The Gentle Grafter (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781417939305)

""The Gentle Grafter"" is a collection of short stories written by O. Henry and originally published in 1908. The stories are centered around a character named Jeff Peters, a con artist who uses his charm and wit to swindle people out of their money. Throughout the book, Jeff Peters and his partner, Andy Tucker, engage in various schemes and scams, such as selling a fake patent for a perpetual motion machine and posing as a rich Texan to dupe a hotel clerk. Despite their dishonesty, Jeff and Andy are portrayed as likable characters who are simply trying to make a living in a world where honesty doesn't always pay off. The stories are filled with clever twists and turns, and O. Henry's trademark style of witty dialogue and unexpected endings is on full display. ""The Gentle Grafter"" is a classic work of American literature that continues to be enjoyed by readers today.1923. William Sydney Porter (O. Henry) was the most popular short story writer of his time. His stories typically revolved around two of his favorite themes, the situation of the impostor and fate as the one unavoidable reality of life. Another device he used was the surprise ending, usually coming about through coincidence. He was the founder of the humorous weekly The Rolling Stone. When the weekly failed, he joined the Houston Post as a reporter and columnist. He was convicted of embezzling money, although there's much debate over his actual guilt, and while in prison he started to write short stories. His first work, Whistling Dick's Christmas Stocking appeared in McClure's Magazine. After emerging from prison Porter changed his name to O. Henry. He then moved to New York and wrote a story a week for the New York World, also publishing in other magazines. The Gentle Grafter looks at business from a distinctly shady angle, with its stories about coolheaded, sharp-dressing trickster Jeff Peters. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Author: O. Henry
ISBN-10: 1417939303
ISBN-13: 9781417939305
Publisher: Kessinger Publishing
Language: English
Published: 07/26/2004
Pages: 244
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.55d