41 Stories

The thing I always find remarkable about reading O. Henry is that the "surprise" or "twist" at the end of so many of his stories arrive so naturally. You never feel manipulated. They are so simple and logical, like the narrator's tone. It's little wonder that so many consider O. Henry to be one of the founders of the modern short story. And that an annual short story award is given out in his name.His stories, like Horatio Alger's, give us a unique first-hand account of what New York and other cities were like at the turn of the last century. And for that it is a valuable collection as well. The great standards are in this collection, like "The Gift of the Magi" and "A Retrieved Reformation". But it's the lesser known, the hidden gems, that make this collection so remarkable. People make much of the fact that so many of these tales were written while O. Henry was in prison for various minor offences and that the stories provided him with bail money. The fact is that the man had a lucid view of human nature and the funny way life infringes upon it. He could have--and did--write so many of these tales outside of the jail cell.

What an exellent collection ! I fell in love with O'Henry writing about 25 years ago , when I was a kid . First , I read his work in russian . But now , when my english got better , I decided to give it a try , and I am glad , I did . His unique stile of writing is very unpredictable and funny . He is playing with words and frases as ring master . The twists in every story slaping you in your face from the right side , just a moment before you exspected it from the left . But beware : If you start reading this book , you better turn off your range and make shure , that iron is off ! You are going to forget about them after the first pages of this wonderfull book . Mr. O'Henry ! You and Bulgakov are 2 writers , who inspire me and my writing for over 2 decades ! Thank you ...

A collection of 41 short stories by O. Henry? My mouth waters already! It's hard to imagine any literary treat that can be enjoyed in small doses more pleasurable than this. I have spent over a year savouring these stories, reading them one by one, tasting his delightful choice of words, digesting his fascinating story-lines, and the warm satisfying afterglow that comes after a typical twist at the end. O. Henry began writing short stories as a prison inmate, and he quickly fine tuned his skills behind the bars and developed into an excellent storyteller. Born William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), he produced 270 stories under the pseudonym O. Henry. His stories are superbly outstanding in at least four ways, each illustrated with five of my personal favorites.Firstly, his brilliant use of language. These stories were written in the first half of the twentieth century, and O. Henry's use of language easily surpasses that of most contemporary writers. Not only does he have an extensive vocabulary, but his writing abounds with similes and metaphors that breathe sparkling life and depth into his stories, marred only by the occasional "Lordy". "Ulysses and the Dogman" is a fine example of his skills with a language, metaphorically portraying dog owners as victims of Circe, in a hopeless enchantment to their leashed pets. Also exemplary is "Madame Bo-Peep of the Ranches" where a ranch manager has a heart fenced by barbwire just like the ranch on which he lives, and yet the twist at the ending suggests that perhaps we were completely mistaken. "A Comedy in Rubber" uses wonderfully elevated language to farcically portray a class of people today known as ambulance chasers. And "Sisters of the Golden Circle" revolves around the profound bond that exists between two married women who are strangers but yet sisters "of the plain gold band." "An Unfinished Story" employs profound metaphors of angelic hosts to tell the tragic story of poor Dulcie's struggle for survival.Secondly, his unique insight into the social conditions of his time. O. Henry has a great understanding of the trials of the lower class, and he frequently pictures the lives of ordinary people of early twentieth century America with warm and sympathetic colours. His characters are frequently the overlooked: the struggling shop girl, the unsuccessful artist, the impoverished. Admittedly, some of his images can be hard to comprehend for modern readers, and the distance that time has placed between us and O. Henry's beloved New York means that some of his verbal pictures will be harder to understand and identify with. But his genuine sympathy for the oppressed cannot be missed. "The Gift of the Magi" is the signature O. Henry story, probably his most famous tale which recounts a poor young couple who both give up a prized possession in order to purchase a gift for one another - but ironically a gift intended to complement the other's prized possession that they have just given up. An

If ever God walked the face of the earth, surely he took the form of O. Henry. This author has a knack for the ironic and a firm grasp of satire. His stories, always crafted with the highest penmanship, are superbly humorous and wonderfully heartfelt, exact social commentaries, and never fail to please. I cannot recommend his works more, either those found in this anthology, or in any other.