Five Novels

by Mark Twain, Elizabeth Boyle Machlan (Introduction)

Table of Contents
The adventures of Tom Sawyer
The prince and the pauper
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
A Connecticut yankee in King Arthur's court
The tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Literature, American, Anthologies, Childrens, Collections

718 pages, Hardcover

First published September 25, 2006

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature." His novels include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), with the latter often called the "Great American Novel." Twain also wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) and Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894), and co-wrote The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873) with Charles Dudley Warner.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introduction by Elizabeth Boyle Machlan- The Introduction was helpful in gaining some extra insight into Mark Twain’s life as well as gaining more understanding as to why the stories were written the way they were and why things happened the way they did.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer- As I was reading this I kept thinking of the old adage “boys will be boys”. Tom Sawyer is a picture perfect example of a little boy just before he learns to grow up. He gets into minor scrapes, but no major trouble. Life seems to be just one grand adventure each day. In times such as these, it was great to get lost in the innocence of the story that this particular novel provided.

The Prince and the Pauper- A case of mistaken identity. An innocent wardrobe change leads to major trouble for all parties involved. Although I was familiar with the tale, it was the way the novel was written and the information in the Introduction section that gave me a new perspective about this novel.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn- Although he is Tom Sawyer’s partner in crime in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, when Huckleberry Finn gets his own novel entitled Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, His character is quite different. He acts as the counterpart and opposite of Tom Sawyer. He’s a bit more down to earth and better in touch with reality so he deals with life’s situations differently, I believe, than Tom Sawyer would have if he’d been in the same situation.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court- Some food for thought: How would the kings and queens of the past react to the modern inventions and conveniences of our world today? This novel provides a little insight to answer that very question. A modern Londoner travels back in time and turns King Arthur’s world upside down. Filled with humor, wit, and plenty of adventure, this was a very enjoyable novel.

The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson- A great example of not judging a book based on title alone. I had the impression that this novel was about the tragedy itself. In reality, I enjoyed the novel very much. It’s really about a man who moves to town and has a slip of the tongue moment and from then on he is judged as an idiot. Later, he rises above what the town thinks of him and he’s the hero for a wrongly accused man. It just goes to show that first impressions are not always correct and that anyone can rise above their situations and circumstances if they so choose.

[Tony Caroselli · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Essential Omnibus for New and Old Readers Alike

A single-volume collection of Mark Twain's five most famous and celebrated novels in order of their publication:

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)
The Prince and the Pauper (1881)
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884)
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889)
The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson (1893)

I have reviewed each of the novels individually, but as for the collection, for new readers (or readers who have forgotten Twain since they read him as children decades ago), it is the perfectly selected "greatest hits" collection for a highly prolific author. For those who have read each of the novels multiple times, the introduction by Elizabeth Boyle Machlan alone is worth the price of admission for the biographical and historical context and critical analysis. It is also revelatory to read these novels in publication order. Under ordinary circumstances, for instance, readers typically follow Tom Sawyer immediately with Huckleberry Finn, but The Prince and the Pauper bridges gaps thematically and stylistically in Twain's writing. Highly recommended for all adult readers.

[Shawn Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently purchased this book in a effort to be more rounded in my knowledge of the classics. I am also building a personal library of classic, well known, literature. I am very happy with this publisher. I have also purchased other publications by this company featureing other authors.

Currently, I have read, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin". (For my remarks on the individual works, see my reviews on the base books individual titles.)

The introductions of some of these publications by various intellectuals, seems biased and devoid of any spiritual or "blue collar" connections. However, Elizabeth Boyal Machlan, who writes the intro for this book actually seem fairly unbiased. I actually enjoyed the information she presented on Clemens and found it valuable. The fact that Samual Clemens is an idol of mine may have some barring on how receptive I am of Machlan's into. Clemens has a knack, as I do, of pointing out the obvious that many people choose not to address. He was no fan of labels and wanted to show society how we are all more than the box some people may put us in.

The quality of the physicality of this particular publication and those like it by Canterbury Classics is not perfect but for the money is quite good. I enjoy it very much.

In my opinion, Canterbury Classics is a great way to build a library of quality classic works, Mark Twain being a chief contributor. I will continue to buy these kinds of books from them as I continue to build my own personal library.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tom Sawyer and Pudd'nhead are the best ones. Tom Sawyer is hilarious, and Huck Finn hits some of the same sweet spots but has more of Twain's views on slavery peppered throughout. A Connecticutt Yankee is basically a manuscript of Twain's political philosophy but it has enough of his characteristic whimsy to keep a reader engaged. The Prince and the Pauper is also iconic, but is so outlandish that it's hard to take the charicature of Monarchical England as anything other than that: a charicature. Most of these books read sort of the same: royalty swapping places with commoners and gaining some perspective on the tragedy of life; boyish, reckless charm miraculously doing the impossible; etc. Sort of like reading the same story 5 times over, with some slight modifications each time.

Probably too much Twain for the general audience. Would only recommend to people who really like Mark Twain.

[Foxtower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this book at a surplus/salvage store with one page misaligned as the defect for a steal! It's a beautifully bound book with a ribbon book mark, and looks like what it is; classic literature.

I hadn't read Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn since I was a young adult, and it a joy to revisit the times and people of the Missisppi again. I enjoyed the "Prince and the Pauper" and "The Tragedy of Puddinhead Wilson", but found "A conneticutt Yankee in King Arthurs Court", while one of the ealiest Science Fiction stories, to be a bit too political.

One thing that helped me understand the context of the stories was the introduction. Well done and extremely helpful!

[Jacq.and.the.readstalk · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say, the man is a genius and also he is a cat lover! His wit and sardonic humour is what makes him a classic author. From adventurous larikins to the court of King Arthur, Mark Twain has successfully dabbled into different genres and tales whilst still keep his own writing form. His larger than life personality exudes into his stories of bravery, humour, adventures and mishaps that reflected a part of American history in way both complex and satirical.

Order of favourites: Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer, A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Pudd'nhead Wilson, The Prince and the Pauper.

IG Post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CKUlJCrARn-/

[CarolAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", "The Prince and the Pauper" and "The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson". I got tired of the "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and wished it would just end. And I really disliked "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court". I found it too silly, political, and drawn out. I supposed it to be Mark Twain's attempt of a Sci-Fi novel. All in all, I will have to give this a 4 star just because of the 3 novels that carried the classic novel genre. If it did not include the fore mentioned 2 novels I would have given this reading a 5 star.

[Henrik Haapala · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If Mark Twain were alive today, he would love The Simpsons.”

“For Twain, all ‘straight tickets’ or unquestioned allegiances, were suspect. The five books that follow demonstrate his belief that the labels we create for ourselves and others almost never convey the whole truth, and almost always cause more problems than they solve. In Twain’s world, paupers can be princely, students are wiser than teachers, and enslaved persons may be as white as their masters.”

Beautiful book worthy of Mark Twain (Canterbury classics, 2011).

[Darin]

Growing up a fishing pole's cast from Hannibal, MO meant you read Mark Twain. This collection of Novels encompasses the assigned reading of English teachers through Jr. High and High School that embraced the local love of Mark Twain. I enjoyed foundly all of these stories though at the time a few were forced assignments I wouldn't have otherwise read and should likely appreciate anew. Hence why I bought the book.

[the.bookish.mama.lion · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Each story was super entertaining, though my favourites were “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” and “The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson.” Mark Twain has such a sense of humour and inserts that perfectly into his stories.

[Dor Shmoish · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: 4/5
The Prince and the Pauper: 2.5/5
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: 4.5/5
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court: 4.5/5
The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson: 5/5
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Book Quality: 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5

[Vincent]

I read Huck Finn in high school and children's versions of Tom Sawyer.