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Cover of The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain

The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson

  • 174 pages · about 3 hours
  • First published 1894
  • 250 editions
  • Free to read

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1 About this book

Pudd'nhead Wilson is a novel by American writer Mark Twain published on 28 November 1894. Its central intrigue revolves around two boys—one, born into slavery, with 1/32 black ancestry; the other, white, born to be the master of the house. The two boys, who look similar, are switched at infancy. Each grows into the other's social role.

The story was serialized in The Century Magazine (1893–1894) and published as a novel in 1894.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Good for readers who want: satire, a thriller, and a book they can read free online.

  • Race relations
  • Trials (Murder)
  • Satire
  • Thrillers
  • Historical fiction
  • Crime
  • Classics
  • Passing (Identity)

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3 About Mark Twain

1835–1910

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He has been praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced", with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature".

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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