First published in 1881, The Prince and the Pauper is the story of a poor boy, Tom Canty, who exchanges clothes and identities with Edward Tudor, Prince of England. It is at once an adventure story, a fantasy of timeless appeal, and an intriguing example of the author's abiding interest in separating the true from the false, the genuine from the impostor.

With characteristic humor and color, Twain brings to life the sixteenth-century royal court, the crowded, boisterous streets inhabited by London's hoi polloi, and the behavior of two young boys who are in many ways smarter than their elders. In spinning his tale, he draws on themes from ancient mythology, the Bible, familiar fairy tales, and popular children's literature of the period.

Making a compelling case for the novel's relevance for readers today, Griswold shows how the novel reveals Twain's preoccupation with the elusive nature of identity - an issue that not only recurs in his work but also haunted his life. Also included in this volume is the story "A Boy's Adventure," originally written as part of the novel but published separately.