Bibliograph

Pudd'nhead Wilson, and, Those extraordinary twins, Mark Twain ; edited with an introduction and notes by Malcolm Bradbury

Type

Label

Pudd'nhead Wilson, and, Those extraordinary twins, Mark Twain ; edited with an introduction and notes by Malcolm Bradbury

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (p. 45-49)

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

no index present

Literary Form

fiction

Main title

Pudd'nhead Wilson

Medium

electronic resource ;

Nature of contents

dictionariesbibliography

Oclc number

698106308

Responsibility statement

Mark Twain ; edited with an introduction and notes by Malcolm Bradbury

Series statement

Penguin classics

Sub title

and, Those extraordinary twins

Summary

The American humorist's classic novel depicting human nature under slavery. At the beginning of Pudd'nhead Wilson a young slave woman, fearing for her infant son's life, exchanges her light skinned child with her master's. From this rather simple premise Mark Twain fashioned one of his most entertaining, funny, yet biting novels. On its surface, Pudd'nhead Wilson possesses all the elements of an engrossing nineteenth century mystery, reversed identities, a horrible crime, an eccentric detective, a suspenseful courtroom drama, and a surprising, unusual solution. Yet it is not a mystery novel. Seething with the undercurrents of antebellum, southern culture, the book is a savage indictment in which real criminal is society, and racial prejudice and slavery are the crimes. Written in 1894, Pudd'nhead Wilson glistens with characteristic Twain humor, with suspense, and with painted irony; a gem among the authors' later works

Classification