This novel by Mark Twain is an exciting adventure, a cheerful satire of romantic England, and a coming-of-age chronicle: two boys, a ragamuffin from a poor neighborhood in London and a rich kid, will exchange, due to a whim of fate, their identities and destinies. The first, reminiscent of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, although living in 19th-century London, will see his wildest dreams come true: he will live in luxury and glory. The second, despite his aristocratic background, will find himself in the harsh world of beggars and petty street criminals and will end up in prison. The two boys will go through a series of adventures, meeting princes, hermits, peasants, and thieves. In the end, as they grow up, they will understand how wonderful but also difficult it is to live. [Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]