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.

The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories of the Four Million

O. Henry

The Trimmed Lamp follows The Four Million and provides another series of twenty-five short stories that take place in New York City in the early years of the 20th century and are representative of the surprise endings that popularized O. Henrys work. Contents: A Madison Square Arabian Night, The Rubaiyat of a Scotch Highball, The Pendulum, Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen, The Assessor of Success and others. Stories of the lives of blue collar workers and middle class with endings that can turn the whole story on its ear. Born in 1862 and died in 1910, O. Henrys birth name is William Sydney Porter; however, he adopted the pen name O. Henry while in prison. He published 10 collections and over 600 short stories during his lifetime. The Trimmed Lamp by O. Henry is a classic by one of Americas most loved and respected authors, a great addition to the collection.

The Voice of the City. Further Stories of the Four Million

O. Henry

O. Henry is most widely recognized for his stories dry wit, plot twists and surprise ending. But another major element in his fiction is his love of the American urban environment, as well as a keen appreciation of the rapid diversification that occurred in many cities in the early twentieth century. In The Voice of the City, O. Henry uses excellently written short stories and high vocabulary to convey a sense on New York. This collection brings together an array of tales about humble people trying to survive in a major metropolis. The author has created a myriad of heroes and heroines to serve as guides to this large city. It is full of some funny, some far reaching, and some heartwarming stories of life that make you smile.

Whirligigs

O. Henry

Settle in for a whimsical, thoroughly enjoyable whirlwind tour through the prodigious imagination of American short-story master O. Henry. When he wrote the following, he may have discounted his own creativity. Whirligigs, comprised of 24 short stories and published in 1910, is evidence of this. O. Henry writes of love and loss, of mystery and drama, of journalism and murders and trials. He creates a tapestry of characters, young and old, wealthy and poor. It offers some of his best short stories; complete with quirky characters, witty romps with clever twists and surprise endings. If you love classic O. Henry stories like The Gift of the Magi and have been curious about the rest of this beloved authors body of work, Whirligigs is a great place to start.