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159th out of 8,140 books
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38,259 voters
The Gift of the Magi
One dollar and eight-seven cents is all the money Della has in the world to buy her beloved husband a Christmas present. She has nothing to sell except her only treasure -- her long, beautiful brown hair. Set in New York at the turn of the twentieth century, this classic piece of American literature tells the story of a young couple and the sacrifices each must make to buy...more
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
October 3rd 2006
by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
(first published 1905)
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Dec 24, 2011
Mike
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone
Recommended to Mike by:
Miss Robins, English Teacher, Seventh Grade
O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," illustrated by Lizabeth Zwerger was among my gifts to my wife our first Christmas together. It is one of our annual traditions that I read it to her each Christmas. Yes, I'm hopelessly romantic. I imagine we'll finally hit a year when I hear a gentle snore when she nods off as I'm reading.
"ONE dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and...more
"ONE dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and...more
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I always make references to this story. It's simple and heartbreaking and wonderful. The ending gives me chills:
The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely...more
The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely...more
9 likes · like · see review
The Gift of the Magi. Not too sure why it is called that but I loved this short story nonetheless. It starts off with a young woman named Della who only had $1.87 to spend on her husband for Christmas. She knows it is not enough to buy him the nice things that she feels he deserves. The love this woman has for her husband is outstanding because in order to make enough money to buy him something nice, she cuts off her hair which is about down to her knees. She received $20 from the hairdresser th...more
2 likes · like · see review
Love this sweet short story. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is that I've always wanted to know more about the main characters: their back story, etc. A classic that should be read each Christmas.
This is one book which bring tears in my eyes everytime I read it. The story of a young couple, living their banalities with grace. Who tries to snatch away a happy moment from time, instead what they got was the happiest moment of their lives. Those who have alraedy read the book must be surprised by this comment. But ladies and gentlemen, don't you think that happiness is being in the arms of that someone special instead of a valuable gift. A must read for every love-sick puppy and for all tho...more
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"...may you have the pleasure of the precious gift of love." - Marie Osmond, The Gift of Love (1978 TV Movie)
James Dillingham Young and his bride Della have known prosperity but times have changed and life has been hard of late. soon it will be Christmas. Della plans to buy her husband a gift but she has only one dollar and eighty-seven cents left. what could she possibly do to solve this dilemma?
American writer William Sydney Porter wrote this short story using O. Henry as a nom de plume. it wa...more
James Dillingham Young and his bride Della have known prosperity but times have changed and life has been hard of late. soon it will be Christmas. Della plans to buy her husband a gift but she has only one dollar and eighty-seven cents left. what could she possibly do to solve this dilemma?
American writer William Sydney Porter wrote this short story using O. Henry as a nom de plume. it wa...more
The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days l...more
This wonderful story has been the foundation and inspiration for countless stories based on the premise that our desire to give the gift of love in the form of something unaffordable without personal sacrifice often comes with a twist.....the recipient is mirroring that gift of love with a similar sacrifice and the givers meet headlong---rendering their gifts useless given the sacrifices needed to attain them, but elucidating the beauty of the gift of love. Many of us first read this short story...more
This was another one of the books on the list of short stories passed around during English class, yet "Gift of the Magi" most notably caught my attention because it sounded so familiar. I wracked my mind for where I could have possibly heard of the title or the author, coming up with either my New Magics anthology (Colin told me that Magi was another term for magic) or my Creative Writing class. Left without an answer before class ended, it was ironically my Art teacher who knew about this stor...more
My enjoyment of this was mostly ruined by the fact that I already knew the ending, and also that I felt I've seen adaptations that were more emotionally impactful, (Mickey and Minnie's version being one of them.) I normally wouldn't be able to connect to a short story in the first place, but I thought the tone and language used pushed me away even further. What exactly was the meaning of the pork chops? (I feel like if I read this in a Literature class the pork chops would mean something ... I'd...more
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Oft retold tale that remains an enduring classic. My vote for best spin-off is the Sesame Street version featuring Bert and Ernie. Bert forgoes his prized paper clip collection to buy Ernie a soap dish for his beloved Rubber Duckie. Meanwhile, Ernie hocks Rubber Duckie in order to purchase a cigar box for Bert's paper clip collection. No fear, Mr. Hooper saves the day, returning the buddies possessions just in the nick of time on Christmas morning.
Dec 17, 2012
Dr. Tim
added it
I read this book many years ago when I stumbled upon the bar it was allegedly written in, Pete's Tavern in New York City. I am glad I did. Though the narrative does not offer an earth-shatteringly original theme, the love story itself is told with an endearing tenderness. It is a cold hearted person that cannot appreciate the depth, sincerity and longevity of the love Jim and Della have for each other. The ending is as warming as it is heart wrenching and as touching as it is flawed.
For anyone...more
For anyone...more
It struck me in reading this how much more Jim - the husband - gave up than Della did. Jim gave up something he could not replace, while Della gave up something more temporary. Although, Della was willing to sacrifice something personal.
Interesting 100 year old story. I'm not sure what the Magi has to do with the story, however. This is an American story, commonly re-told at Christmas.
Interesting 100 year old story. I'm not sure what the Magi has to do with the story, however. This is an American story, commonly re-told at Christmas.
1 like · like · see review
This is a story about true love and sacrifice. Della is a poor young lady who lived in New York City in a little apartment. She wanted the perfect gift for her soulmate, Mr. Jim for Christmas. ,Unfortunately she had only one dollar and eight cents. she went to the store and bought Jim a gold chain for his pocket watch. Jim came in and he was surprised. Della cried explaining how she sold her beautiful long brown hair in order to buy him this gold chain, but the unexpected surprise was that he so...more
One of my favorites, and this edition of O. Henry's classic is so beautifully illustrated. It never fails to bring on the tears. I used to read this to the fifth graders every year when I was a school librarian. The message is so important, and follows nicely on the heels of the familiar Whos down in Whoville who held hands and sang without packages, boxes, or bags.
1 like · like · see review
Story Review
The Gift of the Magi is a classic Christmas story of a married couple, each of whom sells their most prized possession, in order to buy the "perfect" Christmas gift for the other. It is a beautiful story of unselfish love in the true spirit of Christmas giving. I have read the book numerous times and find O. Henry’s story very touching each time.
I really enjoy both picture books and children's books for the illustrations as much as the story and was thinking about buying a copy of T...more
The Gift of the Magi is a classic Christmas story of a married couple, each of whom sells their most prized possession, in order to buy the "perfect" Christmas gift for the other. It is a beautiful story of unselfish love in the true spirit of Christmas giving. I have read the book numerous times and find O. Henry’s story very touching each time.
I really enjoy both picture books and children's books for the illustrations as much as the story and was thinking about buying a copy of T...more
Story Review
The Gift of the Magi is a classic Christmas story of a married couple, each of whom sells their most prized possession, in order to buy the "perfect" Christmas gift for the other. It is a beautiful story of unselfish love in the true spirit of Christmas giving. I have read the book numerous times and find O. Henry’s story very touching each time.
I really enjoy both picture books and children's books for the illustrations as much as the story and was thinking about buying a copy of T...more
The Gift of the Magi is a classic Christmas story of a married couple, each of whom sells their most prized possession, in order to buy the "perfect" Christmas gift for the other. It is a beautiful story of unselfish love in the true spirit of Christmas giving. I have read the book numerous times and find O. Henry’s story very touching each time.
I really enjoy both picture books and children's books for the illustrations as much as the story and was thinking about buying a copy of T...more
May 09, 2010
Marcus
added it
'The Gift of the Magi'-an interesting story with a clever twist to it. It revolves around Della, who had only a dollar and eighty-seven cents with to which to buy her husband, Jim, a christmas present. Unwitfully sacrifices her most valued possession-her hair, for twenty dollars, with which she uses to buy Jim a watch chain to suit his most valued possession, a gold watch which was his family heirloom.
During the exchanging of gifts, Della realizes that Jim had bought expensive combs for her, mos...more
During the exchanging of gifts, Della realizes that Jim had bought expensive combs for her, mos...more
So this was short and sweet. Not really a fan of short stories but I wanted to read something Christmassy during the holidays so this was really fast. The message is nice and the couple is dear. I had no trouble following the tale and so it was nice. Reminding me of what giving gifts and celebrating Christmas is all about.
A story that basically everyone knows well and loves to no end. I decided to read this on Goodreads because there was an eBook available and it was much shorter than I had thought it would be.
Considering the fact that everyone seems to have read this made me feel slightly ridiculous for having not. I know many people consider it to be "the most perfect story ever written", but I didn't feel that.
In my opinion, it seemed reasonable that two people who wereblinded by love in love would sacrifice...more
Considering the fact that everyone seems to have read this made me feel slightly ridiculous for having not. I know many people consider it to be "the most perfect story ever written", but I didn't feel that.
In my opinion, it seemed reasonable that two people who were
The Gift of the Magi is, of course, already famous and needs no praise from me.
The illustrations are perfectly suited to accompany the strangely tragic, impossibly sweet love story. The characters pictures are quaint in there costume, and completely endearing in manner and attitude. The images remind me of some I've seen from the pages of Leonardo Da Vinci. There is a sketchy quality to them, but they feel complete and full of life.
The only problem I had was with the composition of the book as...more
The illustrations are perfectly suited to accompany the strangely tragic, impossibly sweet love story. The characters pictures are quaint in there costume, and completely endearing in manner and attitude. The images remind me of some I've seen from the pages of Leonardo Da Vinci. There is a sketchy quality to them, but they feel complete and full of life.
The only problem I had was with the composition of the book as...more
This is one of those beautiful stories that you can't ever read enough. Two people, so desperate to find a Christmas gift for each other that they sell their most prized possessions to do it. While on the surface it may seem to be a story about consumerism, it is about the love and devotion these two people have for each other.
It's been a long time since I last read this story, but it's just as powerful now as it was then. My only complaint, and it is the same one I always have regarding short...more
It's been a long time since I last read this story, but it's just as powerful now as it was then. My only complaint, and it is the same one I always have regarding short...more
Dec 27, 2008
Tracy
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people who enjoy irony
Recommended to Tracy by:
I think it was an in-school read
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This book is about a poor, young couple who are desperate to get each other a good christmas present. All the wife (Della) has is $1.87 and a very long head of hair. She decides to cut her hair and sell it. She then has an extra $20.00 to spend on good christmas present for her husband,Jim. She finds a silver chain that would be perfect for his pocket watch. When she gets home she finds that Jim has sold his watch so that he could by hair clips for her long hair. I thought this book was okay, no...more
This is not the version of my book I wanted to add here today. I recently acquired a very old copy of this story, in a hard cover, box version, with lovely illustrations by Kevin King that was owned by either my stepfather in his childhood or his mother.
I still kind of both love and do not love this story. It's such a great love, to each give up their most precious object because they decide the joy of the one with them is worth even more than that, and yet it is a story ridiculed to irony. So...more
I still kind of both love and do not love this story. It's such a great love, to each give up their most precious object because they decide the joy of the one with them is worth even more than that, and yet it is a story ridiculed to irony. So...more
"Un dollaro e ottantasette centesimi. Tutto lì. E sessanta di quei centesimi erano in infinite monetine. Monetine risparmiate una o due alla volta, contese al droghiere, e al verduraio, e al macellaio, fino a farsi venir rosse le guance per la taciuta accusa di taccagneria che tanto serrate trattative sogliono generare. Della li contò tre volte: un dollaro e ottantasette centesimi. E il giorno dopo sarebbe stato Natale. Chiaramente non c'era altro da fare che crollare sul logoro divanetto e mugg...more
A wonderful Christmas classic accompanied with stunning and emotional illustrations. The writing is old but timeless and I loved the style of O. Henry--his subtleties most of all. O. Henry is a master of the short story--in my opinion, one of the hardest genres to master. As I said, I love the illustrations, but be prepared for only just-enough. This is an artistic book and may not appeal to young children, at least on the first introduction. I gave this book to my two married children this year...more
I added this short story to my read shelf only because it is on the list of the books everyone must read... But like it - I did not. It is appraised of being simple, hartfelt, ultimately - a sad Christmas stoy. But to me it seemed more like an extract from something larger; it lacked the masterly wrapping of a short story, the plunge into the characters and story, the feeling like something cold is nibbling at your heart and then, suddenly, it's all over. Instead, it briefly swam about, being qu...more
One of my fav heart warming stories to read. The first time I read this story was for a class assignment and I was not really into it. It took me a while to concentrate on the story, but once I did I loved every word. The second time I came across the book while browsing my library and the floods of rich warm emotions came back to me. The book is about a newly married couple who do not have enough of money to buy a Christmas Gift for their better half. The manner in which they sacrifice themselv...more
Great book that I think everyone a one point or another should read, although some might find it too cheesy, I first read this book in the 4th or 5th grade and it's always stuck with me but it wasn't until recently that I decided to read again and just as I thought I loved it just like I did then and very few stories can combine a heartfelt ideal with humor and have it be so well written and I'd have to reccomend this to anyone who would like to read a short and simple story because whether you'...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| It's the thought that counts | 5 | 51 | 20. Februar, 08:09 Uhr | |
| Mongolian Readers: Маш хөөрхөн богино өгүүллэг :-)) - The Gift of the Magi | 2 | 14 | 28. Dezember, 21:17 Uhr |
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 drugs...more
More about O. Henry...
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 drugs...more
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“Life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.”
—
61 people liked it
“There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.”
—
3 people liked it
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