The Gift Of The Magi And Other Short Stories (1992) - Plot & Excerpts
The Gift of the Magi - the first story in the book, and the one I am most familiar with. It still makes me tear up. The Cop and the Anthem - I had not read this story before. It was a cute story about perseverance. Springtime a la Carte - another story I had not read before. What an enjoyable little love story. The Green Door - all about what we expect to see and a little bit of fate After Twenty Years -- an interesting reunion story. Funny where life takes you.The Furnished Room - a little sad. Almost a ghost story, but not quite. The Pimienta Pancakes -- a tricked suitor, not my favorite story. The Last Leaf -- SOOO good, and so sad, but sweet. I absolutely love this story!!!The Voice of the City -- eh. I didn't particularly like this story. It rambled a bit.While the Auto Waits -- another tale of found love...maybeA Retrieved Reformation -- nothing the love of a good woman can't overcome. Cute story about a second chanceA Municipal Report -- a long story, but it ends well. While the language used to describe the black man is despicable in today's world, the treatment of the man is better than I have read in modern tales. Royalty indeed.A Newspaper Story -- a very short story about the power of the press, even when it doesn't tryThe Ransom of Red Chief -- I remember seeing the televised version of this story. Cute tale about a not-so-cute kidA Ghost of a Chance -- a cute little story about taking chancesMakes the Whole World Kin -- another cute story about how we are all really the same
An ambrosial collection of really quirky, whimsical stories, often with a twist in the end that keeps the reader on their toes and engaged in guessing. Some are love stories and some aren't; some have happy endings and some don't; O. Henry does not limit himself to one type of story and the scope of his imagination ranges from the comfortingly traditional to the wildly obscure. One of my favorites was one told from the point of view of a dog, who kept swearing by Sirius. While some are as short as three pages long Henry somehow manages to pack in rich character development, place description, and plot, overcoming the apparent limitations of a short story and trumping the efforts of meandering novelists who take a much longer road to get to a watered-down point. I was introduced to O. Henry's work in my 8th grade English class when we read the Gift of the Magi, which for some reason seems to be his most popular story, but not the one I would consider the best. I definitely intend on making a project of reading the rest of his works in the future.
What do You think about The Gift Of The Magi And Other Short Stories (1992)?
A young woman makes a drastic decision--and her husband has a Christmas surprise in return. A dying girl attaches her fate to that of a leaf. A writer sobs at the sight of a menu. "The Gift of the Magi" with "The Last Leaf," is the best of them all. But I'm afraid I wasn't too impressed with the other short stories featured in this collection. Although the stories use a vocabulary and style that are reflective of the author's own era (O. Henry lived from 1862 to 1910), the humor and irony of the stories still shine. This book can serve as a good introduction to the great writing of one of America's most prolific short story writers. Book Details: Title The Gift of the Magi and Other StoriesAuthor O. Henry Reviewed By Purplycookie
—PurplyCookie
I have grown up with the story of the gift of the Magi. My mom would always tell it to me orally every Christmas. Even though I didn't see an actual picture book of the story until I was fifteen, but I have always loved how the story was one of love and sacrifice. It was special for me to read the original version and see how much detail goes into this sweet story. I think that all of these short stories are great to have around the home at any age. They are easily applicable, and it makes anyone think. It's not just about pure entertainment, it's what good stories are all about!
—Hillary
What I loved about these short stories is how they help you look back and ponder on your life experiences and how you treated people. I had heard the gift of the magi before, and I remember the first time I heard it I was frustrated because neither one really got a useful gift. Then I read it the second time and I realized the moral behind the story, and how it is showing true love for a person, not just gift giving. It made me ponder on what I have always viewed Christmas time as, and if I pay attention to the people I love enough to know what would be a special gift for them. This book is a great reminder to think about others and remember what the true meaning of love and friendships are.
—Ashley Snarr
