Books

THE TRAGEDY OF PUDD'NHEAD WILSON AND THE COMEDY OF THOSE EXTRAORDINARY TWINS, American Publishing Company, 1894, first edition (first issue), a near fine copy in the publishers original decorated binding. A HAYCRAFT / QUEEN cornerstone marking for the first time the use of fingerprints in a work of mystery / detective fiction.

"The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson" is a novel by Mark Twain set in the antebellum South. The story centers on two infants, one white and one black, switched at birth. Pudd'nhead Wilson, a keen but socially awkward lawyer, plays a key role in uncovering the switch. The novel explores themes of racial identity, slavery, and social injustice. Twain employs his trademark wit to satirize societal norms while delivering a poignant commentary on prejudice and the tragic consequences of mistaken identities.