Selected Short Stories of O. Henry

Author: O. Henry (William Sydney Porter), translated by Wang Yongnian
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: The real name of American writer O. Henry was William Sydney Porter. He was born on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina, into a family of physicians. Starting at the age of fifteen, O. Henry worked as an apprentice in his uncle's pharmacy for five years. Later, due to health reasons, he needed to change his environment and spent two years as a shepherd on a friend's ranch in Texas. The vast western prairie and the rugged life of the cowboys had a profound influence on O. Henry. From the perspective of subject matter, O. Henry's works can be broadly divided into three categories. One type focuses on life in the American West; another depicts life in some of America's major cities; and the third centers on life in Latin America. These different themes are clearly closely related to the author's various life experiences during his main periods. Among these three types of works, those describing urban life undoubtedly account for the largest number and hold the greatest significance. The contradictions in O. Henry's thoughts and the weaknesses in his works are largely related to his limited creative environment. Even when he had already gained fame and was widely popular with readers, his life remained often in a financially strained state. He once frankly said, "I write for bread."