Books

8vo. 432 pp. Bound in brown cloth with gilt lettering and black decorations on the spine and the front board. Frontispiece portrait of the author with tissue guard, marginal illustrations throughout, full-page illustration preceding "Those Extraordinary Twins". First edition, first state. BAL 3442. The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson is a novel satirizing small town life, slavery, and racism and is generally regarded as one of Twain's most important later works. The related novella "Those Extraordinary Twins" is perhaps of more historical interest for its insights into Twain's writing process, but is representative of his lighter farce. A very handsome copy of this high spot of American literature. A few hints of rubbing to the extremities, contemporary ownership inscription (dated 1894) on the first blank leaf. but overall a very bright and clean copy.

"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.