The Gift of the Magi and Other Short Stories [Unabridged] [Paperback]

William Sydney Porter (Author), Shane Weller (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 5, 1992

Sixteen captivating stories by one of America's most popular storytellers. Included are such classics as "The Gift of the Magi," "The Last Leaf," "The Ransom of Red Chief," "The Voice of the City," and "The Cop and the Anthem." Publisher's Note.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Born William Sidney Porter in 1862, O. Henry first lived a checkered life as a cowhand, bank teller, reporter, embezzler, and convict. Then, in a last-minute reversal worthy of one of his own stories, he turned to fiction, and became a celebrated author of ironic miniatures. "The Gift of the Magi" is perhaps his most famous creation. And while this exploration of love and gift-giving doesn't exactly plumb the depths of human behavior, it does leave us with the final picture of Jim (sans watch) and Della (sans hair, or most of it), which has induced even the crankiest readers to shed a tear since it first appeared in 1906. Get out your handkerchiefs!

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; New edition (February 5, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486270610
• ISBN-13: 978-0486270616
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #181,083 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #61 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Short Stories > Anthologies

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Introductory Compilation, April 3, 2002

By 

Craig Clarke "Living After Midnight: Hard and... (New England) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Gift of the Magi and Other Short Stories (Paperback)

For my money, this Dover edition is the perfect introduction to the works of O. Henry. It contains several of his best stories in an order that is not jarring, considering they come from different collections.

I am a writer of short stories, and there is no better practitioner of the art than O. Henry. Perhaps in today's world, with the New Yorker style being touted as *the* way to write short stories, O. Henry is scoffed at. But, if you look close, Henry's stories have one thing those don't--an ending.

In fact, O. Henry stories are famous for their endings. Often called "twist" endings, they show the inherent unpredictability of life.

What is often missed, however, is Henry's knack for characterization, his evocative use of setting and description, and his readability. I put O. Henry up there with other short story writers like Flannery O'Connor and John Updike.

So, start with the Dover edition and if you find that you, too, love the work of O. Henry then graduate to a more comprehensive collection. And if not, hey, you're not out much money, right?

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for the price., June 19, 2001

By 

S. Bodell (KY, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Gift of the Magi and Other Short Stories (Paperback)

***Just for the record, this book contains the following stories: "The Gift of the Magi", "The Cop and the Anthem", "Springtime a la Carte", "The Green Door", "After Twenty Years", "The Furnished Room", "The Pimienta Pancakes", "The Last Leaf", "The Voice of the City", "While the Auto Awaits", "A Retrieved Reformation", "A Municipal Report", "A Newspaper Story", "The Ransom of Red Chief", "A Ghost of a Chance", and "Makes the Whole World Kin".

Considering the price, and how many stories are in here, it's great! But, it is a very flimsy paperback, and contains just the bare stories. So if you're looking for some history on O. Henry, or some fancy introductions or footnotes, this is not the book for you.

Although, O. Henry was such a great writer, I myself don't think you really need footnotes, etc. The stories are so well constructed in themselves that this really is a good book.

By the way, my personal favorite is "The Last Leaf". To me it is leaps and bounds better than "The Gift of the Magi", but maybe that's just me. :-)

I do hope this review helped. :-D

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Touches your heart with simplicity and genuineness, April 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Gift of the Magi and Other Short Stories (Paperback)

Those stories progress slowly and quietly until you get to the last paragraph. The bottom line. Then suddenly you are flooded with strong feelings: either joy or sorrow - it usually moves your heart. I loved those stories since the first time I learned them, in high school, and this book gave me the opportunity to read it in the original language for the first time (I read it in Hebrew the other times...). It was challanging, but it is worth it. It is a perfect book to take with you on your daily bus ride, when you are blue, or just in any day that you feel like reading something which is pure nice literature. I hope you read it and enjoy. I know I did. Do you want an example? Curious? Read the real thing!