
The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson
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Narrated by:
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Michael Prichard
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By:
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Mark Twain
About this listen
A local lawyer, David Wilson, has had a similar experience. On his first day in the village, he made an odd remark about a dog, and the townspeople gave him the condescending name of "Pudd'nhead". Although he was a young, intelligent lawyer, he is unable to live down this name and toils in obscurity for over 20 years. Finally, he is presented with a complex murder trial and is given the chance to prove himself to the townspeople and shake his unjust label.
This complex murder mystery is a psychological study that explores how perceptions shape character. Twain combines biting satire with his trademark scenes of farce and levity.
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Overall
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Performance
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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-
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- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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Overall
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Performance
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
First published in 1884, Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is among the first novels in American literature to be written throughout in vernacular English. Some have called it the first Great American Novel, and the book has become required reading in many schools throughout the United States. The story is set along the Mississippi River in Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Arkansas around 1840. It depicts the development of Huckleberry (Huck) Finn, a boy about thirteen years old.
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Great Book
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Mark Twain Collection
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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Really excellent!
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Editorial reviews
Twain's 1894 novel of two nearly identical brothers raised on opposite sides of the race line (one as white, one as black) isn't nearly as strong as his more famous works. The author's political ambitions - critiquing American attitudes on race and class - are too nakedly displayed, and the plot creaks like an old melodrama. But it's still Mark Twain, and that means more wit than half a dozen other authors, delivered in shrewd, folksy language. And it's possible that Michael Prichard's delivery works better than reading it on the printed page. Prichard shifts dialect to match Twain's acute ear for regional differences, and he brings a widely diverse cast of characters vividly to life.
What listeners say about The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Yogi
- 09-18-24
Caustic tour-de-force
Darkly ironic. intricately plotted tale in which many chickens come to roost. Great, chilling last line.
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- Paul Bacina
- 04-19-24
A slice of American history.
Authentic. Very well read. Needs a sequel. Mark Twain is a master of the tale.
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- Anonymous User
- 05-18-12
twin brothers x 3
twain originally wanted to write a story about twins
he started with european twins visiting america
he then contemplated using siamese twins as characters
he eventually used racial twins switched at birth to tell his story
persistent echoes of the european and siamese elements are audible
and to be fair they do weigh the tale down a bit
this is a punchy, short, plot driven jewel of a book
insightful observations win out over character development
humor is used to bring us the dark truth of post civil war america
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3 people found this helpful