Showing results by author "O Henry" in All Categories

William Sydney Porter was born on 11th September 1862 in Greensboro, North Carolina. At age 3 his mother died from tuberculosis. From an early age it was clear Porter had a large appetite for reading as he absorbed the world around him. He was a member of several singing and dramatic groups when he met 17 year old Athol Estes, daughter of a wealthy Austin family. Despite her mother’s objection owing to Athol’s tuberculosis, they began courting and in July 1887, they eloped and soon married.

The American literary tradition has, in a far shorter span of time than others throughout history, achieved a glowing and glittering reputation. From its transatlantic roots it has absorbed the sons and daughters of other cultures, other lands and made them part of her own. Within this melting pot of styles, genres and wordplay one fact stands out: In the American short story, literary tradition has a strong, vibrant and almost inclusive history, if you know where to look.

Did you know that O. Henry's real name was William Sydney Porter? He had many pseudonyms, but is mostly known as O. Henry. He wrote over 300 stories and is known for playfully writing a twist at their end. Most of them are based in New York, with characters being an "average Joe". A census at the time stated there were about 4,000,000 individuals living in NYC at the time, and that is how this volume of short stories received its name. We hope you enjoy Canarit Audiobook’s production of Mammon and the Archer.

Step into the world of O. Henry’s masterful storytelling with The Memento, a poignant and thought-provoking tale narrated by Tess Stalker. This timeless story explores themes of memory, sentimentality, and the enduring power of cherished objects. With a blend of O. Henry’s trademark wit and emotional depth, The Memento invites listeners to reflect on the significance of the past and the memories we carry with us.

O. Henry was the pen name of William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), an American writer. O. Henry's short stories are loved for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization, and surprise endings. The Ransom of Red Chief is a tale of a kidnapping. A couple of desperados abduct the 10-year-old son of the richest man in a village in the Deep South. But the pair soon discover that they have taken on far more than they had bargained for.

Soapi is a harmless ex-con, with no-where to go for warmth when winter is approaching and the newspapers he uses to pad his clothing aren't of much help anymore. Join him when he aims to get back to his old warm jail cell.

A set of five tales from one of America's masters of short story telling. The stories include: "Elsie in New York", "The Purple Dress", "Little Speck in Garnered Fruit", "The Pendulum", and "The Rubaiyat of a Scotch Highball."

A spine-tingling collection of classic ghost stories – a perfect way to pass those long winter nights! This set contains "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe, "The Horla" by Guy de Maupassant, "Sredni Vashtar" by Saki, "The Mark of the Beast" by Rudyard Kipling, "Lost Hearts" by M.R. James and "The Furnished Room" by O. Henry.

"The Ransom of Red Chief" may be the most widely read story in grammar, middle, and high school. Young people can relate to 10-year-old Red Chief, his father, who makes the kidnappers pay him back in order to take Red Chief off their hands....

Murder comes in two familiar forms. Whether as a crime of passion with high emotions or a cold dispassionate plot to take life in order to gain in some way, the act strikes us all as somehow inhuman. Beneath us as civilised beings. But however we cloak our animal instincts the need to remove a human being and gain relief from abuse or gain from money, the term is just the same – MURDER. Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle, J M Barrie, W W Jacobs and many others bring their literary heft to bear in as calculating a way as any killer could.

Azt hiszem, a kutya az egyike az ember legsikeresebb háziasítási kísérleteinek. Amióta szolgálatunkba léptek, a legsokoldalúbb barátaink. Társaságot nyújtanak, mikor erre van szükségünk vigasztalnak. Rendőrkutyaként kiszimatolják a bűnt, és szemévé lesznek azoknak, akik nem látnak. Őrzik tulajdonunkat, százféle módon vigyáznak ránk. Ezek a történetek ékesen bizonyítják, milyen hihetetlenül sokoldalú és elbűvölő állatok.

A delightful collection of light-hearted classic stories from some of the greatest Victorian and Edwardian-era writers.

Did you know that O. Henry's real name was William Syndey Porter? He had many pseudonyms but is most known as O. Henry. He wrote over 300 stories, and is known for playfully writing a twist at the end. Most of them are based in New York with characters being an average joe. A census at the time stated there were about four million individuals living in NYC at the time, and that is how this volume of short stories received its name.

A collection of 40 classic short stories which carry a huge punch, from the great classic authors: Oscar Wilde, Saki, Kate Chopin, Edgar Allan Poe, O. Henry, Banjo Paterson, W. W. Jacobs, Guy de Maupassant and many more great names. Look forward to the train being delayed, friends turning up late, walking the dog round the block, ironing that shirt... 10-minute slots need never be wasted time again!

Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart. They can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. Human beings are, in the main, social animals, they like to gather, to herd together, to share experiences. But some do not. Either through choice or exclusion their way forward is difficult. In this volume our authors and their characters share their stories.

A housewife, a tramp, a lawyer, a waitress, an actress – ordinary people living ordinary lives in New York at the beginning of this century. The city has changed greatly since that time, but its people are much the same. Some are rich, some are poor, some are happy, some are sad, some have found love, some are looking for love.O. Henry’s famous short stories – sensitive, funny, sympathetic – give us vivid pictures of the everyday lives of these New Yorkers.

The Last Leaf is an endearing story about many forms of love and our interdependency upon one another and most importantly ourselves. In it a young woman dying from pneumonia despite the best efforts of her loving roommate, a doctor, and a mature resident in the building who has appointed himself guardian to the young lady and her housemate, soon learns that she is the key to her own life or death and in that discovery she helps a friend rise to their true greatness.

Bill Driscoll and Sam (we never learn his last name), a pair of turn-of-the-20th-century con men embark on quite an adventure. The pair need $2,000.00 to pull off a fraudulent town-lot scam in Western Illinois. They decide to kidnap the only son of a prominent Alabama citizen in the small town of Summit. They should've known when they grabbed their target, who was at the time throwing stones at a kitten, that it would be best to leave him alone. Particularly after he beans Bill with a brick. The situation does not improve with time. O Henry, famous for his humor, plays on words, and plot twists makes this a highly amusing short story.

Over 24 of the best humorous stories ever written, including: "The Inconsiderate Waiter", by J. M. Barrie; "Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger", by Saki; "Curried Cow", by Ambrose Bierce; "Cannibalism in the Cars", by Mark Twain; "A Love Knot", by W. W. Jacobs; "A Bottomless Grave", by Ambrose Bierce; "Biffin on the Bassoon", by Harry Graham; "Esme", by Saki; "Germans at Meat", by Katherine Mansfield; and "Adrian", by Saki

Fifty of the greatest classic horror stories ever written: 1. "The Beast with Five Fingers" by W. F. Harvey 2. "The Well" by W. W. Jacobs 3. "The Nightmare Room" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 4. "The End of a Show" by Barry Pain 5. "Bagnell Terrace" by E. F. Benson 6. "Fingers of a Hand" by H. D. Everett 7. "The Interruption" by W. W. Jacobs 8. "Gavon’s Eve" by E. F. Benson 9. "The Ring of Thoth" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 10. "Moon’s Gibbet" by Egerton Castle 11. "The Mystery of Sasassa Valley" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle