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Pocket Book of O. Henry's Short Stories
Thirty stories.
O. Henry is one of the most widely published of modern authors. His works-more than six hundred stories-have been translated into nearly every language. Although his first literary success took Latin America for its setting, he is best known for his tales about the people of New York City- "Baghdad-on-the-Subway" -stories that are inventive, ironic, and surprisingly contemporary. This collection of O. Henry's works contain 30 of his best-loved pieces, including the eternal Christmas classic "The Gift of the Magi."
O. Henry is one of the most widely published of modern authors. His works-more than six hundred stories-have been translated into nearly every language. Although his first literary success took Latin America for its setting, he is best known for his tales about the people of New York City- "Baghdad-on-the-Subway" -stories that are inventive, ironic, and surprisingly contemporary. This collection of O. Henry's works contain 30 of his best-loved pieces, including the eternal Christmas classic "The Gift of the Magi."
238 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1901
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About the author
O. Henry
2,919 books1,896 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 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 28, 2016
O. Henry is truly a master of short stories.
October 23, 2014
The edition I have of this book is quite old and only contains 16 of O.Henry's stories. I read and enjoyed them all.
I'd first heard of O. Henry many years ago when I read the well known story The Gift of the Magi in an anthology. This was included in this edition as well.
My favorite stories from this collection were:
The Last Leaf, Roads of Destiny, The Ransom of Red Chief, A Retrieved Information, Friends in Rosario , and One Dollar's Worth .
Many of O. Henry's stories have surprising endings, and so first readings are fun and sometimes bewildering. But like with some Twilight Zone episodes, once you know the outcomes, the effect is lessened.
I will definitely read more of O. Henry's stories, and from what I can see there are many more stories/collections available.
I'd first heard of O. Henry many years ago when I read the well known story The Gift of the Magi in an anthology. This was included in this edition as well.
My favorite stories from this collection were:
The Last Leaf, Roads of Destiny, The Ransom of Red Chief, A Retrieved Information, Friends in Rosario , and One Dollar's Worth .
Many of O. Henry's stories have surprising endings, and so first readings are fun and sometimes bewildering. But like with some Twilight Zone episodes, once you know the outcomes, the effect is lessened.
I will definitely read more of O. Henry's stories, and from what I can see there are many more stories/collections available.
April 6, 2015
~ The Gift of the Magi 3*
~ The Skylight Room 3*
~ The Cop and the Anthem 4*
~ The Memoirs of a Yellow Dog 4*
~ Springtime a la Carte 3*
~ The Green Door 4*
~ After Twenty Years 3*
~ The Furnished Room 4*
~ The Pimienta Pancakes 3*
~ The Skylight Room 3*
~ The Cop and the Anthem 4*
~ The Memoirs of a Yellow Dog 4*
~ Springtime a la Carte 3*
~ The Green Door 4*
~ After Twenty Years 3*
~ The Furnished Room 4*
~ The Pimienta Pancakes 3*
August 16, 2010
I read this collection of stories when I was pretty young and only remember two of them off-hand: The Gift of the Magi and The Ransom of Red Chief. The latter was quite funny. The former moved me to tears and probably helped form my ideas about marriage.
March 14, 2008
We had to read these in 10th grade for Mr. Thompson's advanced LA class, and I loved them. It was O Henry (and Mr. Hansen) who introduced me to my love of the short story.
December 10, 2013
I credit O. Henry as one of the reasons I became a voracious reader at an early age. His stories hold the same charm they did for me 30 years ago, their magic transcending over more than a century.
November 4, 2017
Surprise Endings Wowed Crowd---But How Now?
In the early 20th century, sentimental postcards were very popular. They featured fully-dressed women with ample figures, flowers, cherubs, and corny captions like "Two's company, no one else counts" or "You look mighty good to me." Any four letter word or nude body would have been unthinkable. But today you can buy a whole range of cards, from the cutsie to the coarse. The appearance of scantily-clad women thereupon is no surprise. What I'm getting at is that the "surprise" of one era is the mundane occurrence of another. Unfortunately, the same is true in literature. O. Henry captured a huge audience in his day, his stories hit the spot then. They are full of contemporary references which made the reader feel smart, and full of wisecracks on the life of the day. Over a century later, perhaps we need footnotes, because a lot of stuff is not comprehensible otherwise. He also liked to use big words like "burglarious" or "obmutescence" which no doubt made readers feel as though they were reading Great Literature. His style, if read in dribs and drabs, is witty and kind. He constantly identified with the lower classes of society. His sense of humor is unfailing. If you sit down to read a volume like this one, however, you will begin to feel a certain cloying, sweetish, 19th century postcard atmosphere in which the inevitable surprise ending is always a positive one, or one which makes you sigh "ohhh" as if you had seen a sick puppy (but don't worry, he's gonna get better). O. Henry had a style, a style much appreciated in his day, and in the USSR for many years afterwards, but I think modern readers want a bit more cynicism, hard edged reality, etc. But for any one reader, I could be wrong, so give these stories a try. Some of them are classics which give you a sense of the whole period of American history, of the New York of the day, as well as New Orleans and the West.
In the early 20th century, sentimental postcards were very popular. They featured fully-dressed women with ample figures, flowers, cherubs, and corny captions like "Two's company, no one else counts" or "You look mighty good to me." Any four letter word or nude body would have been unthinkable. But today you can buy a whole range of cards, from the cutsie to the coarse. The appearance of scantily-clad women thereupon is no surprise. What I'm getting at is that the "surprise" of one era is the mundane occurrence of another. Unfortunately, the same is true in literature. O. Henry captured a huge audience in his day, his stories hit the spot then. They are full of contemporary references which made the reader feel smart, and full of wisecracks on the life of the day. Over a century later, perhaps we need footnotes, because a lot of stuff is not comprehensible otherwise. He also liked to use big words like "burglarious" or "obmutescence" which no doubt made readers feel as though they were reading Great Literature. His style, if read in dribs and drabs, is witty and kind. He constantly identified with the lower classes of society. His sense of humor is unfailing. If you sit down to read a volume like this one, however, you will begin to feel a certain cloying, sweetish, 19th century postcard atmosphere in which the inevitable surprise ending is always a positive one, or one which makes you sigh "ohhh" as if you had seen a sick puppy (but don't worry, he's gonna get better). O. Henry had a style, a style much appreciated in his day, and in the USSR for many years afterwards, but I think modern readers want a bit more cynicism, hard edged reality, etc. But for any one reader, I could be wrong, so give these stories a try. Some of them are classics which give you a sense of the whole period of American history, of the New York of the day, as well as New Orleans and the West.
May 11, 2020
I came across this book when I was going through books at my parents. It had been my mom’s book before she married my dad so it’s been around a long time. I enjoyed these stories. I remember reading “The Gift of the Magi” as a child & the story has always stuck with me. They had great twists & didn’t end the way you expected. I needed my dictionary close by though!
December 27, 2023
The stories still reverberate after 120 years, at least to one of 70 with familiarity with the settings a bit before they were washed away by the 20th century. But the base roots of the inhabitants of O. Henry's time and short epistles still linger in America and still entertain.
January 24, 2021
Would have given it 5 stars, but the story, "The Municipal Report" had some terribly racist content.
October 22, 2021
Couple of great short stories, couple of duds, and a lot of references that may have been understood (possibly funny) one hundred years ago.
December 2, 2021
He made it seem so simple, but these simple stories have stood the test of time. Loved them.
January 28, 2023
In the process of reading short stories by four authors and this is my favorite.
July 19, 2008
My dad bought me this book when I was sick with mono. Since I read it then, I've come back to it again & again. You can pick up just a few of the short stories or read it straight through. It's a classic & many of the tales are uplifting & thought provoking. Some are sweet & some are bitter sweet with irony. People seem to be much more familiar with his works, but not necessary the author. Everyone can recite the Gift of the Magi, but most people can't name the author. That's a shame in my opinion.
November 20, 2016
It was dream to read his twisted tiny tales !! When I completed the pocket book in the bus it's like dream came true !! Language : Best, Story: best, Climax : best, Vocabulary : best !! Book : BEst !
August 1, 2011
it's good.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews