Susy called it his best book. The novel's exploration of how circumstance shapes identity remains powerful.

This public domain classic was originally published in 1881. Free to read and share.