• The Prince and the Pauper

  • By: Mark Twain
  • Narrated by: Steve West
  • Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (151 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Prince and the Pauper  By  cover art

The Prince and the Pauper

By: Mark Twain
Narrated by: Steve West
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $13.22

Buy for $13.22

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

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 that 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.

Mark Twain (1835-1910) was born Samuel L. Clemens in the town of Florida, Missouri. One of the most popular and influential authors America has ever produced, his keen wit and incisive satire earned him praise from both critics and peers. He has been called not only the greatest humorist of his age but the father of American literature.

Public Domain (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“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.” (E. L. Doctorow, award-winning American novelist)

What listeners say about The Prince and the Pauper

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    108
  • 4 Stars
    28
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    5
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    94
  • 4 Stars
    21
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    85
  • 4 Stars
    31
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

re-read!

CS Lewis said a book is only worth reading for a 10-year-old if a 50-year-old will still enjoy it. And so I, a 50-year-old, explored the prince and the pauper again. I found it even more enjoyable as an adult than it was when I was 12; so much commentary on real life events wrapped up in a beautiful story of loyalty and compassion.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Best story ever!

I recommend this to anyone and everyone! It’s good for young and old. This truly is the best book ever!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

excellent!!!!

this book is absolutely excellent. a wonderful story and well read. All will enjoy this gem!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Listen

Narrator was wonderful and kept the book moving. He did credit to Twain's great prose.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent story!

Full of adventure at every turn; you will not be disappointed. Plus, the reader’s dialect was perfectly chosen!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful author, terrific narrator, splendid book

4.5 stars

Ever since I read the super-abridged version of this book when I was little, I’ve felt such a kinship to this book. As a twin, books on identity swapping fascinated me when little. They still do, truth be told. I approached it with trepidation, hoping that the tale would hold strong in the expanded retelling, and it certainly did! Though I’ve never been a fan of Huckleberry Finn (I’m a terrible person, I know—perhaps I’ll revisit it again later in life and love appreciate it like my English teachers hoped I would in school), it wasn’t a surprise that the masterful Mark Twain just killed it with this book. Such great commentary on society, class structures, family, circumstance, and politics. So glad I revisited!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

It’s a good book

I think it’s a good book but it’s so much easier to enjoy it with audible.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Classroom Reading

My 7th grade students listened to this book. They really enjoyed it and it kept them interested.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

didn't keep my attention

I am planning on listening to this book again. But it just did not keep my attention

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful