Cabbages and Kings [Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

O. Henry (Author), Lloyd James (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1997

O. Henry is the pen name of American writer William Sydney Porter (1862-1910). Porter's 400 short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, characterization and the clever use of twist endings. He travelled to Austin in 1884, where he took a number of different jobs over the next several years, first as pharmacist then as a draftsman, bank teller and journalist. He also began writing as a sideline to employment. Porter's most prolific writing period started in 1902, when he moved to New York City to be near his publishers. He wrote 381 short stories while living there. He wrote a story a week for over a year for the New York World Sunday Magazine. His wit, characterization and plot twists were adored by his readers, but often panned by the critics. Yet, he went on to gain international recognition and is credited with defining the short story as a literary art form. His works include: Cabbages and Kings (1904), The Four Million (1906), Heart of the West (1907), The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories of the Four Million (1907), The Voice of the City: Further Stories of the Four Million (1908), The Gentle Grafter (1908) and Roads of Destiny (1909).

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From AudioFile

Those with fond sentiment for O. Henry's short stories should understand why this is his only novel. Although there are some trademark plot twists and well-crafted character sketches, the effect is muted by the rambling, cobbled together style. These loosely related tales of scamps and underdogs in an unstable Central American republic contain some clever images, as well as some dated, derogatory language. Lloyd James navigates this murky area admirably, de-emphasizing the crude name-calling by voicing it largely without malice. He simply speaks the vernacular as naturally as he creates the characters' accents. James's agile pacing and overall breezy approach work favorably on this insubstantial material. D.J. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks; Unabridged edition (December 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786111739
• ISBN-13: 978-0786111732
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,437,509 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #23 in Books > Books on Cassette > Authors, A-Z > ( O ) > O Henry
  • #86 in Books > Books on Cassette > Authors, A-Z > ( J ) > James, Henry

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm glad O Henry escaped prison, December 11, 1998

By 

Fernando Po' Boy (Grand Forks, BC, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cabbages and Kings (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

I am glad O Henry escaped from his Texas prison, because his period of exile in Honduras provided him with beautiful fodder for this book. Actually, it is a series of linking vignettes about a mythical town (Coralio) in the mythical Central American "Banana Republic" of Anchuria. The protagonists are American and other foreign misfits who have formed a colony along the disease ridden coast of Anchuria. Achingly funny stories populate Cabbages and Kings, especially the one about an Irish Soldier of Fortune who gets swindled by a Guatemalan general and seeks revenge. Although extremely humourous, Cabbages and Kings is historically valuable as well. It provides an accurate representation of turn-of-the-century life in Caribbean Honduras.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Turn of the Century Parlor Book, June 25, 2009

By 

Jacqueline R. St John "Serendipppppppppppity" (Boulder Junction WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cabbages and Kings (Hardcover)

This book was written in the era prior to mass media forms such as TV, Radio, etc.were widely available. The parlor book, or porch book was used by the family as entertainment and the reader best able to read out loud would be the evening or afternoon's source of entertainment. The style of writing was captivating, and the stories gripping and often sensational with unexpected outcomes that really suprpised their audiences. This book having several stories in it was a real deal. The Mother in the house that could afford books and could read them was the " TV" of that era and read to her children at bedtime, thus the origin of the child's bedtime story which continues even now.

3 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars nothing to do with Honduras, June 2, 2008

By 

Michael Chesser (AIKEN, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cabbages and Kings (Paperback)

I looked it up on Wiki, and O. Henry spent at the most 6 months in Honduras, probably less. There is no evidence he spoke Spanish. So unless he were a prodigy of some sort, he would not be expected to learn or experience much of the real country during his short stay. And this book bears this out. There is nothing of Honduras in this book. It is unfortunate that the reader might conclude that the book arises out of some actual knowledge or experience of the country, or sympathy with its people, because that is decidedly not the case. And the author butchers what spanish he attempts. For that matter, the author's english is often absurd. Didn't Graham Greene's travels to Mexico result in works of enduring value? It's a pity the same can't be said of O'Henry in Honduras.