futurista

I enjoyed reading some of the lesser-known ironic stories of O. Henry in this book. My very favorite lesser-known story in this book is "The Green Door" in which a man receives a mysterious business card which simply says "The Green Door". The man is intrigued because he finds that everyone else has been handed a business card for a dentist office rather than for "the green door". So, of course, he has to go in search of this mysterious green door. I love the course of the story. I don't understand why this one isn't as famous as others like "Gifts of the Magi" and "The Ransom of Red Chief" because it certainly ranks up there.

Other stories I enjoyed from the book:
*"Springtime á la Carte" - an accidental second-chance at romance
*"After 20 Years" - what happens when old friends plan to meet each other at a certain spot in 20 years
*"While the Auto Waits" - is romance possible between the very rich and the very poor?
*"Makes the Whole World Kin" - a thief bonds with his victim

I have to say, though, that some of the language and cultural references in some of the stories didn't hold up to time and left me a bit confused. And there were some stories here that just weren't interesting. Thus, the 4 stars rather than 5.