Cabbages and Kings (Paperback)

~ O. Henry (Author)
Key Phrases: fruit steamer, dear admiral, governor man, New York, Don Sabas, General De Vega (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

O. Henry stitched together several stories into this episodic narrative, taking his inspiration - and title - from Lewis Carroll. The setting is Anchuria, a mythical banana republic where larceny is rampant and revolution always a possibility. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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 --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 148 pages
• Publisher: Hard Press (November 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1406923745
• ISBN-13: 978-1406923742
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,239,229 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 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) (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.

2 of 3 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)

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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.