O. Henry

This edition is the first complete Russian-language biography of the outstanding American short story writer O. Henry. This man lived not one, but two lives. The first - under the name given at birth, William Sidney Porter - was strikingly different from the one that was lived under the pseudonym "O. Henry". At times, fate performed astonishing somersaults, and life resembled an adventurous novel, in the kaleidoscopic rhythm of which people, cities, and countries flashed by, the hero experienced rises and falls, changed occupations and professions, and the sublime was tightly intertwined with the base and mundane. He faced both the high achievements of an artist and dramatic human losses.

The author of the book - a literary scholar specializing in American literature, based on a wide range of sources, creates a vivid and psychologically convincing portrait of an extraordinary man and writer.