The Voice of the City

The Voice of the City (1908) is a collection of twenty-five short stories by American writer O. Henry. Inspired by his experiences as a fugitive and prisoner, these stories address themes of poverty and city life with humor and abundant empathy. Its focus on the regular, working class people of New York City makes The Voice of the City a sequel of sorts to Henry’s The Four Million (1906), perhaps his most important collection. In “The Voice of the City,” a determined reporter takes to the streets in search of the authentic New York. With an abundance of wit and without social grace, he attempts to interview a young woman sitting on her stoop, a busy bartender, and a corrupt policeman, asking each for their opinion on how the city speaks to them. Despite his efforts, however, he discovers that, for the most part, the city best speaks for itself. “The Complete Life of John Hopkins” follows a day in the life of its title character. In the middle of a conversation with his wife, he decides to step out of his modest flat in search of a cheap cigar. When a fight with a shop owner and a policeman somehow leads him to the home of a wealthy aristocrat, he finds enough excitement to last him a lifetime. In “A Lickpenny Lover,” a young shop girl agrees to go on a date with a patron of her department store glove counter who promises her comfort and wealth. This edition of O. Henry’s The Voice of the City is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

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