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O. Henry

O. Henry

USA

O. Henry, pseudonym of William Sydney Porter, original name William Sidney Porter, American short-story writer whose tales romanticized the commonplace—in particular the life of ordinary people in New York City. His stories expressed the effect of coincidence on character through humour, grim or ironic, and often had surprise endings, a device that became identified with his name and cost him critical favour when its vogue had passed.

16 min read

Compliments Of The Season

A narrator who believes that children are pestilential little animals tells a Christmas story about the daughter of the Millionaire and her

12 min read

The Furnished Room

A young man searches for his lost love around the filthy bedsits of New York.

13 min read

The Thing's The Play

The story of the violinist Ramonti and a woman with two jealous suitors.

16 min read

Proof Of The Pudding

A bedraggled writer corners the editor of a respected publication and demands to know why his story has been rejected.

10 min read

The Gift of the Magi

A trigic, ironic Christmas for one hard up couple.

20 min read

A Ramble In Aphasia

First-person account of a successful lawyer's sudden loss of memory and the resulting adventure.

14 min read

The Gold That Glittered

* Story contains bad language

General Falcon - revolutionary - arrives in New York from Columbia unprepared for both the golden-haired ladies and the silver-tongued con-a

21 min read

The Venturers

A Venturer - one who does not ask a schedule and map from Fate when he begins a journey. Two venturers challenge eachother.

11 min read

The Day Resurgent

Danny McCree wakes up one morning to find it's Easter Day and his father's on about hippopotamuses.

23 min read

Past One At Rodney's

* Story contains bad language

A tough gang member wanted for murder meets a lady in a bar.

10 min read

The Girl And The Habit

The story of Miss Merriam, the lovely, capable cashier at Hinkle's.

20 min read

The Ransom of Red Chief

Two kidnappers fail to heed the old adage - never work with children.