O’Henry’s real name was William Sydney Porter. He was born in
Greensboro, a little town in North Carolina in 1862. O’Henry is one of
the most widely published American authors. His works have been
translated into nearly every language. He has been called "the American
Maupassant” and is ranked among the world’s outstanding short-story
writers. The best of these were published in books: "Cabbages and
Kings”, "The Fourth Million”, "Heart of the West”, "The Voice of the
City” and others. The works of O’Henry reflect a specific period in
American literature — the turn of the centuries. O’Henry’s comments on
society had a considerable force. His credo was — art should be true,
democratic, it should address contemporary life and embrace all aspects
of life. O’Henry was an outstanding humourist. He worked out and
enriched all types of the short story: the anecdote, the adventure
story, tales and sketches. He was very famous for his stories of city
life. O’Henry wrote about 150 stories with New York background. O’Henry
could work out a plot that would keep the reader in suspense up to the
surprising end. He was a born writer of great talent. The conversation
is witty, humorous, and often exact and precise. His works have
considerable influence on American literature. His love for humanity,
for the common people, his critical attitude towards injusticeattract
readers to this day.
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