O. Henry – Complete Short Stories
Henry was known for his surprise plot twists, as well as a wry, gentle sense of humor. In one typical aside, he describes a character as “cursing talentedly.” In the food-focused “Cupid a la Carte,” one character describes another as “weak as a vegetarian cat.” His short sketches of avuncular, detached goodwill make him a bit like his generation’s Garrison Keillor, both for good and for bad. He’s good-natured and a little droll, and makes a lot of his day’s equivalent of dad jokes. This collection of his short stories, some famous and some not, is a bit of literary comfort food.
Inertia Wins! 