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Confessioni di un umorista e altri racconti
Comment se jouer du destin quand on est un personnage de nouvelle ?
99 pages, Paperback
First published February 18, 2004
2 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
O. Henry
2,923 books1,880 followersSuch volumes as
Cabbages and Kings
(1904) and
The 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, 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 .
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 The Four Million, and The Trimmed Lamp and Heart of the West followed in 1907, and The Voice of the City in 1908, Roads of Destiny and Options in 1909, Strictly Business and Whirligigs in 1910 followed.
Posthumously published collections include The Gentle Grafter about the swindler, Jeff Peters; Rolling Stones , Waifs and Strays , and in 1936, unsigned stories, followed.
People rewarded other persons 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.
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, 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 .
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 The Four Million, and The Trimmed Lamp and Heart of the West followed in 1907, and The Voice of the City in 1908, Roads of Destiny and Options in 1909, Strictly Business and Whirligigs in 1910 followed.
Posthumously published collections include The Gentle Grafter about the swindler, Jeff Peters; Rolling Stones , Waifs and Strays , and in 1936, unsigned stories, followed.
People rewarded other persons 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.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 17, 2021
Things go well if they are done with pleasure. Do as you like...
I thought this story would end up making me sad...but no💜💜
I thought this story would end up making me sad...but no💜💜
January 20, 2024
I have to wonder how much of this was autobiographical. In this short story, a man is discovered to be quite the wit during a retirement party. He's thrilled at first, especially when this talent turns lucrative. But he soon tires of it, and people start turning away from him. The resolution is hilarious, unexpected and ironic.
June 18, 2017
The story "Confessions Of A Humorist" by O. Henry gives to readers lots of positive emotions. It is also useful for enhancing vocabulary because it includes fun and memorable expressions.
The narrator told us a story how he had become a professional humorist when people "... called it humor instead of measles" and how he quitted this job. The plot line consists of several turns on this way so readers won't be bored. Here is the plot in chronicle order.
Beginning:
The narrator gave a little speech on the birthday of senior officer and it became very popular due to some jokes and pans included which narrator used there. "Old Marlowe himself actually grinned, and the employees took their cue and roared". Employees started to apply to the narrator for writing such things and he gained a reputation of a humorist.
2. Career:
The narrator received an invitation to write for local weekly magazine humor's column. He started working very productively but after some time he "burned", he wasn't able to find the source of jokes inside himself. Then he began hunting for ideas from other people and publishing results. "I was <...> like a hound springing upon a bone". His acquaintances started to avoid him. The narrator started catching ideas from his wife ("With devilish cunning I encouraged her to talk") and children so they started to hide from him. Eventually, the protagonist fell into depression.
3. Climax and Ending:
The narrator visited the undertaking establishment and found himself relaxing to speak with the owner who was absolutely indifferent to jokes. He became careless ("I dumbfounded my family by relaxing long enough to make a jocose remark in their presence"), the soul's piece came back to him.
The owner of undertaking business offered him to join this deal and the narrator invested all his money in this enterprise. Meanwhile, the magazine refused to prolong the contract. Initially, his wife was shocked, but later everything went well, he started making jokes again and his financial deals were ok too.
It delivers much pleasure to carefully read jokes which O'Henry put in this story.
My interpretations of the moral of this story.
In terms of humor itself:
Every joke or witticism or pun should be spontaneous. If they are created deliberately, under compulsion, they won't be funny, they lose sincerity.
In other respects:
Things go well if they are done with pleasure. Do as you like - this is good advice from O'Henry.
The narrator told us a story how he had become a professional humorist when people "... called it humor instead of measles" and how he quitted this job. The plot line consists of several turns on this way so readers won't be bored. Here is the plot in chronicle order.
Beginning:
The narrator gave a little speech on the birthday of senior officer and it became very popular due to some jokes and pans included which narrator used there. "Old Marlowe himself actually grinned, and the employees took their cue and roared". Employees started to apply to the narrator for writing such things and he gained a reputation of a humorist.
2. Career:
The narrator received an invitation to write for local weekly magazine humor's column. He started working very productively but after some time he "burned", he wasn't able to find the source of jokes inside himself. Then he began hunting for ideas from other people and publishing results. "I was <...> like a hound springing upon a bone". His acquaintances started to avoid him. The narrator started catching ideas from his wife ("With devilish cunning I encouraged her to talk") and children so they started to hide from him. Eventually, the protagonist fell into depression.
3. Climax and Ending:
The narrator visited the undertaking establishment and found himself relaxing to speak with the owner who was absolutely indifferent to jokes. He became careless ("I dumbfounded my family by relaxing long enough to make a jocose remark in their presence"), the soul's piece came back to him.
The owner of undertaking business offered him to join this deal and the narrator invested all his money in this enterprise. Meanwhile, the magazine refused to prolong the contract. Initially, his wife was shocked, but later everything went well, he started making jokes again and his financial deals were ok too.
It delivers much pleasure to carefully read jokes which O'Henry put in this story.
My interpretations of the moral of this story.
In terms of humor itself:
Every joke or witticism or pun should be spontaneous. If they are created deliberately, under compulsion, they won't be funny, they lose sincerity.
In other respects:
Things go well if they are done with pleasure. Do as you like - this is good advice from O'Henry.
August 12, 2019
(This is a short memoir contained in "Russell Baker's Book of American Humor," copyright 1993.)
O. Henry spins a hilarious tale of how he was "discovered" to be a funny person, how he attempted to capitalize on this talent financially, and how there were unexpected repercussions. His storytelling ability and skill with metaphor and descriptive writing will be no surprise to fans of "The Gift of the Magi" and so many other wonderful short stories. A funny, enjoyable read.
O. Henry spins a hilarious tale of how he was "discovered" to be a funny person, how he attempted to capitalize on this talent financially, and how there were unexpected repercussions. His storytelling ability and skill with metaphor and descriptive writing will be no surprise to fans of "The Gift of the Magi" and so many other wonderful short stories. A funny, enjoyable read.
January 6, 2026
The moral of this story is, sometimes a vocation is not a career. Hard work is a remedy for idleness and is by its definition the apex of industry. But being creative On demand could be more than an art. Especially, humor when one has become melancholy (?)
May 26, 2019
Funny and ironic. Well-written.
January 25, 2014
painting smiles on other people's faces can... no, is a hard position to be into.
jokes and witticism should be spontaneous; overly choreographed lines and puns takes the joy out of it.
jokes and witticism should be spontaneous; overly choreographed lines and puns takes the joy out of it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews