The Lonesome Road by O. Henry (1913)
A young man travels to a distant town to meet his sweetheart who has been waiting for him. He brings her a gift of a diamond ring and they plan to get married. However, upon arrival he discovers that she has died in the meantime. The townspeople are sympathetic but also critical of his decision to travel so far for a woman who is no longer alive.
By O. Henry · First published 1913 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Humor, Western · 4,320 words
First lines
Brown as a coffee-berry, rugged, pistoled, spurred, wary, indefeasible, I saw my old friend, Deputy-Marshal Buck Caperton, stumble, with jingling rowels, into a chair in the marshal's outer office.
And because the courthouse was almost deserted at that hour, and because Buck would sometimes relate to me things that were out of print, I followed him in and tricked him into talk through knowledge of a weakness he had. For, cigarettes rolled with sweet corn husk were as honey to Buck's palate; and though he could finger the trigger of a forty-five with skill and suddenness, he never could learn to roll a cigarette.
What this Textopian page supports
The Lonesome Road is listed on Textopian as a short story by O. Henry, dated 1913 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: O. Henry
- Date: 1913 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Fiction, Humor, Western, Short Story, Drama
- Length: 4,320 words
- Structure: 1 section, 75 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Lonesome Road by O. Henry
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Lonesome Road?
- How does this short story by O. Henry fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Literary Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- A Narrow Escape by O. Henry
- The Friendly Call by O. Henry
- Knew What Was Needed by O. Henry
- The Halberdier Of The Little Rheinschloss by O. Henry
Genres
- Literary Fiction — The work explores complex themes of friendship, marriage, and societal expectations through rich character development and nuanced dialogue.
- Humor — The narrative employs wit and irony, particularly in the portrayal of the absurdities of marriage and domestic life.
- Western — Set in a frontier town, it features elements typical of the Western genre, including lawmen, outlaws, and the rugged individualism of its characters.
- Short Story — The work is a concise narrative that encapsulates a complete story arc within a limited word count.
Tags
Short Story · American Literature · Realism · Tragic Love · Fate vs Free Will · Moral Ambiguity · Social Commentary · Class Conflict · Poverty · Loneliness · Isolation · Redemption