Other editions of book Roads of Destiny

Perhaps, if he had known that Adele had stood at the gate on that unlucky night, where she had followed, lingering, to await the return of her brother and lover, wondering why they had chosen so tempestuous an hour and so black a spot to hold converse--if he had known that a sudden flash of lightning had revealed to her sight that short, sharp struggle as Victor was sinking under his hands, he might have explained everything, and she--....

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Though American short story master O. Henry is best known for his surprise plot twists and trick endings, the philosophical complexity of his work is also a feature that the author's fans admire. The stories in this collection tackle some of the most persistent mysteries of life, all while maintaining the engaging, thrill-a-minute pace that was O. Henry's stock in trade.

William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American short story writer. His stories are known for their surprise endings. William Sidney Porter was born on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina. He changed the spelling of his middle name to Sydney in 1898. His parents were Dr. Algernon Sidney Porter (1825–88), a physician, and Mary Jane Virginia Swaim Porter (1833–65). William's parents had married on April 20, 1858. When William was three, his mother died from tuberculosis, and he and his father moved into the home of his paternal grandmother. As a child, Porter was always reading, everything from classics to dime novels; his favorite works were Lane's translation of One Thousand and One Nights and Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy.

"David Marsh (Bowers), an inventor, is in love with Ann Hardy (Novak), but his brother Lewis also loves her. Lewis previously loved Rose Merritt (Frederick), but betrayed her and has cast her off. When he sees the success of David with Ann, Lewis reproaches his brother and threatens to end his own life unless he can marry Ann. David, overcome with these events, sinks into an armchair and falls asleep. In his dreams, the figure of Fate (George) appears and tells him that no matter which road he takes, he will find happiness with Ann and will marry her only. Then follow three dreams, one taking place in the North, one in the West, and one in his home town. When he awakes, he finds that Lewis was greeted with the same apparition and has decided to marry Rose, while David marries Ann."

O. Henry was the pen name of William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), an American writer of outstanding short stories known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterisation, and surprise endings. 'Roads of Destiny' is an intriguing story about a young would-be poet, David, who is running away from home after a quarrel with his beloved. He reaches a crossroads - but which road will he take? O. Henry treats us to a journey with him down each of the possible routes - and with each he encounters a gripping adventure. Only once we have heard the third part of the tale do we finally understand what David's destiny really is.