The Gift of The Magi

O. Henry

Dec 2015 · Interactive Media · Narrated by Max Bollinger

About this audiobook

O. Henry's story presents a unique narrative arc that explores the complexities of love and sacrifice among two young lovers. Through the protagonists, Della and Jim, readers are presented with an exploration of the power of selflessness in spite of limited resources. By highlighting the characters' choices to purchase gifts for one another despite their financial scarcity, O. Henry effectively illuminates how meaningful acts of kindness can take precedence over monetary wealth. Read in English, unabridged.

About the author

O. Henry is the pen name of William Sidney Porter, who was born on September 11, 1862 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Porter was a licensed pharmacist and worked on a sheep ranch in Texas. He was a draftsman for the General Land Office and a teller for the First National Bank of Texas. He was convicted of embezzlement and eventually served five years in prison. While in prison, he began writing short stories under his pseudonym and eventually wrote over 300. As O. Henry, Porter is one of America's best known writers, and his stories, such as "The Gift of the Magi" and "The Ransom of Red Chief", are still taught in schools. In 1918, the O. Henry Awards, an annual anthology of short stories, was established in his honor. Porter died on June 5, 1910.