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O. Henry for the Holidays
The perfect stocking All seven of O. Henry’s classic holiday stories, including "The Gift of the Magi," collected in one volume
Complete with helpful notes about the stories' biographical and cultural contexts
“There are just as many real Christmas stories as ever, if we would only dig ’em up,” wrote William Sydney Porter. The first short story he published under the pen name O. Henry was a holiday tale (“Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking”), while his best-known work, “The Gift of the Magi,” has inspired countless Yuletide movies and television episodes. Library of America presents all seven of his seasonal offerings—including two about Thanksgiving, the “one day that is purely American.”
You’ll meet characters only O. Henry could have Maida, a shop clerk who scrimps and saves for a new dress to wear to the employee holiday party. Stuffy Pete, a homeless man who suffers through the generosity of back-to-back Thanksgiving dinners. The Frio Kid, a murderous outlaw who unexpectedly commits a single act of generosity. Whistling Dick, a “visiting gentleman” (or, some might say, a tramp) who stumbles upon Boston Harry’s gang planning to execute a potentially lethal act of arson and robbery. Cherokee, a gold prospector who strikes it rich and, dressed as Santa Claus, brings gifts for the children he thought would be living in a rough-and-tumble mining town. And Fuzzy, an alcoholic “soldier of misfortune,” who stumbles upon the lost rag doll belonging to a millionaire’s five-year-old daughter.
Always witty, often outrageously funny, and filled with O. Henry’s famous plot twists, these stories take readers from New Mexico and Texas, through New Orleans, and to New York City to find the holiday spirit all across America.
Complete with helpful notes about the stories' biographical and cultural contexts
“There are just as many real Christmas stories as ever, if we would only dig ’em up,” wrote William Sydney Porter. The first short story he published under the pen name O. Henry was a holiday tale (“Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking”), while his best-known work, “The Gift of the Magi,” has inspired countless Yuletide movies and television episodes. Library of America presents all seven of his seasonal offerings—including two about Thanksgiving, the “one day that is purely American.”
You’ll meet characters only O. Henry could have Maida, a shop clerk who scrimps and saves for a new dress to wear to the employee holiday party. Stuffy Pete, a homeless man who suffers through the generosity of back-to-back Thanksgiving dinners. The Frio Kid, a murderous outlaw who unexpectedly commits a single act of generosity. Whistling Dick, a “visiting gentleman” (or, some might say, a tramp) who stumbles upon Boston Harry’s gang planning to execute a potentially lethal act of arson and robbery. Cherokee, a gold prospector who strikes it rich and, dressed as Santa Claus, brings gifts for the children he thought would be living in a rough-and-tumble mining town. And Fuzzy, an alcoholic “soldier of misfortune,” who stumbles upon the lost rag doll belonging to a millionaire’s five-year-old daughter.
Always witty, often outrageously funny, and filled with O. Henry’s famous plot twists, these stories take readers from New Mexico and Texas, through New Orleans, and to New York City to find the holiday spirit all across America.
112 pages, Hardcover
Published October 7, 2025
8 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
O. Henry
2,911 books1,860 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
October 9, 2025
For fans of O. Henry short stories, it isn't Christmas without revisiting 'The Gift of the Magi.'
This collection contains two Thanksgiving stories and five for Christmas (including the Magi).
In addition, there is a bio at the end of the collection along with notes on the origin of each story and extra facts ranging from where and when they were written to unusual word choices and character connections.
👗THE PURPLE DRESS (🌟🌟🌟🌟) - Two shopgirls contemplate wearing new dresses to the store Thanksgiving party. Would purple or red be more likely to impress the handsome host? Or perhaps he will be more likely to notice something else.
🦃TWO THANKSGIVING DAY GENTLEMEN (🌟🌟🌟🌟) - One man makes a custom of taking another to Thanksgiving dinner each year -- and institution, if you will -- while the object of his charity finds himself eating two dinners this year.
🐦WHISTLING DICK'S CHRISTMAS STOCKING (🌟🌟🌟) - Set on a sugar plantation near New Orleans, this one was too long and contained some hard-to-comprehend passages.
🐎 A CHAPARRAL CHRISTMAS GIFT (🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟) - Set in Texas, a young wife gets an unexpected surprise from a former suitor.
🎅CHRISTMAS BY INJUNCTION (🌟🌟🌟🌟) - A frontier town finds itself in need of some children at the last minute. This one contains a classic O. Henry twist that really elevates the story.
🎁THE GIFT OF THE MAGI (🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟) - The gold standard for a holiday story and a testament to the spirit of the season.
🐶COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON (🌟🌟🌟🌟) - When a rich kid is missing her rag doll, there are many who are motivated by the reward.
A delightful prelude to the season. Thank you to Library of America and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
This collection contains two Thanksgiving stories and five for Christmas (including the Magi).
In addition, there is a bio at the end of the collection along with notes on the origin of each story and extra facts ranging from where and when they were written to unusual word choices and character connections.
👗THE PURPLE DRESS (🌟🌟🌟🌟) - Two shopgirls contemplate wearing new dresses to the store Thanksgiving party. Would purple or red be more likely to impress the handsome host? Or perhaps he will be more likely to notice something else.
🦃TWO THANKSGIVING DAY GENTLEMEN (🌟🌟🌟🌟) - One man makes a custom of taking another to Thanksgiving dinner each year -- and institution, if you will -- while the object of his charity finds himself eating two dinners this year.
🐦WHISTLING DICK'S CHRISTMAS STOCKING (🌟🌟🌟) - Set on a sugar plantation near New Orleans, this one was too long and contained some hard-to-comprehend passages.
🐎 A CHAPARRAL CHRISTMAS GIFT (🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟) - Set in Texas, a young wife gets an unexpected surprise from a former suitor.
🎅CHRISTMAS BY INJUNCTION (🌟🌟🌟🌟) - A frontier town finds itself in need of some children at the last minute. This one contains a classic O. Henry twist that really elevates the story.
🎁THE GIFT OF THE MAGI (🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟) - The gold standard for a holiday story and a testament to the spirit of the season.
🐶COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON (🌟🌟🌟🌟) - When a rich kid is missing her rag doll, there are many who are motivated by the reward.
A delightful prelude to the season. Thank you to Library of America and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2025
Nice nostalgia
I remember O Henry short stories from my childhood. His clever surprise endings made them a real treat for the holidays (or any other time) whether I read them or had them read to me, so I was excited at the prospect of experiencing them again. I was rather disappointed. I do not know whether my taste in story style has changed significantly as I have matured or if the stories themselves have not aged well.
Everyone knows O. Henry’s signature style of clever surprise endings. These are on display nicely and have stood up to the test of time. The endings still gave me a lot of smiles. Unfortunately, the stories themselves have not. The beginnings of several of the stories were so uninteresting that I would probably have not finished them if they had not been so short. This was especially true of the first story, The Purple Dress, which did not engage me at all. The story of Whistling Dick is an especially well-known O. Henry that I vaguely remembered; even it failed to interest me.
If your main goal is to explore the work of a well-known writer of the past, this is a good quick introduction. If you are looking for holiday reading to enjoy, there are probably better choices.
I received an advance review copy of this book from Edelweiss and Library of America
I remember O Henry short stories from my childhood. His clever surprise endings made them a real treat for the holidays (or any other time) whether I read them or had them read to me, so I was excited at the prospect of experiencing them again. I was rather disappointed. I do not know whether my taste in story style has changed significantly as I have matured or if the stories themselves have not aged well.
Everyone knows O. Henry’s signature style of clever surprise endings. These are on display nicely and have stood up to the test of time. The endings still gave me a lot of smiles. Unfortunately, the stories themselves have not. The beginnings of several of the stories were so uninteresting that I would probably have not finished them if they had not been so short. This was especially true of the first story, The Purple Dress, which did not engage me at all. The story of Whistling Dick is an especially well-known O. Henry that I vaguely remembered; even it failed to interest me.
If your main goal is to explore the work of a well-known writer of the past, this is a good quick introduction. If you are looking for holiday reading to enjoy, there are probably better choices.
I received an advance review copy of this book from Edelweiss and Library of America
December 18, 2025
My bookclub at work chose this in time for the holidays. These stories are short but he really packs alot onto each. O.Henry isn't one for character development; rather, he focuses on the story line and the quick, ironic shift to make a dramatic conclusion. It's what he's famous for. It's not science fiction, it's not fiction; it's almost like it's in it's own sub-genre. He obviously also spent much time in NYC because he writes about it but also differences in social issues (those with money, those without). Overall, he writes about those who have hope, love, sacrifice, and about better days ahead. At the end of this book is some information about the author. What a sad, tumultuous life he had and it seems that his writing reflected this.
October 25, 2025
Seven short stories. My first O. Henry read. Most interesting were the short "notes on the stories at the end.
December 2, 2025
A few great stories and a few quite dated
December 19, 2025
Classic short stories with fun twists and holiday vibes. The language is very old-fashioned making it an interesting study in writing as well.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews