The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson (Version 2)

Written by Mark Twain

Narrated by LibriVox Community

It was published in 1893–1894 by Century Magazine in seven installments, and is a detective story with some racial themes. The plot of this novel is a detective story, in which a series of identities - the judge's murderer, Tom, Chambers - must be sorted out. This structure highlights the problem of identity and one's ability to determine one's own identity. Broader issues of identity are the central ideas of this novel.

One of Twain’s major goals in this book was to exploit the true nature of Racism at that period. Twain used comic relief as a way to divulge his theme. The purpose of a comic relief is to address his or her opinion in a less serious way, yet persuade the reader into thinking the writers thoughts. Twain’s use of satire is visible throughtout the book. Twain’s use of colloquialism (dialect) and local color as features of Naturalism to convey his theme, is impressive and ahead for his time. (Summary by Wikipedia)

• Language: English
• Publisher: LibriVox
• Release date: Aug 25, 2014

Mark Twain

Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born in Missouri in 1835, the son of a lawyer. Early in his childhood, the family moved to Hannibal, Missouri – a town which would provide the inspiration for St Petersburg in Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. After a period spent as a travelling printer, Clemens became a river pilot on the Mississippi: a time he would look back upon as his happiest. When he turned to writing in his thirties, he adopted the pseudonym Mark Twain ('Mark Twain' is the cry of a Mississippi boatman taking depth measurements, and means 'two fathoms'), and a number of highly successful publications followed, including The Prince and the Pauper (1882), Huckleberry Finn (1884) and A Connecticut Yankee (1889). His later life, however, was marked by personal tragedy and sadness, as well as financial difficulty. In 1894, several businesses in which he had invested failed, and he was declared bankrupt. Over the next fifteen years – during which he managed to regain some measure of financial independence – he saw the deaths of two of his beloved daughters, and his wife. Increasingly bitter and depressed, Twain died in 1910, aged seventy-five.

Reviews for The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson (Version 2)

[sandra walters · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Spellbinding! Yes there is racism but I feel the whole point was to show the terrible consequences of such degradation. It showed how people were treated which is horrifying.