Selected Short Stories of O. Henry - World Youth Literature Classics Collection

Author: O. Henry (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Among the most outstanding short story writers in France, there is Guy de Maupassant; in Russia, Anton Chekhov; and in the United States, there is none other than O. Henry. Born on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA, O. Henry came from a family of physicians. He lost his mother at the age of three. During his childhood, he attended a private school run by an uncle. At the age of fifteen, he began working as an apprentice at a local pharmacy, where he stayed for five years. O. Henry's novels are renowned and celebrated for their distinctive and well-known feature: unexpected endings. Throughout the development of the plot, the author focuses on one aspect. Of course, these descriptions are closely related to the theme, but they do not touch upon the most important facts. The most important facts are merely touched upon with a few strokes, even the most attentive readers fail to notice the subtle clues the author has laid. By the time the story reaches its conclusion, the narrative takes a sharp turn, revealing an entirely unexpected ending. At this point, readers, upon reflecting on the entire plot, are left in awe of the author's ingenious craftsmanship. O. Henry's writing does not follow any particular author as a model. He does not concern himself with any rules of creation, simply writing as he thinks. However, his writing always has one clear purpose: to entertain his readers. Perhaps for this reason, no critic has ever claimed that O. Henry was deeply influenced by any particular writer, leading to the surprising yet logical endings of his novels and their widespread popularity among readers.