Cabbages and Kings

By: O. Henry

Narrated by: Lloyd James

O. Henry wove several stories together into this highly episodic narrative, his only novel, taking his title and inspiration from Lewis Carroll's ballad of the walrus and the carpenter in Through the Looking-Glass.

The stories are set in the fictional country of Anchuria in Central America, a banana republic where larceny is rampant and revolution lurks in every impoverished back alley. O. Henry offers a cutting satire of contemporary politics and prejudices. Nevertheless, an essential middle-class morality prevails, in which lovers are reunited, poverty obliterated, character rewarded, and sentiment satisfied.

If you enjoyed this audiobook, then don't miss The Best of O. Henry.(P)1997 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"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' agile pacing and overall breezy approach work favorably." (AudioFile)

The Patched Comedy…This Tropic Vaudeville

That’s what O. Henry called this one, providing more proof (if any were necessary) of his nearly unerring gift for the well-made phrase. This is indeed a comic series of vaudeville acts, each better than the last and building, like a pyramid of acrobats, to the final cymbal crash.

Granted, I agree with his verdict on the ending, which he describes as “…the slender thread that binds together, though ever so slightly, the story that perhaps only the Walrus will understand.” I have to admit that I am not a walrus. Nevertheless, a good time was had by me, and can be by you, too. And Lloyd James makes that time even better, expressing O. Henry’s ironic tone and comic intentions exactly right.

Wonderfully Read!

I'm crazy for O. Henry and Lloyd James makes this book even better by his performance. You won't be disappointed for a minute.

A New Old Favorite

How did I get to be 60 before I read O Henry? I have to put his writing up there next to favorite American greats Hemingway and Twain. This man could turn a phrase and paint a picture his prose.

Average

The story was of some interest. However, the performer often read in a rather halting, unsure fashion which made listening quite awkward at times. He did excellent accents for the different characters, but mispronounced some common words and, as I said, did not properly convey the meaning of many phrases. Hence the 3-star rating.