O. Henry: 101 Stories (LOA #345) [Hardcover]

The ultimate O. Henry: an annotated edition of classic tales by America's master storyteller

Texas troubadour, convicted embezzler, and adopted New Yorker William Sidney Porter—better known as O. Henry—was one of the world’s great storytellers. A master of cunning plots and a gifted humorist, he is best known today for his beloved tale “The Gift of the Magi.” But O. Henry’s palette of moods and methods was as expansive as his exuberant imagination.
 
This Library of America volume offers a fresh look at the full range of his literary genius. Here are 101 stories, including such favorites as “The Ransom of Red Chief,” “The Last of the Troubadours,” and “The Cop and the Anthem,” alongside lesser-known and previously uncollected stories, including three early tales published here for the first time. With full annotation and a newly researched chronology of Porter’s life and career, this is a definitive edition for modern readers of a major American writer. The book’s appearance in this distinguished series provides fresh evidence that, despite occasional skepticism from critics and scholars, O. Henry has secured a place in the country’s literary pantheon. . . . More than a century later, O. Henry keeps on getting the last laugh. —The Wall Street Journal

“To most American readers, though, O. Henry is known mainly for two anthology standards, “The Ransom of Red Chief,” in which two naive rogues kidnap an insufferable little boy, and “The Gift of the Magi,” the tale of the impoverished young couple who find just the right Christmas presents for each other. Both these mini-classics are perfectly executed, but as this new Libraryl£9