Description
Including his most famous works, such as “The Gift of the Magi” and “The Furnished Room,” this collection of forty-one O. Henry short stories demonstrates his extraordinary technical genius.
“There are stories in everything. I’ve got some of my best yarns from park benches, lampposts, and newspaper stands.”—O. Henry
Readers the world over recognize O. Henry as the best short story writer of the early twentieth century—even today a masterful surprise at the end of a story is described as “an O. Henry twist,” and a prominent short fiction award bears his name. Widely known as a master of irony, O. Henry also displayed in his stories dazzling wordplay and a wry combination of pathos and humor.
Cunningly arranged according to geographic location, these tales display the wide range of O. Henry’s world, from the streets of his beloved New York City to the heat of Honduras and other exotic locales. With his wonderful plot turns, unexpected climaxes, and deep insights into human nature, O. Henry’s works will live on as prime examples of the well-told tale.
Includes an Introduction by Burton Raffel
and an Afterword by Laura Furman
About the Author
Such volumes asCabbages and Kings(1904) andThe Four Million(1906) collect short stories, noted for their often surprising endings, of American writer William Sydney Porter, who used the pen name O. Henry.His biography shows where he found inspiration for his characters. His era produced their voices and his language.Mother of three-year-old Porter died from tuberculosis. He left school at fifteen years of age and worked for five years in drugstore of his uncle and then for two years at a Texas sheep ranch.In 1884, he went to Austin, where he worked in a real estate office and a church choir and spent four years as a draftsman in the general land office. His wife and firstborn died, but daughter Margaret survived him.He failed to establish a small humorous weekly and afterward worked in poorly-run bank. When its accounts balanced not, people blamed and fired him.In Houston, he worked for a few years until, ordered to stand trial for embezzlement, he fled to New Orleans and thence Honduras.Two years later, he returned on account of illness of his wife. Apprehended, Porter served a few months more than three years in a penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio. During his incarceration, he composed ten short stories, includingA Blackjack Bargainer,The Enchanted Kiss, andThe Duplicity of Hargraves.In 1899,McClure'spublishedWhistling Dick's Christmas StoryandGeorgia's Ruling.In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he sent manuscripts to New York editors. In the spring of 1902,Ainslee's Magazineoffered him a regular income if he moved to New York.In less than eight years, he became a bestselling author of collections of short stories.Cabbages and Kingscame first in 1904The Four Million, andThe Trimmed LampandHeart of the Westfollowed in 1907, andThe Voice of the Cityin 1908,Roads of DestinyandOptionsin 1909,Strictly BusinessandWhirligigsin 1910 followed.Posthumously published collections includeThe Gentle Grafterabout the swindler, Jeff Peters;Rolling Stones,Waifs and Strays, and in 1936, unsigned stories, followed.People rewarded other persons financially more.A Retrieved Reformationabout the safe-cracker Jimmy Valentine got $250; six years later, $500 for dramatic rights, which gave over $100,000 royalties for playwright Paul Armstrong. Many stories have been made into films.
0
0
