American Stories - From 100 Selected Short Stories

O. Henry, pseudonym of William Porter Sydney, was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, on 11 September 1862 and died in New York on 5 June 1910. He has been among the most important writers of late 19th century American literature and is considered one of the foremost exponents of American realism. His overall production includes 400 short stories. In the form of short stories, O. Henry exposes pictures of everyday life with a profound, picturesque, poetic and evocative touch, skilfully combining the use of masterful irony and fine humour framed by the surprise endings that characterise his style and stories.