Greatest Stories: Volume I
Ordinary lives surprise
StorylineO. Henry finds affection, resourcefulness and unexpected turns in everyday lives, from The Gift of the Magi to The Ransom of Red Chief.
“One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.”
THE SHORT SHOT EDITION
Life makes plans. O. Henry makes other arrangements.
- EditionMulti-story collection
- Estimated reading time120–150 minutesWhole collection · stories only
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At a glance
- Work
- Multi-story collection
- Author
- O. Henry
- Format
- Paperback
Stories in this collection
11 stories
- The Gift of the MagiTwo newlyweds with very little money search for Christmas gifts worthy of their love.
- The Cop and the AnthemA homeless man plans a winter in jail, but getting arrested proves surprisingly difficult.
- Memoirs of a Yellow DogA pampered dog offers a distinctly canine assessment of the humans who claim to own him.
- The Romance of a Busy BrokerA frantic morning on Wall Street leaves a broker struggling to make room for romance.
- A Retrieved ReformationA gifted safecracker tries to begin again, until an emergency makes his old skills urgently necessary.
- After Twenty YearsTwo friends keep a long-standing appointment on a New York street, with much left unsaid between them.
- The Last LeafA sick young artist ties her hopes to the leaves outside her window while her neighbors watch anxiously.
- An Unfinished StoryA poorly paid shopgirl weighs the promise of an evening out against the price of accepting it.
- The Caballero’s WayA dangerous outlaw’s romance becomes a contest of jealousy, pursuit and calculated deception.
- The Duplicity of HargravesAn actor’s talent for imitation unsettles a proud Southern gentleman living far from home.
- The Ransom of Red ChiefTwo kidnappers discover that their young captive has very different ideas about who is in charge.
THE EDITOR’S TAKE
Small budgets. Generous hearts. Unreliable expectations.
Why “Greatest Stories: Volume I”?
- The Gift of the Magi and The Last Leaf put affection under real pressure.
- O. Henry's resourceful characters make room for comedy, tenderness and a well-timed surprise.
BEHIND THE BOOK
About the author
O. Henry (1862–1910), the pen name of William Sydney Porter, writes about ordinary lives with warmth, wit and an eye for irony. His best-known stories include “The Gift of the Magi”, “The Last Leaf” and “The Ransom of Red Chief”. New York’s streets and overlooked inhabitants populate much of his fiction.
A question to savor
Which reversal changes your judgment of a character most, and why?
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