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.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
It's debatable whether the seven short stories in this collection truly constitute the "best" of O. Henry's hundreds of published works, but that debate can be set aside. What's important is that both the tales and the narration by Michael Hanson are excellent. O. Henry has fallen out of fashion in academic circles, but his stories remain sufficiently popular among modern readers to assure that this package will be welcome among library patrons. Divided into "New York Stories" and "Western Stories," the selections range from the classic "Gift of the Magi" to the playful "Ransom of Red Chief," about an incorrigible brat who turns the tables on his kidnappers. Moreover, Hanson's delightful reading is a special treat; his carefully modulated and mellow voice helps transport the listener back to the early 20th century, when O. Henry wrote these tales. Recommended for all general collections. Kent Rasmussen, Thousand Oaks, CA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A superbly narrated experience,
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This review is from: The Best of O. Henry (Humor) (Audio CD)
As I write this, there are two reviews up. J. Mays's review takes the narrator to task for an ineffective reading. I would respectfully disagree. This is a wonderful reading, almost perfect for these stories. From "The Cop and the Anthem," in which a homeless man tries to get arrested so that he will have a warm place to spend the winter, to "Ransom of Red Chief," in which two kidnappers soon regret their choice of hostage when the boy proves too rambunctious, reader Michael Hanson is wonderful. He distinguishes between characters smoothly without sounding forced, but mostly it's the gentle manner in which he reads that is perfect for these stories. If it's possible for a reader to convey the life of a century ago merely through his tone, Hanson does so.The stories include the two I mentioned above, "The Voice of the City," "The Green Door," "The Hiding of Black Bill," "The Romance of a Busy Broker," and, of course, "The Gift of the Magi." For those who are not familiar with O. Henry's stories, this is a good place to start. Here's a better place, though.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent stories, mediocre narration,
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This review is from: The Best of O. Henry (AudioBook on MP3-CD) (Hardcover)
In this audiobook collection of 7 O. Henry stories, the narrator takes the listener on two sets of adventures: The New York Stories (disk 1), and the Western Stories (disk 2). From the well known "The Gift of the Magi" to stories of wild west betrayals, the collection displays a wide range of subject matter including love, crime, trickery and distraction of the modern age.
What brought this a lower rating for me was the narration of Michael Hanson. He has a pleasant, deep voice, but his delivery is done in a quiet, almost plodding way. This made it tough to focus on the stories because my mind was easily distracted. As someone who likes to listen to audiobooks at work or while driving, this made it far too easy to "tune out" in favor of other things, leading me to have to restart certain stories in order to catch on to the story. That having been said, though, I always really enjoy "The Gift of the Magi" which was a timely story to re-read for this time of year. I also really enjoyed "The Ransom of Red Chief" from the Western Stories disk, which featured a pair of kidnappers and the rambunctious boy they try to ransom. They bite off more than they can chew in choosing this kid! So...4 stars for the stories themselves, 2 for the audio version...middle of the road overall.
4.0 out of 5 stars
O, Henry's story telling,
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This review is from: The Best of O. Henry (Humor) (Audio CD)
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.
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