L. S. Ipsen – illustratör

"What am I writing? A historical tale of 300 years ago, simply for the love of it." Mark Twain's tale, in which a sixteenth-century English prince and the pauper boy that looks just like him are forced to changed places, has become a classic of American literature. Published in 1881, Mark Twain called the book "a tale for young people of all ages," and his thirteen-year-old daughter, Susy Clemens, called it "unquestionably the best book he has ever written." Foreword and notes by Victor Fischer and Michael B. Frank, text established by Victor Fischer. Original illustrations by Frank T. Merrill, John Harley, and L.S. Ipsen.

'What am I writing? A historical tale of 300 years ago, simply for the love of it.' Mark Twain's 'tale' became his first historical novel, "The Prince and the Pauper", published in 1881. Intricately plotted, it was intended to have the feel of history even though it was only the stuff of legend. In sixteenth-century England, young Prince Edward (son of Henry VIII) and Tom Canty, a pauper boy who looks exactly like him, are suddenly forced to change places. The prince endures 'rags & hardships' while the pauper suffers the 'horrible miseries of princedom.' Mark Twain called his book a 'tale for young people of all ages,' and it has become a classic of American literature. The first edition in 1881 was fully illustrated by Frank Merrill, John Harley, and L. S. Ipsen. The boys in these illustrations, Mark Twain said, 'look and dress exactly as I used to see them cast in my mind...It is a vast pleasure to see them cast in the flesh, so to speak.' "This Mark Twain Library edition" exactly reproduces the text of the California scholarly edition, including all of the 192 illustrations that so pleased the author.

Two boys are born on the same day in sixteenth-century England; one is a beggar, and the other is the Prince of Wales. Growing up, Tom Canty daydreams of hobnobbing with nobility, while Edward Tudor, son of King Henry VIII, longs for freedom beyond the castle walls. One day, the boys have a chance encounter, realize that they look a lot alike, and decide to switch places. But they soon learn that idealistic fantasies don''t match up with reality. American author Mark Twain first published his historical fiction novel in 1881 in Canada and in 1882 in the United States; this unabridged version from an 1882 edition features illustrations from Frank T. Merrill, John J. Harley, and L. S. Ipsen.