Whirligigs

O. Henry

• Publisher: Start Classics
• Year: 2014
• Topic: Literature
• eBook ISBN:
  9781633551800
• Subtopic: Classics
• Index: Literature

O. Henry is the pen name of American writer William Sydney Porter (1862-1910). Porter's 400 short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, characterization and the clever use of twist endings. He travelled to Austin in 1884, where he took a number of different jobs over the next several years, first as pharmacist then as a draftsman, bank teller and journalist. He also began writing as a sideline to employment. Porter's most prolific writing period started in 1902, when he moved to New York City to be near his publishers. He wrote 381 short stories while living there. He wrote a story a week for over a year for the New York World Sunday Magazine. His wit, characterization and plot twists were adored by his readers, but often panned by the critics. Yet, he went on to gain international recognition and is credited with defining the short story as a literary art form. His works include: Cabbages and Kings (1904), The Four Million (1906), Heart of the West (1907), The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories of the Four Million (1907), The Voice of the City: Further Stories of the Four Million (1908), The Gentle Grafter (1908) and Roads of Destiny (1909).

Table of contents

• COVER
• TITLE PAGE
• COPYRIGHT PAGE
• THE WORLD AND THE DOOR
• THE THEORY AND THE HOUND
• THE HYPOTHESES OF FAILURE
• CALLOWAY'S CODE
• A MATTER OF MEAN ELEVATION
• "GIRL" IN GILT
• SOCIOLOGY IN SERGE AND STRAW
• THE RANSOM OF RED CHIEF
• THE MARRY MONTH OF MAY
• A TECHNICAL ERROR
• SUITE HOMES AND THEIR ROMANCE
• THE WHIRLIGIG OF LIFE
• A SACRIFICE HIT
• THE ROADS WE TAKE
• A BLACKJACK BARGAINER
• THE SONG AND THE SERGEANT
• ONE DOLLAR'S WORTH
• A NEWSPAPER STORY
• TOMMY'S BURGLAR AT TEN O'CLOCK P. M.
• A CHAPARRAL CHRISTMAS GIFT
• A LITTLE LOCAL COLOUR
• GEORGIA'S RULING
• BLIND MAN'S HOLIDAY
• MADAME BO-PEEP, OF THE RANCHES