'The Last Leaf' by O. Henry - Review

THE LAST LEAF

Title – The Last Leaf

Author – William Sydney Porter (O. Henry)

Genre – Short Story

Setting – Greenwich Village, New York

Themes – Friendship, Faith, Pessimism, Optimism, Hope, Sacrifice

First published in – 1907 in O. Henry's collection, The Trimmed Lamp And Other Stories

Read online at - http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/LasLea.shtml

Screen Adaptations – O. Henry's Full House (1952 Film)

The Last Leaf (1983 Film starring Art Carney)

The Last Leaf (Directed and Written by Kathleen Weir)

The Last Leaf (Starring Mary Huse and Peter Xifo, Directed by Matt Gatlin)

The Last Leaf is a beautiful and heart-warming short story about friendship, faith and the power of hope. This story revolves around the lives of two young friends Sue and Johnsy, who aspire to be professional artists. They earn their living by making illustrations for magazines.

One of their neighbours is an old man called Mr. Behrman, who aspires to paint a masterpiece one day, but has not even begun it yet. He is highly protective of the two young girls.

One day, Johnsy falls ill with pneumonia and her health keeps deteriorating. There is an old ivy vine outside her window, the leaves of which are rapidly dropping. Johnsy believes that she will die the day the last leaf falls off from the vine.

Does the last leaf fall? Does Johnsy die? Does Behrman paint his masterpiece? Read this gem by O. Henry to find out.

About the Author 

William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 - June 5, 1910), known by his pen name, O. Henry, was an American writer. His short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization, and surprise endings. He was born on September 11, 1862 in Greensboro, North Carolina. He lost his mother at the age of three and grew up in the home of his paternal grandmother. As a child he was always reading. His most prolific writing period started in 1902, when he moved into New York City to be near his publishers. While there, he wrote 381 short stories. He wrote a story a week for over a year for the New York World Sunday Magazine. He married his childhood sweetheart Sarah Lindsay Coleman in 1907, but she left him in 1909 after his health started deteriorating in 1908 due to his heavy drinking. He died on June 5, 1910, of cirrhosis of the liver, complications of diabetes and an enlarged heart. He was buried in the Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, North Carolina.