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Welcome to Read This Book, the newsletter where I recommend a book you should add to your TBR, STAT! I stan variety in all things, and my book recommendations will be no exception. These must-read books will span genres and age groups. There will be new releases, oldie but goldies from the backlist, and the classics you may have missed in high school. Oh my! If you’re ready to diversify your books, then LEGGO!!
Today is Mark Twain’s 185th birthday, but he doesn’t look a day over 150. The New York Times lauded him as the “greatest humorist the United States ever produced.” William Faulkner called him the “Father of American Literature.” His novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (that many of you read in high school) is often regarded as the “First Great American Novel.” Did you read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in high school? I did not. Instead we read stories like The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and Pudd’nhead Wilson.
Pudd’nhead Wilson by Mark Twain
Determined that her baby son Chambers will not share her fate of being enslaved for the rest of his life, Roxy secretly exchanges him with her master’s son, Tom. The two boys’ lives remain entwined even as they head in very different directions. “Tom” becomes the heir to a fortune and goes off to Yale where he develops a habit of drinking and gambling too much. “Chambers” is set for a lifetime of servitude. Then a strange sequence of events, where the much-derided town lawyer David “Pudd’nhead” Wilson plays a key role, changes everything.
It’s been decades since I’ve read Pudd’nhead Wilson, and all I remembered about the story was how the word “Pudd’nhead” always made me chuckle. Before I told y’all to read this book, I had to revisit the story and see if the pudd’n had any substance. I am happy to report Pudd’nhead Wilson was still enjoyable, despite the story feeling slightly disjointed. That’s not surprising since apparently Twain quickly wrote the book as an attempt to stave off bankruptcy.
Although the story sometimes felt like it was all over the place, I actually found that to be the best part of Pudd’nhead Wilson because it was like experiencing two stories in one. There was the mystery involving Roxy, “Tom,” and Wilson. Of course, there was the main switched at birth narrative between Chambers and Tom. I was anticipating the big reveal and was nervous about the consequences for the involved parties, especially Roxy.
Overall, Pudd’nhead Wilson provides insightful society commentary about small town life and Antebellum America. If you’re excited about the story, but worried that it means you’re in for a long read, then fret not! Pudd’nhead Wilson is a short read for any avid reader even if you continue on to read about Those Extraordinary Twins.
Until next time bookish friends,
Katisha
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