O. Henry — master of the one-line quip and surprise ending, and reinventor of the short story — today enjoys greater popularity than ever. His descriptions of New York City and the American West have become ingrained into the fabric of modern American psychology. His character sketches — always humorous, always sympathetic, and always a little melancholy — remind us that life must be lived evenly, with pluck and perseverance. This special edition features commentaries, legacies, and discussion questions. Victoria Blake has worked at The Paris Review and contributed to The Boulder Daily Camera, a number of small literary presses in the United States, and several English-language publications in Bangkok, Thailand.

What does a poor young woman do when she loses her boyfriend or wants to find one? What little lies do we tell to make ourselves look better in the eyes of those that we love? How can a friend save someone who is sure that they are going to die? What happens when someone's clever plans all go wrong? These sweetly surprising short stories — about both good times and bad — are sometimes sad, and sometimes funny. But all of them are sure to make you think.

A housewife, a tramp, a lawyer, a waitress, an actress — ordinary people living ordinary lives in New York at the beginning of this century. The city has changed greatly since that time, but its people are much the same. Some are rich, some are poor, some are happy, some are sad, some have found love, some are looking for love. O. Henry's famous short stories — sensitive, funny, sympathetic — give us vivid pictures of the everyday lives of these New Yorkers.

«Короли и капуста» (1904) — сборник авантюрно-юмористических новелл, действие которых происходит в Латинской Америке. Книга отличается занимательным сюжетом и парадоксальной неожиданной развязкой. Неадаптированный текст на языке оригинала снабжены комментариями и словарем, которые помогут оценить непревзойденное чувство юмора писателя. Подготовка текста, примечания и словарь Е.Г. Тигонен.»

This popular series of readers has now been completely revised and updated, using a new syllabus and new word structure lists. Readability has been ensured by means of specially designed computer software. Words that are above level but essential to the story are explained within the text, illustrated, and then reused for maximum reinforcement.