Selected Stories (Wordsworth Classics) - Softcover

With a new Introduction by Professor Cedric Watts, M.A., Ph.D. This selection of a hundred of O. Henry's succinct tales displays the range, humour and humanity of a perennially popular short-story writer. Here Henry gives a richly colourful and exuberantly entertaining panorama of social life, ranging from thieves to tycoons, from the streets of New York to the prairies of Texas. These stories are famed for their 'trick endings' or 'twists in the tail': repeatedly the plot twirls adroitly, compounding ironies. Indeed, O. Henry's cunning plots surpass those of the ingenious rogues he creates. His style is genial, lively and witty, displaying a virtuoso's command of language and allusion. This great collection offers delights for the mind, imagination and emotions.

O. Henry (William Sydney Porter, 1862-1910) was an American short-story writer. In his writing, O. Henry was able to catch the color and movement of the city and showed a genuine sympathy for ordinary people. Some of his works include Cabbages and Kings, Roads of Destiny, and Strictly Business among many others.