O. Henry

Author profile

born

in Greensboro, North Carolina, The United States

September 11, 1862

died

June 05, 1910

gender

male

genre

Short Stories, Humor, Mystery & Thrillers

About this author

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William Sydney Porter lends the pen name "O. Henry" to surprise endings signed officially as Sydney Porter. His biography shows where he found inspiration for his characters. Their voices and his language were products of his era.

He was born 1862 Greensboro, North Carolina. When he was three years old, his mother died from tuberculosis. He left school at fifteen, worked five years in uncle's drugstore, then for two years at a Texas sheep ranch.

In 1884 he went to Austin where he worked in a real estate office, 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.

After he failed to establish a small humorous weekly, he worked in poorly-run bank. When...more William Sydney Porter lends the pen name "O. Henry" to surprise endings signed officially as Sydney Porter. His biography shows where he found inspiration for his characters. Their voices and his language were products of his era.

He was born 1862 Greensboro, North Carolina. When he was three years old, his mother died from tuberculosis. He left school at fifteen, worked five years in uncle's drugstore, then for two years at a Texas sheep ranch.

In 1884 he went to Austin where he worked in a real estate office, 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.

After he failed to establish a small humorous weekly, he worked in poorly-run bank. When its accounts did not balance, he was blamed for it, and fired.

In Houston, he worked for a few years until — ordered to stand trial for embezzlement — he fled to New Orleans and thence, to Honduras.

Two years later, he returned on account of his wife's illness. Apprehended, Porter served a few months more than three years in a Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio. During his incarceration, he composed ten short stories, including "A Blackjack Bargainer", "The Enchanted Kiss", and "The Duplicity of Hargraves".

In 1899, McClure's published "Whistling Dick's Christmas Story" and "Georgia's Ruling."

While in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he sent manuscripts to New York editors. In the spring of 1902, Ainslee's Magazine offered 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 Kings" came first, in 1904; followed by "The Four Million"; "The Trimmed Lamp" and "Heart of the West" in 1907; "The Voice of the City" in 1908; Roads of Destiny" and "Options" in 1909, "Strictly Business" and "Whirligigs" in 1910. Posthumously published collections include "The Gentle Grafter" about the swindler, Jeff Peters; "Rolling Stones" and "Waifs and Strays"; and in 1936, unsigned stories.

Others were rewarded financially more. "A Retrieved Reformation," about 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. (less)

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Average rating: 4.07 · 49,368 ratings · 1,456 reviews · 197 distinct works · Similar authors

	The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, Lisbeth Zwerger (Illustrator) 4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 avg rating — 30,768 ratings — published 1905 — 72 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Selected Stories by O. Henry, Victoria Blake (Editor) 4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 avg rating — 7,533 ratings — published 1977 — 29 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Best Short Stories of O. Henry by O. Henry, Bennett Cerf (Editor), Van H. Cartmell (Editor) 4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 avg rating — 2,139 ratings — published 1904 — 34 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Ransom of Red Chief 4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 avg rating — 1,773 ratings — published 1910 — 18 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Gift of the Magi and Other Short Stories 4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 avg rating — 1,689 ratings — published 1906 — 17 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Last Leaf by O. Henry (Editor), Raymond Harris (Editor), Walter Pauk (Editor) 4.38 of 5 stars 4.38 avg rating — 854 ratings — published 1979 — 8 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Complete Works of O. Henry by O. Henry, Harry Hansen (Foreword by) 4.38 of 5 stars 4.38 avg rating — 569 ratings — published 1899 — 25 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	41 Stories by O. Henry, Burton Raffel (Introduction) 4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 avg rating — 301 ratings — published 1984 — 11 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cabbages and Kings 4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 298 ratings — published 2012 — 54 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Four Million 4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 avg rating — 223 ratings — published 1906 — 41 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by O. Henry…

Quotes by O. Henry

“No friendship is an accident. ”
― O. Henry, Heart of the West

tags: friendship

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“Life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.”
― O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi

tags: human-condition

61 people liked it

“We can't buy one minute of time with cash; if we could, rich people would live longer.”
― O. Henry, Selected Stories

42 people liked it

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O. Henry

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