The Prince and the Pauper Audiobook By Mark Twain cover art

The Prince and the Pauper

Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
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 3 months. Cancel anytime.

The Prince and the Pauper

By: Mark Twain
Narrated by: Norman Dietz
Try for $0.00

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.19

Buy for $17.19

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

About this listen

When street urchin Tom Cantry trades places with Edward VI, Prince of Wales, he thinks everything's going to be easy. But young Tom finds himself caught in the trappings of a Prince, while possessing the heart of a beggar. The Prince and the Pauper is one of the more famous stories in children's literature, as well as one of the greatest "trading places" story of all time, showcasing Twain's satirical wit and acute sense of political irony.Public Domain (P)1994 Recorded Books, Inc. Historical Fiction Fiction Royalty Witty

Editorial reviews

This rendition of this classic work is not an outstanding audio performance. Although narrator Norman Dietz holds the listener's interest, he fails to capture the correct tone for Twain. In telling the tale of the poor boy and prince who mistakenly swap identities, the author is also chuckling with the listener over the foibles of the rich and the poor. To be at its entertaining best, this work needs to be a performance piece with broad accents and wickedly whispered asides from Twain. This version includes the footnotes, which add little to the piece.

Critic reviews

"A tale ingenious in conception, pure and humane in purpose, artistic in method, and, with barely a flaw, refined in execution." (Atlantic Monthly)

All stars
Most relevant  
This is clearly aimed at a younger audience than some of Twain's works. But it's a rollicking swashbuckler, full of plot twists and verbal treats, and Norman Dietz narrates it in exactly the right tone. If Twain had to write "Tom Sawyer" before he could tackle "Huckleberry Finn," maybe he had to write this one before he could tackle "Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court." Among other things, I don't think he's gotten enough credit for his expert recreation of Tudor speech -- it sounds pretty convincing to me! Last time I read this, I was 10 years old, and it hasn't lost any of its ability to charm in the last 40-odd years.

A great yarn

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

good story that all ages will like, let see the world for what it is.

love this book

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

I'm a big fan of Mark Twain and have been revisiting his works through audiobooks much to my satisfaction, until now. This recording is so grainy and poor that I can barely understand it. I'm sorry I wasted good money on this.

The book is good, but the recording is terrible.

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