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O. Henry Short Stories
Embark on a captivating journey with O. Henry's timeless short stories. This collection showcases the genius of the master storyteller, filled with unexpected twists, vivid characters, and heartwarming narratives. Dive into this Deluxe Edition and experience the magic of O. Henry's literary world.
664 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1907
73 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
About the author
O. Henry
2,916 books1,886 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 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 31, 2024
This is the collection that introduced me to O. Henry when I was in middle school. Of these sixteen tales, several are absolute masterpieces, enduring stories that define his brilliance — The Last Leaf, The Gift of the Magi, After Twenty Years, The Ransom of Red Chief, and A Retrieved Reformation. Filling out the rest are strong tales no less entertaining though less famous. One, in particular, (Roads of Destiny) appealed greatly to the budding romantic in sixth grade me, and re-reading it now, almost fifty years later, reminded me of that long forgotten thrill.
The Last Leaf: ”So to quaint old Greenwich Village the art people soon came prowling, hunting for north windows and eighteenth century gables and Dutch attics and low rents.
A fair young artist lays sick in her gabled room, morbidity fixated on her own death. An old man, her neighbor, a cantankerous failure of an artist, obsessed by the masterpiece he will someday paint, makes a great sacrifice to save her. This is one of O. Henry’s best — an absolute masterpiece of sentimentality with one of his most successful twist endings.
5 ⭐️
The Gift of the Magi: A poor young couple, struggling to survive in a New York tenement, make serious sacrifices to give each other meaningful gifts for a happy Christmas. Quite possibly O. Henry’s best known and most loved tale, with one of his more brilliant twist endings.
5 ⭐️
The Green Door: A tale of adventure in the city. A young man is twice given a handbill bearing a cryptic, enigmatic message — “The Green Door” — unlike all the other handbills being distributed. Feeling mysteriously chosen, he finds the door of green, knocks, and discovers a damsel in distress in the form of a starving shop girl. He rescues her, a spark is struck, but what of the mysterious handbill?
4 ⭐️
Roads of Destiny: A romance of fate. A young, provincial shepherd and would be poet takes to the road headed to Paris hoping to make his fame with his verse. The road forks into three branches, and we learn the poets fate upon each branch that he might take.
”The wolves, perceiving that difficult poems made for easy mutton, ventured from the woods and stole his lambs. David’s stock of poems grew longer and his flock smaller.”
4 ⭐️
The Ransom of Red Chief: A kidnapping goes awry when the 10 year old “victim,” delighted by the adventure of it, torments his captors with rough play and unending, pestering questions. The kidnappers must reevaluate their plans, as their calculations change from how much they can get to how soon they can get rid of him. Classic fun!
5 ⭐️
Sound and Fury: An author dictating to his amanuensis is driven to distractions by her continual misunderstandings, corrections, and other interruptions. Slight but funny.
3 1/2 ⭐️
The Handbook of Hyman: A tale of a pair of Western pards courting the same gale. One uses romantic poetry, the other a book of facts and statistics. Guess who prevailed?
”Let us sit on this log at the roadside,” says I, “and forget the inhumanity and ribaldry of the poets. It is in the glorious columns of ascertained facts and legalized measures that beauty is to be found. In this very log that we sit upon is statistics more wonderful than any poem.”
3 ⭐️
The Halberdier of the Little Rheinschloss: A Bavarian style eatery hires a man to stand on the their landing in an old halberdier getup. The man in the suit is a mystery. Throw in some arrogant rich swells who come to dine, a proposition of marriage, and a bet to decide it all. The tale is told by a malapropist waiter. And, oh yes, there is a broken cigar case.
3 1/2 ⭐️
The Defeat of the City: A variant of “You can’t take the country out of the boy” tale. The sophisticated Manhattan lawyer visits his country farm home, taking with him for the first time his elegant, aristocratic bride.
3 ⭐️
After Twenty Years: My favorite of all O. Henry tales. A man who left New York to make his fortune in the West comes back to keep a promised appointment made twenty years before with his childhood chum. When they meet, they discover that life took them in startlingly different directions.
5 ⭐️
A Retrieved Reformation: Jimmy Valentine is the prince of safe-crackers. When casing a bank, he falls in love with the banker’s daughter, changes his name, goes straight, opens a business, and is about to marry his sweetheart. But when a little girl is accidentally locked in the bank safe Billy is faced with losing his cherished new life when he is the only one who can rescue her.
5 ⭐️
Friends in San Rosario: A sharp faced new bank examiner thinks he’s discovered major irregularities in old Major Tom’s bank. The Major, facing the music, spins the examiner a long winded tale of explanation that delves twenty years into the past, and hinges on the debts true friends bear each other.
4 ⭐️
One Dollar’s Worth: A Texan tale of the Law, judgement, revenge, counterfeiting, shootouts, and serendipitous mercy.
4 ⭐️
A Ramble in Aphasia: An overworked lawyer wanders off from his busy life, an apparent victim of memory loss.
3 ⭐️
The Poet and the Peasant: ”The morals of this story have somehow gotten mixed. You can take your pick; Stay on the farm, or Don’t write poetry.”
3 ⭐️
The Robe of Peace: What monastic contemplation and a NYC swell fashionista have in common.
3 ⭐️
The Last Leaf: ”So to quaint old Greenwich Village the art people soon came prowling, hunting for north windows and eighteenth century gables and Dutch attics and low rents.
A fair young artist lays sick in her gabled room, morbidity fixated on her own death. An old man, her neighbor, a cantankerous failure of an artist, obsessed by the masterpiece he will someday paint, makes a great sacrifice to save her. This is one of O. Henry’s best — an absolute masterpiece of sentimentality with one of his most successful twist endings.
5 ⭐️
The Gift of the Magi: A poor young couple, struggling to survive in a New York tenement, make serious sacrifices to give each other meaningful gifts for a happy Christmas. Quite possibly O. Henry’s best known and most loved tale, with one of his more brilliant twist endings.
5 ⭐️
The Green Door: A tale of adventure in the city. A young man is twice given a handbill bearing a cryptic, enigmatic message — “The Green Door” — unlike all the other handbills being distributed. Feeling mysteriously chosen, he finds the door of green, knocks, and discovers a damsel in distress in the form of a starving shop girl. He rescues her, a spark is struck, but what of the mysterious handbill?
4 ⭐️
Roads of Destiny: A romance of fate. A young, provincial shepherd and would be poet takes to the road headed to Paris hoping to make his fame with his verse. The road forks into three branches, and we learn the poets fate upon each branch that he might take.
”The wolves, perceiving that difficult poems made for easy mutton, ventured from the woods and stole his lambs. David’s stock of poems grew longer and his flock smaller.”
4 ⭐️
The Ransom of Red Chief: A kidnapping goes awry when the 10 year old “victim,” delighted by the adventure of it, torments his captors with rough play and unending, pestering questions. The kidnappers must reevaluate their plans, as their calculations change from how much they can get to how soon they can get rid of him. Classic fun!
5 ⭐️
Sound and Fury: An author dictating to his amanuensis is driven to distractions by her continual misunderstandings, corrections, and other interruptions. Slight but funny.
3 1/2 ⭐️
The Handbook of Hyman: A tale of a pair of Western pards courting the same gale. One uses romantic poetry, the other a book of facts and statistics. Guess who prevailed?
”Let us sit on this log at the roadside,” says I, “and forget the inhumanity and ribaldry of the poets. It is in the glorious columns of ascertained facts and legalized measures that beauty is to be found. In this very log that we sit upon is statistics more wonderful than any poem.”
3 ⭐️
The Halberdier of the Little Rheinschloss: A Bavarian style eatery hires a man to stand on the their landing in an old halberdier getup. The man in the suit is a mystery. Throw in some arrogant rich swells who come to dine, a proposition of marriage, and a bet to decide it all. The tale is told by a malapropist waiter. And, oh yes, there is a broken cigar case.
3 1/2 ⭐️
The Defeat of the City: A variant of “You can’t take the country out of the boy” tale. The sophisticated Manhattan lawyer visits his country farm home, taking with him for the first time his elegant, aristocratic bride.
3 ⭐️
After Twenty Years: My favorite of all O. Henry tales. A man who left New York to make his fortune in the West comes back to keep a promised appointment made twenty years before with his childhood chum. When they meet, they discover that life took them in startlingly different directions.
5 ⭐️
A Retrieved Reformation: Jimmy Valentine is the prince of safe-crackers. When casing a bank, he falls in love with the banker’s daughter, changes his name, goes straight, opens a business, and is about to marry his sweetheart. But when a little girl is accidentally locked in the bank safe Billy is faced with losing his cherished new life when he is the only one who can rescue her.
5 ⭐️
Friends in San Rosario: A sharp faced new bank examiner thinks he’s discovered major irregularities in old Major Tom’s bank. The Major, facing the music, spins the examiner a long winded tale of explanation that delves twenty years into the past, and hinges on the debts true friends bear each other.
4 ⭐️
One Dollar’s Worth: A Texan tale of the Law, judgement, revenge, counterfeiting, shootouts, and serendipitous mercy.
4 ⭐️
A Ramble in Aphasia: An overworked lawyer wanders off from his busy life, an apparent victim of memory loss.
3 ⭐️
The Poet and the Peasant: ”The morals of this story have somehow gotten mixed. You can take your pick; Stay on the farm, or Don’t write poetry.”
3 ⭐️
The Robe of Peace: What monastic contemplation and a NYC swell fashionista have in common.
3 ⭐️
June 17, 2024
Absolutely love O.Henry’s short stories,always with twisted,unexpected way .Classic!
April 8, 2021
Wow! I really enjoyed this book of short stories by O. Henry. I never realized what I was missing out on before now.
My favorite stories:
"The Green Door"
"Roads of Destiny" - I really enjoyed O. Henry's portrayal of destiny.
"The Ransom of Red Chief" - My favorite!
"The Handbook of Hymen"
"The Halberdier of the Little Rheinschloss"
"The Defeat of the City"
"A Retrieved Reformation"
"Friends in San Rosario"
"One Dollar's Worth"
"The Poet and the Peasant"
My favorite stories:
"The Green Door"
"Roads of Destiny" - I really enjoyed O. Henry's portrayal of destiny.
"The Ransom of Red Chief" - My favorite!
"The Handbook of Hymen"
"The Halberdier of the Little Rheinschloss"
"The Defeat of the City"
"A Retrieved Reformation"
"Friends in San Rosario"
"One Dollar's Worth"
"The Poet and the Peasant"
April 21, 2020
This book of short stories was my introduction to O.Henry when I was a preteen in the mid-1970s. I've been an O. Henry fan ever since.
July 28, 2025
Didn’t know he’d written the gift of the Magi. Good shorties.
November 15, 2025
The Caliph, Cupid and The Clock by O'Henry
9 out of 10
Prince Michael, of the Electorate of Valleluna, is one of the heroes of this short story.
That is, if he is really the representative of Valleluna, which may or may not even exist.
He is sitting on a bench in the park and his appearance will not encourage someone to think of majesty, aristocracy.
His beard has three colors in it and the hat looks ludicrous.
But we are told by the author that he is as rich as Croesus and he could buy all the buildings that he sees in front of him, in this part of Manhattan.
Of course, a reader who has finished a few of the writer's narratives would expect surprises.
In another account from this collection that has Cupid in it, the happy end is attributed to the little archer.
In fact, at the end we see that it was not Cupid, or not only his influence, but the money that the father spent in order to obtain a major blockage on the streets of New York that gave his son the opportunity to talk for an hour or more and therefore convince the woman he loved to be his wife.
O'Henry is right in assessing that jewels, estates, gold and treasures do not bring happiness.
The prince is involved in acts of kindness.
Psychologists have proved that money make the difference when people are poor, in places like Somalia, Darfur and the list is long.
But studying lottery winners and the happiest people has demonstrated that millions do not change happiness set points.
There is a phenomenon called Hedonic Adaptation and it means that we adapt to new watches, clothes, cars and negative experiences.
If we want to be happy, we should take the example of Prince Michael and get involved in acts of kindness.
I am not at all sure that his highness has the money or the title he pretends.
But he does change the life of a young man.
The prince sees that this stranger is very unhappy and looks at the big clock in the vicinity with chagrin.
The aristocrat offers his help in a very sophisticated, flamboyant style.
He mentions that he is the prince of Valleluna and that he can help anyone.
Doubtful, the young man tellers his story, after the royalty insists...
He has done something wrong and went to his girlfriend to apology and ask for forgiveness.
She said that she will think it over and it will either be a complete pardon or she will not see him again.
Nothing in the middle would do.
The answer will be a scarf that will appear at the window, if she accepts his apology.
It is now ten minutes to nine and the scarf was absent.
The prince is optimistic, which is always a good thing for these ad the people who live longer, healthier, successful lives.
This story may even prove this point.
Nevertheless, the young man is cynical and states that this girl has never been late.
- Never!
And this was in fact one of the first and important aspects that had attracted him to this beauty.
Look, I will give you $ 100,000 when you marry and a huge mansion as a wedding gift.
Don't worry about clocks and time...watches are shackling us. You have to promise not to have any watch or clock in the palace that I will give you!
Shall I say what happens next?
I guess I better not.
Suffice it to say that there is a surprise, which may have to be expected in the tales of this humorous, intriguing writer.
9 out of 10
Prince Michael, of the Electorate of Valleluna, is one of the heroes of this short story.
That is, if he is really the representative of Valleluna, which may or may not even exist.
He is sitting on a bench in the park and his appearance will not encourage someone to think of majesty, aristocracy.
His beard has three colors in it and the hat looks ludicrous.
But we are told by the author that he is as rich as Croesus and he could buy all the buildings that he sees in front of him, in this part of Manhattan.
Of course, a reader who has finished a few of the writer's narratives would expect surprises.
In another account from this collection that has Cupid in it, the happy end is attributed to the little archer.
In fact, at the end we see that it was not Cupid, or not only his influence, but the money that the father spent in order to obtain a major blockage on the streets of New York that gave his son the opportunity to talk for an hour or more and therefore convince the woman he loved to be his wife.
O'Henry is right in assessing that jewels, estates, gold and treasures do not bring happiness.
The prince is involved in acts of kindness.
Psychologists have proved that money make the difference when people are poor, in places like Somalia, Darfur and the list is long.
But studying lottery winners and the happiest people has demonstrated that millions do not change happiness set points.
There is a phenomenon called Hedonic Adaptation and it means that we adapt to new watches, clothes, cars and negative experiences.
If we want to be happy, we should take the example of Prince Michael and get involved in acts of kindness.
I am not at all sure that his highness has the money or the title he pretends.
But he does change the life of a young man.
The prince sees that this stranger is very unhappy and looks at the big clock in the vicinity with chagrin.
The aristocrat offers his help in a very sophisticated, flamboyant style.
He mentions that he is the prince of Valleluna and that he can help anyone.
Doubtful, the young man tellers his story, after the royalty insists...
He has done something wrong and went to his girlfriend to apology and ask for forgiveness.
She said that she will think it over and it will either be a complete pardon or she will not see him again.
Nothing in the middle would do.
The answer will be a scarf that will appear at the window, if she accepts his apology.
It is now ten minutes to nine and the scarf was absent.
The prince is optimistic, which is always a good thing for these ad the people who live longer, healthier, successful lives.
This story may even prove this point.
Nevertheless, the young man is cynical and states that this girl has never been late.
- Never!
And this was in fact one of the first and important aspects that had attracted him to this beauty.
Look, I will give you $ 100,000 when you marry and a huge mansion as a wedding gift.
Don't worry about clocks and time...watches are shackling us. You have to promise not to have any watch or clock in the palace that I will give you!
Shall I say what happens next?
I guess I better not.
Suffice it to say that there is a surprise, which may have to be expected in the tales of this humorous, intriguing writer.
November 24, 2017
O'HENRY gerçek adı William Sidney Porter olan kısa hikaye türünün en usta kalemlerinden biri 8 yıllık yazı döneminde 273 hikaye üreten yazarın yazarlıkta dönüm noktası bir bankada çalışırken üzere kalan bazı usulsüzlükler yüzünden 4 yıl hapis cezasına çarptırılması olur.
20. Yy başlarında yazan O'HENRY'nin bu kadar ünlenmesi tesadüf eseri değildir.
Dönemin Amerikan sistemi kapitalist düzene hızlı bir şekilde ilerliyor ve edebiyatta ağır gözlem-tahlillere olanak vermiyor hızlı bir statü yükselişi peşinde olan orta sınıf insanları "Short Story" türüne daha sıcak bakıyor ve daha çok okunan kitaplar oluyorlardı tabi O'HENRY Amerika'da ilk kısa öykü yazarı değildir ama en usta isimdir.
Beklenmedik bir şekilde sona eren hikayeleri meşhur olan sanatçı ne büyük bir dram ne de büyük bir komedi olmadan yazdığı hikâyeler iyi-kötü çizgisini de iyi düzenleyen bir yapıyla bize sunulur. Kitap okuma serüvenine yeni başlayanlar için ideal bir tür olan kısa hikaye de akıcılığı iyi sağlayan yazarlardan biridir William Sidney Porter.
20. Yy başlarında yazan O'HENRY'nin bu kadar ünlenmesi tesadüf eseri değildir.
Dönemin Amerikan sistemi kapitalist düzene hızlı bir şekilde ilerliyor ve edebiyatta ağır gözlem-tahlillere olanak vermiyor hızlı bir statü yükselişi peşinde olan orta sınıf insanları "Short Story" türüne daha sıcak bakıyor ve daha çok okunan kitaplar oluyorlardı tabi O'HENRY Amerika'da ilk kısa öykü yazarı değildir ama en usta isimdir.
Beklenmedik bir şekilde sona eren hikayeleri meşhur olan sanatçı ne büyük bir dram ne de büyük bir komedi olmadan yazdığı hikâyeler iyi-kötü çizgisini de iyi düzenleyen bir yapıyla bize sunulur. Kitap okuma serüvenine yeni başlayanlar için ideal bir tür olan kısa hikaye de akıcılığı iyi sağlayan yazarlardan biridir William Sidney Porter.
June 16, 2018
Perhaps because I love Maupassant and Chekhov's short stories and those of Katherine Mansfield and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala- these didn't work for me at all. Seemed too showy and the words tripping over themselves all a bit too self-consciously. It could be down a cultural difference or misunderstanding - and maybe to Americans they make good sense. Too many butch men and cowboy chancers, the race and misogyny issues probably down to the period, but they certainly don't seem to have aged well. I can see why his structural sense is considered good but I was really bored with much of the content. Maybe I got the wrong collection? I read them because I knew Jhabvala won the O. Henry Prize for short stories- named after him. I can't help asking: surely they didn't name a Prize for a genre after a man who seems to write mediocre or uninteresting stories?
Currently reading
February 7, 2026Among short-story writers, O. Henry strikes me as unfairly underrated. I admire Chekhov deeply, but if I had to choose, I would place O. Henry ahead. What distinguishes him, in my view, is his ability to combine a sharp, almost playful plot twist with a genuinely human message.
The twist is never there just to impress, it serves the emotional core of the story, leaving you with something simple, humane, and oddly comforting once the surprise fades.
The twist is never there just to impress, it serves the emotional core of the story, leaving you with something simple, humane, and oddly comforting once the surprise fades.
December 18, 2024
The Short stories were good, but the book was advertised as having "The Ransom of the Red Chief" in it. It does not! That was the only reason I purchased the book.
February 7, 2025
Great stories
Well written short stories, with a twist! Each tale moves along nicely, each with an unexpected ending. Great, engaging read.
Well written short stories, with a twist! Each tale moves along nicely, each with an unexpected ending. Great, engaging read.
January 11, 2026
11 Jan 2026
Tuyển truyện ngắn của O'Henry
Những câu chuyện nho nhỏ, hầu như là kết thúc có hậu. Buồn nhất là câu chuyện về chiếc lá kiên cường trong cơn bão.
Tuyển truyện ngắn của O'Henry
Những câu chuyện nho nhỏ, hầu như là kết thúc có hậu. Buồn nhất là câu chuyện về chiếc lá kiên cường trong cơn bão.
December 29, 2019
I enjoyed this book written by O. Henry. I would say that it is a classic and a must-read book. It has many short stories inside that teach us many major principles like human-being and so on. The stories are all very interesting and touching.
My favorite story is "The Last Leaf". It talks about a girl named Johnsy is suffering from Pneumonia and she believes that if the last leaf outside her window falls, she will die as well. Her best friends Sue finds Behrman, who is a frustrated, struggled and hopeless painter who lives downstairs and assumes himself as a security guard to the two girls to help her draw a leaf on the wall. Behrman draws the leaf on the wall in a storming night to save Johnsy's life. Unfortunately, he got affected by Pneumonia due to the horrible weather and sacrificed. However, his saved Johnsy, this is the greatest artwork in his life.
I am very touched by this story. I didn't expect the ending but it has many foreshadows in the texts. I found it amazing how O. Henry developed this shocking ending so naturally and successfully. I recommend this book to everyone since I believe that everyone can learn something out of it.
My favorite story is "The Last Leaf". It talks about a girl named Johnsy is suffering from Pneumonia and she believes that if the last leaf outside her window falls, she will die as well. Her best friends Sue finds Behrman, who is a frustrated, struggled and hopeless painter who lives downstairs and assumes himself as a security guard to the two girls to help her draw a leaf on the wall. Behrman draws the leaf on the wall in a storming night to save Johnsy's life. Unfortunately, he got affected by Pneumonia due to the horrible weather and sacrificed. However, his saved Johnsy, this is the greatest artwork in his life.
I am very touched by this story. I didn't expect the ending but it has many foreshadows in the texts. I found it amazing how O. Henry developed this shocking ending so naturally and successfully. I recommend this book to everyone since I believe that everyone can learn something out of it.
November 29, 2011
I've had a collection of O. Henry's short stories sitting on my bookshelf for almost 20 years. I remember buying it for fifty cents from Walmart as a kid. Finally, I got around to reading it, and I must say, I'm glad I didn't tackle it when I was younger. O. Henry is a master of the short story, and apparently, a master of the surprise ending. His diverse stories, ranging from Western cattle ranchers to a New York petty thief, capture an American landscape rich with layers, varied dialect and islands of social norms. The dialogue within these stories provides a unique glimpse into early 20th century language, with put-downs and put-ups in such thick richness that it took a few reads to fully grasp the cleverness of each quip. Should you be in need of a clever way to insult a Yankee, or a diamond of a compliment for a Western gal who's just moved Northeast, or perhaps witty wording for billionaire scamming, check O. Henry. He's written quite the manual.
January 13, 2022
An absolute thing of beauty. My heart was not safe from melting either when reading The Last Leaf and The Gift of the Magi. O. Henry's sense of humor is delicious, too.
What I loved most, however, is that he seems to genuinely love his characters and rarely allows something bad to happen to them. When he finally does, there is always a happy spin that makes you leave the story satisfied and unscathed. Reading his pieces, I felt safe from heartbreak and ready for a treat. Given my depressing reading record, this is a very fortunate and refreshing attribute.
What I loved most, however, is that he seems to genuinely love his characters and rarely allows something bad to happen to them. When he finally does, there is always a happy spin that makes you leave the story satisfied and unscathed. Reading his pieces, I felt safe from heartbreak and ready for a treat. Given my depressing reading record, this is a very fortunate and refreshing attribute.
October 10, 2010
I've been reading lots of short stories in the last year or so. These were enjoyable, but couldn't match G.K. Chesterton's in cleverness or Grimm's collection of fairy tales in delight. But still worth reading.
Had a funny thing happen with the first two stories in the collection. I guessed quite early on what the outcome would be. Now, either they were not very hard to figure our or I have an amazing memory because I read a book of O. Henry's short stories when I was in middle school.
Had a funny thing happen with the first two stories in the collection. I guessed quite early on what the outcome would be. Now, either they were not very hard to figure our or I have an amazing memory because I read a book of O. Henry's short stories when I was in middle school.
February 23, 2018
Some stories seemed a little boring or I didn't understand them. Some stories are fantastic and beautiful. Henry is a great writer. I like his references to ancient history, myth, and the Bible. Really makes you care about the characters in a short amount of time. All the stories are quite short.
November 7, 2016
I loved his writing style which was full of unexpected words and interesting twists and turns. Clever writing and old fashioned but timeless entertainment.
June 17, 2020
Very entertaining. I laughed out loud quite a few times while reading this.
February 22, 2021
These are dull as anything. Writing was good, but the stories were so f'ing boring. I didn't manage to make it through the 3rd one.
July 25, 2022
Delightful quick reads, often with plot twists and pleasant sentimentalities.
August 29, 2022
I know this is a classic but I was glad for it to end.
March 29, 2023
Very entertaining. Each story is a masterpiece. Well written, even if some stories use words I have to look up.
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