These short stories all have a little bit of humor and irony from them, often with a twist at the end that you weren't expecting. There is the story about a woman who makes a sacrifice to buy a Christmas present for her husband, who surprises her with a gift she's always wanted, but can't use. Another story tells of a homeless man wandering the street, trying to be arrested so he may be sent to jail and have shelter for the winter. When he finally decides to turn his life around, will he have a chance? The characters are diverse, such as a hypocritical cosmopolite who asserts that he is much too worldly to have an attachment to anywhere on the planet, yet when somebody cuts down his hometown, he creates a scuffle. There is also a story from a dog's perspective about how he has grown tired of the name "Lovey," and being coddled and confined to a small apartment with a large lady who tries to pass time all day. At the end, he is overjoyed when a man takes him away and names him "Pete." Each of the stories are fast reads because they are not overblown in detail or lengthy description. Each episode shares some ideas about life and offers some thoughtful messages. A Wordsworth Classic.
100 Selected Stories by O. Henry (Wordsworth Classics)
Description
This selection of a hundred of O. Henry’s succinct tales displays the range, humour and humanity of a perennially popular short-story writer.
Here Henry gives a richly colourful and exuberantly entertaining panorama of social life, ranging from thieves to tycoons, from the streets of New York to the prairies of Texas.
These stories are famed for their ‘trick endings’ or ‘twists in the tail’: repeatedly the plot twirls adroitly, compounding ironies. Indeed, O. Henry’s cunning plots surpass those of the ingenious rogues he creates. His style is genial, lively and witty, displaying a virtuoso’s command of language and allusion.
This great collection offers delights for the mind, imagination and emotions.
Stories include:
- The Gift of the Magi
- The Cop and the Anthem
- The Last Leaf
- The Duplicity of Hargreaves
- A Retrieved Reformation
And many more…
Wordsworth classics are complete, unabridged editions of timeless literature and poetry offered at a very affordable price. Each one is delightfully illustrated and carefully reprinted to appeal to the general public while preserving its high quality. Some of the most popular novels to study in school, such as Uncle Tom's Cabin and Charles Dickens' The Pickwick Papers, include more in-depth, insightful introductions as well as helpful notes in the back of the book to offer readers definitions or background to words or phrases appearing in the text. ~ Steph
| Product Format: | Softcover Book |
|---|---|
| Grades: | 7-AD |
| Brand: | Wordsworth Editions |
| Author: | O. Henry |
| Length in Inches: | 7.75 |
| Width in Inches: | 5 |
| Height in Inches: | 1.4375 |
| Weight in Pounds: | 1.1 |
| Pages: | 752 |
| Publication Date: | 1/1/1995 |