Classic American Short Stories

Written by O. Henry, Jack London, Ambrose Bierce and 2 more

Narrated by William Roberts

Five great American short story writers, dating from the turn of the nineteenth/twentieth centuries are represented here. Different in atmosphere and writing style, they nevertheless caught the mood and concerns of the day in a way that was distinctly American. Bierce’s ‘An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge’ leaves echoes in the imagination; the stories by Crane and London recall the themes of the Civil War and the Klondike for which they are well known. Twain’s humour is to the fore in ‘The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County’ and O. Henry’s sharp observation makes his neat tales a joy to listen to. An attractive and accessible collection.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks
• Release date: Oct 1, 2000
• ISBN: 9789629544737

O. Henry

O. Henry (1862-1910) was an American short story writer. Born and raised in North Carolina, O. Henry—whose real name was William Sydney Porter—moved to Texas in 1882 in search of work. He met and married Athol Estes in Austin, where he became well known as a musician and socialite. In 1888, Athol gave birth to a son who died soon after, and in 1889 a daughter named Margaret was born. Porter began working as a teller and bookkeeper at the First National Bank of Austin in 1890 and was fired four years later and accused of embezzlement. Afterward, he began publishing a satirical weekly called The Rolling Stone, but in 1895 he was arrested in Houston following an audit of his former employer. While waiting to stand trial, Henry fled to Honduras, where he lived for six months before returning to Texas to surrender himself upon hearing of Athol’s declining health. She died in July of 1897 from tuberculosis, and Porter served three years at the Ohio Penitentiary before moving to Pittsburgh to care for his daughter. While in prison, he began publishing stories under the pseudonym “O. Henry,” finding some success and launching a career that would blossom upon his release with such short stories as “The Gift of the Magi” (1905) and “The Ransom of Red Chief” (1907). He is recognized as one of America’s leading writers of short fiction, and the annual O. Henry Award—which has been won by such writers as William Faulkner, John Updike, and Eudora Welty—remains one of America’s most prestigious literary prizes.

Reviews for Classic American Short Stories

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A collection of American Short stories by such authors;Ambrose Bierce: An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge, A Horseman in the SkyStephen Crane: The Veteran, The Bride Comes to Yellow SkyMark Twain: The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras CountyO. Henry: A Retrieved Information, While the Auto Waits, The Last Leaf, The Whiligig of Life, After Twenty Years, Makes the Whole World Kin, The Princess and the Puma, The Cop and the AnthemJack London: Brown WolfJames Fenimore Cooper: EclipseKate Chopin: RegretI got this free from Audio Sync a program for youth over the summer. Some of these stories are harsh such as the the Owl Creek Bridge and some terribly funny like The Princess and the Puma. Kate Chopin's Regret is very short. All of these were new to me.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This audio collection of short stories from Naxos Audio prepared for AudioSync's summer 2016 program appears to contain two collections of short stories -- Classic American Short Stories and More Classic American Short Stories. While the narrators do a good job reading their pieces, I found the selection of stories heavily slanted towards ones more enjoyable to males than females in general. The stories include many well known authors including O'Henry, Jack London, Stephen Crane, James Fenimore Cooper, Stephen Bierce, and even one by Kate Chopin. I personally wish there had been more variety in the collection and more stories authored by women. I also wish a wider variety of authors was included. I found myself saying, "Oh, no, not another one by O'Henry" on more than one occasion. The Chopin story probably resonated with me most. Although the stories themselves are solid, the lack of variety makes me rate this collection low.