Cabbages and Kings

O. Henry

Cabbages and Kings is a 1904 novel made up of interlinked short stories, written by O. Henry and set in a fictitious country. A series of stories which each explore some individual aspect of life in a paralytically sleepy Central American town called the Republic of Anchuria while each advancing some aspect of the larger plot and relating back one to another in a complex structure which slowly explicates its own background even as it painstakingly erects a town which is one of the most detailed literary creations of the period. This work is O. Henrys first published volume and is considered to be his only novel. The plot is composed of several short stories, which were inspired by the authors six-month stay in Honduras in the late 1890s. In this book, O. Henry coined the term banana republic.

Heart of the West

O. Henry

Heart of the West is a collection of O. Henry nineteen short stories, all of which are set in or feature the American West at the turn of the 20th century, back before paved interstates, when cowboy culture was at its peak. This collection of short fiction from master of the form centers on tales of romantic entanglement, adventure, and lost love among the dusty trails and plains of the Wild West. Saddle up for a heaping dose of the clever plot twists that this brilliant writer made his trademark. There are tales of cowpunchers, desperados and ranchers in love. Most explore happy times, though death and sorrow do pay an infrequent visit. Heart of the West is a page-turner that will please Western fans and literature lovers alike.

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O. Henry

O. Henry is the pen name of American writer William Sydney Porter (1862-1910). Porters 400 short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, characterization and the clever use of twist endings. He needs no introduction of course; the man who made the short story with the surprise ending famous. These 16 stories are all wonderful examples of his word sculpting art. They include: The Rose of Dixie, The Third Ingredient, The Hiding of Black Bill, Schools and Schools, Thimble, Thimble, Supply and Demand, Buried Treasure, To Him Who Waits, He Also Serves, The Moment of Victory, The Head-Hunter, A Poor Rule and others. O. Henry has a very unique and amusing style, with a dry sense of humor running through all the stories. Originally published in 1897, this early work is a fascinating novel of the period and still an interesting read today.

Roads of Destiny

O. Henry

O. Henrys unique style of writing will introduce you to story filled of mystery, suspense and of course a decision. A decision which will lead a certain main character to three roads of which he must choose from. A collection of 22 short stories: Roads of Destiny, The Guardian of the Accolade, The Discounters of Money, The Enchanted Profile, Next to Reading Matter, Art and the Bronco, Phobe, A Double-dyed Deceiver, The Passing of Black Eagle, A Retrieved Reformation and others. The title story of the volume Roads of Destiny, a story allegorical in nature, deals with that all important moment of choice: the decision to act, speak, or dress in a way which seems to determine the whole course of a life. O. Henry builds his own concept suggesting that the choice is not so much among different fates as among different versions of the same fate.

Sixes and Sevens

O. Henry

Sixes and Sevens is a first collection of humorous short stories from the author of The Four Million, his stories deal for the most part with ordinary people: clerks, policemen and waitresses and often use twist endings which turn on an ironic or coincidental circumstance in his stories. O. Henry proves that he is the master of the short story format. This collection has quirky as well as nice little stories, each differing in style from the other. Most of his stories are set in his contemporary present, the early years of the 20th century. Many take place in New York. Fans of classic short fiction will relish this collection of gems from one of the unquestioned masters of the form, O. Henry. Its a must-read for anyone in need for a dose of entertaining, worthwhile writing.

Strictly Business. More Stories of the Four Million

O. Henry

Written by famed author O. Henry (William Sydney Porter) in 1910, these are 25 more short stories of the Four Million, including the titled story Strictly Business, The Things the Play, The Call of the Tame, Psyche and the Pskyscraper and others. This collection of short stories brings together a motley cast of characters from all walks of life stage actors, blackmailers, soldiers, waitresses, and average citizens and adds in an array of unexpected plot twists and other surprises. O. Henry uses powerful language, themes speaking of the social classes in New York during this era, and often vivid imagery. The setting of the early 1900s New York provides an interesting backdrop for the stories. Overall, O. Henrys work is fascinating and provides quick relief from stresses in everyday life. For fans of short fiction, it doesnt get much better than this.

The Four Million

O. Henry

This anthology contains 25 tales of old New York city at the dawn of the 20th century. A collection of O. Henrys short stories bearing his trademark irony, comic misunderstandings, and surprise endings. They also capture his use of coincidence or chance to create humor in the story. O. Henry wrote about ordinary people in everyday circumstances. The true hero of The Four Million is the city of New York, with its energy, compassion and kaleidoscope of human emotions. O. Henry focuses his curious microscope on the diverse lives of various residents of this metropolis. A few protagonists claim idle-rich status, but most represent the middle class or poverty-stricken milieus. He is quoted as once saying, There are stories in everything. Ive got some of my best yarns from park benches, lampposts and newspaper stands.

The Gentle Grafter

O. Henry

O. Henry (whose real name is William Sydney Porter) is famous for his many short stories of everyday-life America, full of wit, charm, and inventiveness. This collection of classic tales set on the wrong side of the law showcases a master craftsman at the top of his form. The Gentle Grafter is a collection of 14 short stories about grafters who travel, peddle and swindle in the South. Those grafters have different business ethics and moral senses, and their artistic plots lead them to an unsuspected but comic ending. Each chapter is either told by an anonymous narrator or by Jeff Peters and Andy Tucker, two other con men. All of the con work was done somewhere within the United States. With the surprising twists and turns, not to mention the wit and humor throughout the book, The Gentle Grafter will leave the reader smiling and asking for more.