Product Description
Play script by Brian Kral. A fresh adaptation of the hilarious O'Henry classic, set in the turn-of-the-century West. Flexible set (space only; the interior of a cave.) Cast of 2 men, 1 boy. Ideal vehicle for touring.

This winning story captures all the charm and exaggerated comedy of O'Henry's classic about two bungling kidnappers who fall prey to their young "victim." Armed with the latest inventions of a rapidly-changing America, they attempt to make their fortunes by holding for ransom "a two-legged sky-rocket named Johnny Dorset" -- who insists he's an Indian chief! The outcome is a side-splitting combination of historical fact and entertaining fancy, and has been accorded ovations by every audience who saw the original production by the Rainbow Company of Las Vegas. Since it is pure O'Henry, HIS applause is presumed guaranteed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Script, not a book
I didn't realize that this was a script for a play and not a book.Maybe I didn't look that closely.

Just a playful little kid....Right?
Red Chief, the red haired, freckle faced, 7 year old, is really a good kid.So he sets cats on fire and shoots arrows through the postman's hat. So he through Becky in the lake, he just wanted to get her clean. But why does everyone in Summit, Alambama (the flattest little town in the south)run when he comes out to play? And what happens when he is kidnapped by the two slick, charming, and unusually kind con-men Sam and Bill Driscoll? Red Chief (or Johnny Dorset by true name) adores them both, which is more than is to be said about their feelings toward him. Bill gets hit by Hurricane Red Chief the hardest. But what happens when they try to collect the ransom leaves them both on the short side of
"The Ransom of Red Chief"!!!!

Misunderstood?
Red Chief, the red haired, freckle faced, 7 year old, is really a good kid.So he sets cats on fire and shoots arrows through the postman's hat.So he through Becky in the lake, he just wanted to get her clean.But why does everyone in Summit, Alambama (the flattest little town in the south) run when he comes out to play?And what happens when he is kidnapped by the two slick, charming, and unusually kind con-men Sam and Bill Driscoll?Red Chief (or Johnny Dorset by true name) adores them both, which is more than is to be said about their feelings toward him.Bill gets hit by Hurricane Red Chief the hardest.But what happens when they try to collect the ransom leaves them both on the short side of "The Ransom of Red Chief"!!!!

This book was so funny.I absolutely loved it.
I had to read this last year for my English class, and thought that it wasgoing to be just another lame story like all the other "classics"the public schools make us read.But when I got into it I was pleasentlysurprized.I couldn't stop laughing.The story is about two men whokidnap the local millionare's heir.But get more than they bargoned for. Instead of a well behaved rich kid they get a wild, red-haired hellion,that insists on playing Indians, and sacres one of his kidnappers so muchthat they finnally take him back to his father, thinking that they'll justget rid of him then and there.Well, instead of a reward the kid's fathersays that if they pay him a hundred or so dollars he'll keep his son backfor a while and he won't tell the neighbors that they brought him backuntil nightfall.What happens next will surprize you and make you laugh.It was so much fun to read, I would suggest it to anyone that wants to readsomething really funny, it'll just make your day. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

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Kindle Edition of O. Henry's classic short story collection with an active table of contents. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

Four short stories
This small book contains four stories:"The Gift of the Magi," "The Ransom of Red Chief," "The Rose of Dixie," and "The Momento."The first two stories were especially entertaining, although all four stories are great examples of O. Henry's work.Although the stories use a vocabulary and style that are reflective of the author's own era (O. Henry lived from 1862 to 1910), the humor and irony of the stories still shine.This book can serve as a good introduction to the great writing of one of America's most prolific short story writers.

Nice little stories.
"The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories" has a nice variety of stories.I have the 1997 edition, which includes the stories "The Gift of the Magi," "The Last Leaf," "Springtime a la Carte," "The Purple Dress," "One Thousand Dollars," "Transients in Arcadia," "A Chaparral Prince," "The Clarion Call," "The Hiding of Black Bill," and "A Retrieved Reformation.""The Gift of the Magi" is the best of them all, with "The Last Leaf," "A Chaparral Prince," and "A Retrieved Reformation" all coming in second place.O. Henry is an excellent short story writer - it's amazing how we can fully engulf ourselves within these stories, which are no more than ten pages long!I recommend.

All the original style of O. Henry with lovely illustrations
Although the original feel of O. Henry stories is maintained in this book (the dialogue, the solid values and homespun wisdom), the illustratons in this book really make it a stand-out. They are full of warmth, rich colors and just a delight in and of themselves, perfectly complimenting the text. There are no shortage of O. Henry collections out there, but this has to be one of the best ,especially for teen to young adult readers.

Wow, Who Knew???!!!
Honestly, I wasn't really too enthused when I found out that my 7th grade reading comprehension class would be reading this book. My thoughts? O'Henry. Classics. Ugh.
I ended up loving each and every story included in this book. You have to get into these stories, but the surprising endings are really something to look forward to. Some stories move you, some put a smile on your face, and some just make you go "ooooooooooooooooooooh" if you get it. This book is definitely worth your time, no matter how little of it you have:)!

Classic stories, each with a twist...lovely illustrations!
A collection of timeless stories with unforgettable characters. They depict people who could live in any era with the weaknesses and strengths of "everyman." And of course, always with the "O'Henrytwist." The illustrations are so real you think they are actualpeople. ... Read more

Product Description
Part of the "Everyman" series which has been re-set with wide margins for notes and easy-to-read type. Each title includes a themed introduction by leading authorities on the subject, life-and-times chronology of the author, text summaries, annotated reading lists and selected criticism and notes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

O, Henry's story telling
Having gone through about 161 completed works of O. Henry in his "Complete Works" and having recently learned about the man and his background, I had to obtain an audiocassette of some of his works to hear how they were presented. After having seen the televised portion of "Red Cloud and Yellow Chief" (right title?)and having read the short story and listened to the audio version, a totally different viewpoint of that particular work is achieved. His use of the language and his method of describing things cause one to listen or read more closely at what he says or writes.

I must apologize for not having the source material at hand while writing this review. ... Read more

Product Description
Tor Classics are affordably-priced editions designed to attract the young reader. Original dynamic cover art enthusiastically represents the excitement of each story. Appropriate "reader friendly" type sizes have been chosen for each title—offering clear, accurate, and readable text. All editions are complete and unabridged, and feature Introductions and Afterwords.

Tales of laughter and tears, love and loss...

Tales of old and young, rich and poor, the best and the worst...

Tales of lies and truth, selfishness and sacrifice, loyalty and betrayal...

O'Henry's stories are set in mansions and slums, teeming cities and desolate frontiers. Stories of grand adventure, thrilling romance, gripping suspense, hilarious comedy. Stories about turns of fate, twists of destiny, accidents of chance...and always. always, endless surprises!

The tales of O'Henry--stories as surprising..as life itself.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

meaningful stories
I thought this book contained may storeis that was haert touching. There were two stories that I thought were the most heart touching ones. they are The Gift of the Magi and the Last Leaf. For the Gift of Magi I thought it was a pity how the couple bought each other something valuable by selling their precious things and yet it became useless. They each sold each other's precious things to buy goods for their precious goods. However, this became useless. They loved each other so much that they sacrificed their things for each other. The Last Leaf was also heartwarming because it teaches lesson of hope. The girl with pneumonia had negative attitude towards her illness and thought that she is going to die when the last leaf falls. Listening to this story, the painter drew a fake leaf and put it on the branch so that when the girl with pneumonia sees it, it will be still there and she will have hope. THe painter was found dead in sokaing wet clothes. I thought risking his own life to give a girl hope was heart touching. I think O. Henry's stories are very meaningful and it is worth reading for. ... Read more

Product Description
William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), better known as O. Henry, led a life similar to those of his own fictional characters. Convicted of embezzlement, he found inspiration in his prison experience for some of the characters who populate his ironic tales. The 16 choice selections in this volume--among them "The Ransom of Red Chief," "The Last Leaf," "The Voice of the City," and the classic, "The Gift of the Magi"--have endeared him to generations of readers.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

For the stories, terrific.For the footnotes, awful.
This edition contains a subset of O. Henry's massive collection of short stories, organized loosely around genres and settings (New York City, the untamed West, grifters and con men, etc.)The stories offer delight on a few levels: O Henry can just flat-out tell a story, and even if you anticipate the ending, he can often fool you; his work is set in a time long since past, so the historical elements give the reader a glimpse into society and environs of his era; his stories are short, so you've not invested a large amount of time here, and you can grab a few good stories while the kids play for awhile (in my case).

Where this book falls down is the footnotes and editorial comments in the back.I am not a fan of appendices and back matter content; I despise flipping through a book and would rather read marginalia or footnotes.However, the footnoting is usually condescendingly simple.If you're even somewhat college-educated, you'll be insulted by what the compilation editor feels the average reader would not know.In some cases, what might have been assisted by a footnote goes largely unexplained.

To add some semblance of value to a compilation, either treat the reader to insights they would not ordinarily have -- explaining the origin of some turn-of-the-century songs is a good example of this -- or put together a nice "Related Reading" list to explore the continuum.Instead, the compilation editor feels that I might not know who Sisyphus is, or what persona non grata means.Ineffectual help that smacks of condescension or ignorance.

So, four stars for the story content.Minus a star for the non-help.

--#

Forgotten Pleasures
Patrick here:

I'd forgotten how tasty O Henry is.

I've dropped the book in front of my wife a half-dozen times.
Heh.Just after she bought it for me!

... Read more

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A whimsical tale. ... Read more

Product Description
"The Amazing Genius of O. Henry" is an anthology of critical and biographical comment, including:

"Little Pictures of O. Henry" by Arthur W. Page

"The Knight in Disguise" by Nicholas Vachel Lindsay

"The Amazing Genius of O. Henry" by Stephen Leacock

"O. Henry–An English View" by A. St. John Adcock

The Misadventures in Musical Comedy of O. Henry and Franklin P. Adams

"O. Henry in his Own Bagdad" by George Jean Nathan

"O. Henry–Apothecary" by Christopher Morley

"O. Henry" by William Lyon Phelps

"About New York with O. Henry" by Arthur B. Maurice

"O. Henry and New Orleans" by Caroline F. Richardson

"A Yankee Maupassant"–A Summary of the Early Criticism

"O Henry's Short Stories" by Henry James Forman

The O. Henry Index ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of the twenty best contemporary short stories selected by series editor Laura Furman from hundreds of literary magazines, The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2010 brings to life a dazzling array of subjects: a street orphan in Malaysia, a cowboy and his teenage bride, a Russian nanny in Manhattan, a nineteenth-century Nigerian widow, and political prisoners on a Greek island. Also included are essays from the eminent jurors on their favorite stories, observations from the winners on what inspired them, and an extensive resource list of magazines.
 
Them Old Cowboy Songs
Annie Proulx
 
Clothed, Female Figure
Kirstin Allio
 
The Headstrong Historian
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
 
Stand By Me
Wendell Berry
 
Sheep May Safely Graze
Jess Row
 
Birch Memorial
Preeta Samarasan
 
Visitation
Brad Watson
 
The Woman of the House
William Trevor
 
The Bridge
Daniel Alarcón
 
A Spoiled Man
Daniyal Mueenuddin
 
Oh, Death
James Lasdun
 
Fresco, Byzantine
Natalie Bakopoulos
 
The End of My Life in New York
Peter Cameron
 
Obit
Ted Sanders
 
The Lover
Damon Galgut
 
An East Egg Update
George Bradley
 
Into the Gorge
Ron Rash
 
Microstories
John Edgar Wideman
 
Some Women
Alice Munro
 
Making Good
Lore Segal
 
For author interviews, photos, and more, go to www.ohenryprizestories.com 
 
A portion of the proceeds from this book will go to support the PEN Readers & Writers Literary Outreach Program.
  ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Oh dear, it's "art" writers
My theory is that only people who've lived vapid, insipid lives can write and enjoy stuff like this.It's so annoying to have to flog yourself to finish a book or story; fortunately I've learned that that's really not necessary.I think it's called a sunk cost; in my case the cost was simply bringing this book home from the library and the time wasted reading as much as I could stomach; about a day's effort.If you bought this book and have to force yourself to read it, do yourself a favor and just put it down; don't compound the mistake by wasting your time.

"For the reader, the short story is nothing less than a brief and intense residence in another world."
This year's Pen/O'Henry Prize Stories 2010 offers an eclectic collection of wonderful writing.The series is edited by Laura Furman and this year's judges are Junot Diaz, Paula Fox and Yiyun Li.The stories range from narratives that describe a richness of blessings to the barrenness of empty lives.Some stories offer exhilaration that turns to bleakness, while in others the turn of events is the reverse.The stories take place around the globe and throughout the United States.What they have in common is that for a short while the reader is immersed in the intimacy of a narrative that takes us into other lives and places.

The collection opens up with a story by one of my favorite writers, Annie Proulx.Entitled 'Them Old Cowboy Songs', this story begins in 1885 in the American west.Archie, aged 16, and Rose, aged 14, are in love and marry.All is bliss at first.Archie inherits a little bit of money from his surrogate mother and purchases some acreage.Archie and Rose both work hard.In time, Rose becomes pregnant and Archie goes off to seek paying work in another state as there are no jobs nearby.In this story, the cataclysmic impact of the elements are at war with the American dream of success.That one is able to survive at all is miraculous.

'The Headstrong Historian' by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, takes us to Nigeria where we meet Ngwambe.She is a woman who believes in the culture of her tribe but is also strong enough to stand up against it if necessary.Ngwambe "is a strong-willed woman hemmed in by custom and circumstance, whose beloved son betrays her in an unimaginable way".This story speaks to the strength of inter-generational love and the power of a strong woman.

I found myself riveted by the initial barrenness and heartbreak of Brad Watson's 'Visitation' .It is the story of an absentee father with visitation rights to see his son every three weeks.Each visit is the same. As he drives up and down I-95 in Los Angeles, we can imagine the strangers passing in the night, many going nowhere or going somewhere they don't want to be.Loomis, the dad, always takes his son to the same run-down hotel and has trouble communicating with his boy.Loomis is a man of despair, suffering from depression most of his life.He's tried medication, counseling and insight but he's basically a person of hopelessness.Through the intervention of a strange family of gypsies, Loomis and his son are brought closer to one another.

Yiyun Li's favorite is William Trevor's story, 'The Woman of the House'.This story takes place in Ireland and starts out with Martina driving a very old Dodge that may or may not get her to her destination.Martina is a woman of no means and even her looks, which she has marketed in the past, are going.She takes care of a crippled man who may be her cousin.This man drinks and torments her.All she has for herself is a small can of money that she's acquired from cheating the man and selling herself.One day two outsiders, men from Eastern Europe, are hired to paint the house.They, too, have nothing.What the characters in this story share is ambiguity, limited means, and not much hope for change in the future.

'A Spoiled Man'by Daniyal Mueenuddin was selected by Junot Diaz as his favorite story in this book.It is easy to see why.The story is beautiful, powerful and does not have a spare word.It is the story of Rezak, a man who has a portable house that he carries with him from job to job.The house is large enough to sit in but too small to stand in.He ends up getting a job outside of Islamabad, taking care of an orchard for a Pakistani man and his American wife, Sonya.The couple spoil him by paying him more money than he's ever made in his life.We watch as he is set up for failure and tragedy by his circumstances while there is nothing that he can do to prevent his downfall.

Ron Rash's story, 'Into the Gorge',is exciting and compelling.We view the way that people lived for generations in Appalachia and how this has all been changed by the Park Service.Not only have things changed, but much is now illegal and dangerous.One man tries to keep to his heritage and he runs into trouble with the law.No matter what he chooses to do, one man is too small to fight an army of bureaucrats and armed police.

No contemporary short story collection would be complete without at least one story by Alice Munro.Her story, 'Some Women'is included here and it does not disappoint.It starts out with the line, "I am amazed sometimes to think how old I am", and ends with the line, "I grew up, and old".The story is about a young girl who has a summer job taking care of a young man who has leukemia.An emotional power war ensues between women seeking his attentions and affections. The girl watches it happening and as an adult realizes all she has learned and observed about life in her many years on this planet.

Short stories are gifts.They give us the ability to be completely within the scope of their narrative for the whole time.We can immerse ourselves in the characters, the environment, and the story.Good short stories are like gems - - they are precious and rare.Laura Furman has done a great job mining the literary journals to select the stories in this collection.It is one of the best in this series that I have read in several years. ... Read more

Product Description

The WISP series (short for Wonderfully Illustrated Short Pieces) represents an ingenious marriage of two creative forces: the artistry of today's foremost children's book illustrators and the literary legacy of beloved authors of popular short works for adults. The resulting offspring of this union are captivating, full–color illustrated editions of timeless classics that readers will want to savor and collect.

This WISP presents O. Henry's classic Christmas tale, The Gift of the Magi, along with The Purple Dress, a story about a young lady who makes a personal sacrifice for the sake of her friend's happiness at a holiday party. Bringing these stories to life are the wondrous illustrations of Chris Raschka, a highly acclaimed illustrator, whose delightful artwork perfectly matches the tale. GIFT OF THE MAGI is sure to attract readers familiar with O. Henry's timeless holiday tales, as well as introduce a new generation of readers to his charming work.

These one–of–a–kind, attractively priced and invitingly formatted illustrated editions will make a great impulse buy, appealing to audiences of all ages.

Customer Reviews (1)

beautiful collector
Gave this to my sis for gift, beautifully laid out, great illustrations, worth a look. ... Read more

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Table of Contents

Customer Reviews (3)

A Pretty Good Edition for the Kindle
This Kindle edition of O. Henry's short stories is pretty good. The typos are few and far between, the formatting is very satisfactory and perfectly suited for the Kindle. The collection is, of course, not complete (O. Henry wrote over 600 stories), but it's still the fullest collection for the Kindle I have been able to find so far.

My only complaint is that you can't jump from one story to another by pressing the "Next Page" key, like you can with most short story collections. Your only choice if you want to skip a story is to leaf through until the next one manually. You can't go back to the table of contents and jump to the next story because the table of contents for some reason lists the stories alphabetically (or according to the collection and genre they belong to) and not in the order they appear in the collection. I had to place bookmarks at the beginning of each story manually but with over 200 stories it is weary work.

These formatting issues, however, don't manage to dampen the delight one experiences at being able to possess so many of this writer's great stories in one collection.

Perfect format for the Kindle!
I've purchased over 20 of these complete author collections from this publisher. I have purchased William Shakespear, Charles Dckens, Mark Twain, Edgar Alan Poe, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Jule Verne, Oscar Wilde, Alexander Dumas, and a few others. These collections work superbly on the Kindle. Take Mark Twain collection. The collection includes huge number of Mark Twain's works all in one place, searchable and well-organized. If I would have purchased all these books separately, searching for `The Gilded Age' among hundreds of other books on my Kindle would be a nightmare. With Mobile Reference collections, I simply click `Works of Mark Twain', then click Novels> `The Gilded Age'. I can also click `List of works in alphabetical order' > `G' > `Gilded Age'. If I forget the book title but remember that `The Gilded Age' was written by Mark Twain early in his career, I can click on `List of works in chronological order' > (1873) `The Gilded Age'.

If I want another author, say, Charles Dickens, I click `Home' > `Works of Charles Dickens'. If I want Dostoevsky, I click `Works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky'. I think this format is perfect for organizing books on the Kindle.

Inside collections, each book has links to chapters and footnotes. The text is nicely formatted and seems to be complete and accurate - something that cannot always be said about inexpensive ebooks. I think these collections are great bargains both in terms of saved money, time, and book organization!

Entertaining and Enduring
Works of O. Henry. (100+ Works). Including The Ransom of Red Chief, The Cop and the Anthem, The Gift of the Magi, A Retrieved Reformation, After Twenty ... & more. Published by MobileReference (mobi)

This is an excellent collection, because it consists of more than 100 works, showcasing a wide range of O. Henry's talents. Every story in this collection is a literary delight.

... Read more

Product Description
This Halcyon Classics eBook contains more than 270 short stories by William Sidney Porter, better known as O. Henry.This collection includes such classics as 'The Ransom of Red Chief,' and 'The Gift of the Magi.'Includes an active table of contents for easy navigation.

Includes the following O. Henry collections:

Cabbages and Kings
Heart of the West
Options
Roads of Destiny
Rolling Stones
Sixes and Sevens
Strictly Business
The Four Million
The Gentle Grafter
The Trimmed Lamp
The Voice of the City
Waifs and Strays
Whirligigs
... Read more

Product Description
Black Frontiersman is Flipper's autobiographical account of his service with the Tenth U.S. Cavalry in Texas and Oklahoma and his years as a civilian that followed - one of only a handful of such accounts by a black American. Although Flipper's years on the western frontier have been well documented by historians, this revised and updated volume of Theodore D. Harris' Negro Frontiersman includes a new introduction, expanded endnotes and little known and previously unpublished materials. Flipper's memoirs detail his time spent on the U.S.-Mexican border, his adventures in Sonora and Chihuahua before the Mexican Revolution, his time as an aide to U.S. Senator Albert Bacon Fall, and his later recollections on race and politics in the 1930s. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

HOW AMAZING!
MY HUSBAND HAS SERVICED IN THE ARMY FOR 23 YEARS...IT WAS SO WONDERFUL TO FIND OUT ABOUT THIS BRAVE SOUL.

NotFor Me
I thought we were all trying very hard to be color blind! This is not for me! ... Read more

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O. HENRY MEMORIAL AWARD PRIZE STORIES rendered a brief account of the origin of this monument to O. Henry's genius. ... Read more

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Mudlavia
Elizabeth Stuckey-French

The Brief History of the Dead
Kevin Brockmeier

The Golden Era of Heartbreak
Michael Parker

The Hurt Man
Wendell Berry

The Tutor
Nell Freudenberger

Fantasy for Eleven Fingers
Ben Fountain

The High Divide
Charles D’Ambrosio

Desolation
Gail Jones

A Rich Man
Edward P. Jones

Dues
Dale Peck

Speckle Trout
Ron Rash

Sphinxes
Timothy Crouse

Grace
Paula Fox

Snowbound
Liza Ward

Tea
Nancy Reisman

Christie
Caitlin Macy

Refuge in London
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

The Drowned Woman
Frances De Pontes Peebles

The Card Trick
Tessa Hadley

What You Pawn I Will Redeem
Sherman Alexie
... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A great collection as usual
I have been reading the annual O Henry Awards for about 10 years now and look forward every year to its publication.The new editor changed the date it's published as well as the format a few years ago (the top three winners had been the first three stories in the collection with an introduction written by a judge, but now they are mixed in with the judges thoughts at the end of the collection)Although I didn't like this change at first, this idea actually let me, the reader, decide which short story I thought was best without knowing which ones the judges chose.I also enjoyed the inclusion of a short blip from each author about what inspired/influenced them for this particular story. Again, these were listed at the end of the entire collection.All in all, a wonderful reading experience.I recommend it to everyone who loves a good story and who enjoys a variety of topics and styles - which can easily be found in this collection of works from various prize-winning authors.

Another fine assortment of dark chocolates
In her second year editing the O. Henry Prize Stories, Laura Furman once again demonstrates a preference for stories of a tragic, dark nature."Mudlavia", the first story in the book, concerns a boy's broken family and a life-threatening disease.It is followed by stories whose subject matter is apparent from their titles:"The Brief History of the Dead", "The Golden Era of Heartbreak", "The Hurt Man".Other stories in this collection include "Desolation", "Snowbound", and "The Drowned Woman".So, if lighthearted entertaining reading is what you seek, you are advised to look elsewhere.If, however, you want to read well-written short stories of substance, which are actually not as depressing as one might fear, then I definitely recommend the 2005 edition of The O. Henry Prize Stories.

My favorite story in this year's collection is Ben Fountain's "Fantasy for Eleven Fingers", an exceedingly well-crafted story about the tribulations of an unusually endowed pianist caught up in the religious and political hostilities of turn-of-the-20th century Europe.The story reminds us that, try as we might, we cannot completely separate art and beauty from the gritty realities and problems of the world.Other favorites of mine include the aforementioned "Mudlavia" by Elizabeth Stuckey-French, and Edward P. Jones' "A Rich Man", which also appeared in the 2004 Best American Short Stories anthology.Each of these stories is entertaining and captures the reader's interest, while at the same time conveying important ideas and observations about the human condition.

The 2005 edition of the O. Henry Prize Stories has four stories in common with the 2004 Best American Short Stories collection.Both anthologies contain stories published in 2003, but the O. Henry Prize Stories folks skipped 2004 and are now two years off in their numbering scheme.Given that the 2006 edition (covering stories published in 2004) is not due until May of 2006, it appears that Laura Furman and company are falling further behind in their reading.I hope they can catch up, as I enjoy both anthology series.If you can read only one, choose the Best American Short Stories if your tastes tend towards more popular writers and slightly lighter fare.Choose the O. Henry Prize Stories if you are seeking a more complete examination of the dark side of human affairs.

Always a good place to find quality short stories
This year's prize anthology is dedicated to Anton Chekhov, the father of the modern short story.Even though none of these stories can be considered a masterpiece, they are all indebted to Chekhov's legacy of an unflinching look at human psychology.Although some of these stories are found in The Best American Short Stories 2004 ("What You Pawn, I Will Redeem" by Sherman Alexie; "A Rich Man" by Edward P. Jones: "Grace" by Paula Fox; "The Tutor" by Nell Freudenberger), most are different, making this anthology a good companion to the other.

Many of these stories are about divorce and parental abandonment, often from the child's point of view."Mudlavia"by Elizabeth Stuckey-French tells of a boy with what the doctors think is rheumatoid arthritis.He and his mother travel one summer to a spa where they are introduced to a world outside their own.Meanwhile, the boy's father remains at home and is seen by one of the boy's closest friends (who writes to him) with his beautiful "cousin." "The Tutor" is also about the loss, both psychological and real, of a parent, although the themes and emotions run in much more complicated directions.American Julia is in Bombay, living with her father after her mother moved out and hoping to escape to college.Zubin, an American and British education Indian, tutors her for her SATs, and through their relationship, teaches her other essentials things about life.The protagonist of "The High Divide" by Charles D'Ambrosio is a boy living in an orphanage who is befriended by a "public school kid" and his family.The boy, who has lost his father to mental illness, witnesses his friend's own loss as they hike to the High Divide.

One of the more imaginative stories is Kevin Brockemeier's "The Brief History of the Dead," a story about what could only be called limbo: an entire city of dead people that is neither heaven nor hell - it's just a city.As new dead people arrive, they tell of a virus that is wiping out the earth's human population. These mass deaths begin to change the dynamics of the city in a cryptic, unpredictable way."Desolation" by Gail Jones is one of the less traditional narratives, with its thematic fragments.

With only six out of twenty stories from The New Yorker, this anthology highlights some top-rate fiction from the best literary journals such as The Threepenny Review, Southwest Review, and Michigan Quarterly Review.While stories from Harper's and The Atlantic Monthly are also included, this year's selection veers more away from the commercial publications than in recent years.Readers looking for a sampling of some of the best stories published today will find an uneven but polished collection.

great collection
A collection that is easy to read but hard to put down.For those who have little time on hand, these short stories will captivate you just as much as full length (whatever that means) fictions, but are in the meantime much less consuming.A good diversity in styles, both with respect to form and content.Bonus: a composition of short biographies for each author at the back of the book, which introduces the readers to other work by these authors -- a good place to go for additional reading recommendations. ... Read more

Product Description
12 O. Henry short story collections in a single file. Click on a book title in the table of contents and go to that book. Then click on a title of a short story to go to that story. Use the Back button to return. This files includes these books: Cabbages and Kings, The Four Million, The Gentle Grafter, Heart of the West, Options, Roads of Destiny, Rolling Stones, Sixes and Sevens, Strictly Business, The Trimmed Lamp, The Voice of the City, and Waifs and Strays. According to Wikipedia: "O. Henry was the pen name of American writer William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910). O. Henry short stories are known for wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings…. Most of O. Henry's stories are set in his own time, the early years of the 20th century. Many take place in New York City, and deal for the most part with ordinary people: clerks, policemen, waitresses. Fundamentally a product of his time, O. Henry's work provides one of the best English examples of catching the entire flavor of an age. Whether roaming the cattle-lands of Texas, exploring the art of the "gentle grafter," or investigating the tensions of class and wealth in turn-of-the-century New York, O. Henry had an inimitable hand for isolating some element of society and describing it with an incredible economy and grace of language. Some of his best and least-known work resides in the collection Cabbages and Kings, a series of stories which each explore some individual aspect of life in a paralytically sleepy Central American town 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. The Four Million is another collection of stories. It opens with a reference to Ward McAllister's "assertion that there were only 'Four Hundred' people in New York City who were really worth noticing. But a wiser man has arisen—the census taker—and his larger estimate of human interest has been preferred in marking out the field of these little stories of the 'Four Million.'" To O. Henry, everyone in New York counted. He had an obvious affection for the city, which he called "Bagdad-on-the-Subway." ... Read more

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The Gentle Grafter; The Gift of the Magi; Waifs and Strays ... Read more