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تراژدی در هارلم: گزیدهای از بهترین داستانهای کوتاه
این مجموعه منتخبی است از بهترین داستانهای اُ. هنری و گواه قاطعی است که در بهترین کارهایش شایسته آن است که در مرتبه بزرگترین استادان داستان کوتاه امریکا بنشیند.
ویلیام سیدنی پورتِر، یا همان اُ. هنری، در سال ۱۸۶۲ در کارولینای شمالی به دنیا آمد. نوشتن را از روزنامهها شروع کرد و بعد به نوشتن داستان کوتاه برای نشریات روی آورد. ششصد داستان کوتاه از او به جا مانده است. مکان وقوع بسیاری از این داستانها امریکایی مرکزی و دشتهای بیکران تگزاس است، اما مرکز بیشتر داستانهایی که در این منتخب آمده نیویورک است. خودِ نویسنده هم اگر بود، همین را میخواست. دل او در گرو این باریکهخشکی بود. هرچند که اصطلاحات عامیانهای که شخصیتهای آفریدهاش بر زبان میآورند جای به تکیهکلامهای زودگذر داده و رستورانها و هتلهای محل وقوع داستانهایش یکدو نسل پیش از این تخریب شدهاند، خودِ نویسنده در مقام «ملکالنثرنویسان» جزیره مَنهَتَن امنوامان در دل مردم باقی است.
ویلیام سیدنی پورتِر، یا همان اُ. هنری، در سال ۱۸۶۲ در کارولینای شمالی به دنیا آمد. نوشتن را از روزنامهها شروع کرد و بعد به نوشتن داستان کوتاه برای نشریات روی آورد. ششصد داستان کوتاه از او به جا مانده است. مکان وقوع بسیاری از این داستانها امریکایی مرکزی و دشتهای بیکران تگزاس است، اما مرکز بیشتر داستانهایی که در این منتخب آمده نیویورک است. خودِ نویسنده هم اگر بود، همین را میخواست. دل او در گرو این باریکهخشکی بود. هرچند که اصطلاحات عامیانهای که شخصیتهای آفریدهاش بر زبان میآورند جای به تکیهکلامهای زودگذر داده و رستورانها و هتلهای محل وقوع داستانهایش یکدو نسل پیش از این تخریب شدهاند، خودِ نویسنده در مقام «ملکالنثرنویسان» جزیره مَنهَتَن امنوامان در دل مردم باقی است.
236 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2017
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About the author
O. Henry
2,914 books1,872 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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December 29, 2023
طنز پخته و جسوری در داستانهای کوتاه اُ. هنری هست، طنزی که مرهون شناخت استادانهی نویسنده از روان آدمی ست. اتفاقات با ایجاز و شتاب دلربایی به سمت پایانِ اغلب غافلگیرکنندهی داستان میروند و این خاطرهی هر داستان را در یاد خواننده پررنگتر میکند. مجموعا بسیار خواندنی.
Displaying 1 of 1 review