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Liked It “when I was little my grandmother gave me an autographed copy of this book it had beautiful illustrations and I loved the story, tragically ironic....but we moved away from that house and all my books were left behind and for 17 years I've been searching for the same book/illustrator and have yet...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“it's a sweet story”
Caroline M wrote this review Saturday, December 5 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
0 of 1 members found this review helpful“Ellen R 4 out of 5 stars This volume of 29 short stories begins with O. Henry's most famous - "The Gift of the Magi" which is still as sweet and ironic as ever. Along the same line is "A Service of Love" about a young, artistic married couple Joe and Delia. Delia is a pianist who unable to make a living in concert decides to find students to train. Joe, a struggling painter, tells Delia he is doing small commissioned works for a collector. When Delia returns home one day after a session with a student, Joe sees that she is sporting a large bandage on her right hand. Delia tells him that her student spilled some hot food on her hand but Joe stares at the bandage strangely. In truth Delia has been working as a steam presser in a laundry and burned her hand on a hot iron. Joe confesses that he has actually been working in a laundry and that very same day was asked to provide some soft cloth as bandaging for a worker who had burned her hand.
Author, Author Shelf wrote this review Monday, November 30 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
"After Twenty Years" tells the story of two friends from New York City who pledged to meet 20 years in the future at their old favorite restaurant. Bob is waiting for Jimmy to arrive when a policeman passes by and Bob tells the policeman how he is to meet his long lost friend and brags how he has made his fortune over the past two decades. Shortly after the policeman leaves another man approaches Bob saying that he is Jimmy. Although Bob thinks that JImmy has changed quite a bit he thinks nothing of it and the two friends begin to stroll down the street. But Jimmy takes Bob to jail and hands Bob a note from the policeman: "Bob: I was at the appointed place on time but when I saw your face I recognized a 'wanted' man. Somehow I couldn't arrest you myself so I went around and got a plainclothesman to do the job. Jimmy"
There are so many gems in this collection. I love O. Henry's use of irony and coincidence along with the unexpected twists at the story's end. His words are so beautiful at times as in this description of a man returning to his rural home after several years in the city:
"The old voices of the soil spoke to him. Leaf and bud and blossom conversed with him in the old vocabulary of his careless youth - the inanimate things, the familiar stones and rails, the gates and furrows and roofs and turns of the road had an eloquence, too, and a power in the transformation. The country had smiled and he had felt the breath of it, and his heart was drawn as if in a moment back to his old love. The city was far away."
Amanda L said: 5 stars
This collection includes fourteen stories and is beautifully illustrated by Michael Dooling. I can’t pick a favorite one because they were all so absolutely charming. Of course, The Gift of the Magi has to be the most romantic story ever told. Henry has such a unique way of using language that everything that he says is funnier than it would be otherwise. Every story also has a special twist at the end that makes you fall in love with his storytelling. Most of Henry’s stories are short enough that they can easily be read in less than ten minutes. I highly recommend that anyone who hasn’t read him try a few of his stories because it would be difficult not to fall in love with him.”
“I like it and it was sad but good that I would recomend it”
Ashley m wrote this review Friday, September 25 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“beautifully written. Great Christmas love story.”
Kelly K wrote this review Tuesday, August 18 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“when I was little my grandmother gave me an autographed copy of this book it had beautiful illustrations and I loved the story, tragically ironic....but we moved away from that house and all my books were left behind and for 17 years I've been searching for the same book/illustrator and have yet to find it. :-( ”
JC Sheppard wrote this review Thursday, August 6 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“True love.”
Carol M wrote this review Saturday, July 11 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Hard to say--had to read in school so often”
Mary O wrote this review Friday, June 12 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“My review is at http://auntb93also.multiply.com/journal/item/617/The_Gift_of_the_Magi_and_Other_Short_Stories_by_O._Henry_1906-1910”
AuntB93 wrote this review Monday, January 19 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“O Henry was the master of the short story and it's a pitty that more young people don't know his work. This is a classic tale of love and giving. The "date read" is the date our book group discussed it .... I first read it in the early 1960s.”
F Tessa B wrote this review Monday, November 3 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
