What do you think?
Rate this book
Търкалящи се камъни
Най-четеният
За О. Хенри (Уилям Сидни Портър) са изписани томове. Ако не и тонове. Оценките на критиката се люшкат от едната крайност до другата. Остава неизменен само един факт: О. Хенри е най-четеният автор на нашия объркан XX век. Това е установено още в 1965 г. от американеца Юджийн Кърънт-Гарсия, негов изследовател и последовател (в смисъл че го последва в отвъдното, макар и много по-късно).
Околосветското пътешествие на Уилям започва скоро след смъртта му от Англия, Франция и Русия, за да стигне до всички кътчета на земното кълбо и до езици като ашанти и йоруба. Разбира се, технически е невъзможно да се изчислят точно всички издания, преиздания и тиражите им, но към посоченото време споменатият изследовател смята, че само извън САЩ те наброяват десетки и десетки милиони. А по-късно един полски автор твърди, че книгите на О. Хенри надхвърлят всички тиражи на Библията и на класиците на марксизма-ленинизма, взети вкупом. Не е известно някой критик да се е наел да обясни това явление. (Може би олимпийците нямат желание да влизат в спор с най-компетентния критик — читателя?)
А ти какво ще кажеш, любезний български читателю?
Тодор Вълчев
За О. Хенри (Уилям Сидни Портър) са изписани томове. Ако не и тонове. Оценките на критиката се люшкат от едната крайност до другата. Остава неизменен само един факт: О. Хенри е най-четеният автор на нашия объркан XX век. Това е установено още в 1965 г. от американеца Юджийн Кърънт-Гарсия, негов изследовател и последовател (в смисъл че го последва в отвъдното, макар и много по-късно).
Околосветското пътешествие на Уилям започва скоро след смъртта му от Англия, Франция и Русия, за да стигне до всички кътчета на земното кълбо и до езици като ашанти и йоруба. Разбира се, технически е невъзможно да се изчислят точно всички издания, преиздания и тиражите им, но към посоченото време споменатият изследовател смята, че само извън САЩ те наброяват десетки и десетки милиони. А по-късно един полски автор твърди, че книгите на О. Хенри надхвърлят всички тиражи на Библията и на класиците на марксизма-ленинизма, взети вкупом. Не е известно някой критик да се е наел да обясни това явление. (Може би олимпийците нямат желание да влизат в спор с най-компетентния критик — читателя?)
А ти какво ще кажеш, любезний български читателю?
Тодор Вълчев
382 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1899
18 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
O. Henry
2,923 books1,882 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 18, 2025
ENGLISH: 23 short stories by O.Henry, of which I have read 22. This is the first time I've read them. I liked this collection least between all books by O.Henry. I have seemed to detect in his last stories a certain worry about death, perhaps an indication of his imminent premature death.
The only story I liked best was The Marquis and Miss Sally. One of the stories (A dinner at ---) is a humorous meta-story around a previous story, The badge of policeman O'Roon, which appears in The Trimmed Lamp. I didn't find it funny.
ESPAÑOL: 23 relatos cortos de O.Henry, de los que he leído 22. Esta es la primera vez que los he leído. Esta colección es la que menos me ha gustado de todos los libros de O.Henry. Me ha parecido detectar en sus últimos relatos cierta preocupación por la muerte, quizá como indicio de su inminente muerte prematura.
El único relato que me gustó más es El Marqués y la señorita Sally. Uno de los cuentos (Una cena en ---) es una meta-historia humorística alrededor de un cuento anterior, La placa del policía O'Roon, que aparece en The Trimmed Lamp. No me pareció graciosa.
The only story I liked best was The Marquis and Miss Sally. One of the stories (A dinner at ---) is a humorous meta-story around a previous story, The badge of policeman O'Roon, which appears in The Trimmed Lamp. I didn't find it funny.
ESPAÑOL: 23 relatos cortos de O.Henry, de los que he leído 22. Esta es la primera vez que los he leído. Esta colección es la que menos me ha gustado de todos los libros de O.Henry. Me ha parecido detectar en sus últimos relatos cierta preocupación por la muerte, quizá como indicio de su inminente muerte prematura.
El único relato que me gustó más es El Marqués y la señorita Sally. Uno de los cuentos (Una cena en ---) es una meta-historia humorística alrededor de un cuento anterior, La placa del policía O'Roon, que aparece en The Trimmed Lamp. No me pareció graciosa.
July 13, 2018
This is the last of the 12 or so books in the Authorized Edition of O. Henry books from 1919. It includes some of O. Henry's last stories written, including some without endings. It also includes some of his letters to people, and some poetry! Highly recommended reading for O. Henry fans!
May 9, 2014
Not as good as the previous books but still plenty of humor laced with sardonic irony. Many of them are earlier stories and so unpolished and not as descriptive in character. Some are later stories that were unfinished or incomplete. Still, Henry's worst are more often better than most modern writers best. Still enjoyable as a short read before bed or a quick story at breakfast.
December 3, 2015
I had enjoyed the little I had read of O. Henry's work before selecting this, but wasn't sure initially if this would be as good. I persisted though, and wasn't disappointed in the end. Quite a broad range of material from over the course of his career. Interesting to see some letters and poems in addition to the short stories.
November 9, 2022
Certainly not his finest collection but great for completists. The last quarter or so is unfinished works (O, the potential!) and letters. I skipped the poems, I have no stomach for poetry.
Want to read
August 5, 2012Henry, O.
The Complete Works of O. Henry
In compilation only.
1) The Dream
2) A Ruler of Men
3) The Atavism of John Tom Little Bear
4) Helping the Other Fellow
5) The Marionettes
6) The Marquis and Miss Sally
7) A Fog in Santone
8) The Friendly Call
9) A Dinner at _____
10) Sound and Fury
11) Tictocq
12) Tracked to Doom
13) A Snapshot at the President
14) An Unfinished Christmas Story
15) The Unprofitable Servant
16) Aristocracy Versus Hash
17) The Prisoner of Zembla
18) A Strange Story
19) Fickle Fortune or How Gladys Hustled
20) An Apology
21) Lord Oakhurst's Curse
22) Bexar Scrip No. 2692
23) Queries and Answers
The Complete Works of O. Henry
In compilation only.
1) The Dream
2) A Ruler of Men
3) The Atavism of John Tom Little Bear
4) Helping the Other Fellow
5) The Marionettes
6) The Marquis and Miss Sally
7) A Fog in Santone
8) The Friendly Call
9) A Dinner at _____
10) Sound and Fury
11) Tictocq
12) Tracked to Doom
13) A Snapshot at the President
14) An Unfinished Christmas Story
15) The Unprofitable Servant
16) Aristocracy Versus Hash
17) The Prisoner of Zembla
18) A Strange Story
19) Fickle Fortune or How Gladys Hustled
20) An Apology
21) Lord Oakhurst's Curse
22) Bexar Scrip No. 2692
23) Queries and Answers
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews