The Plutonian Fire
by O. Henry
I had not read anything written by O. Henry. All I knew about him before reading this short story (and the book's Introduction) was that he wrote short stories.
This short story is told from the point of view of a writer and the story itself is about another writer, Pettit. Apparently the narrator is a successful writer whose stories have been published. He seems to be an editor's dream. Pettit - not so much. He comes from the south and isn't all that wanted like his friend, the narrator, is.
Well, Pettit is asked to write love stories, but his love stories are always rejected and sent back. His friend tries to help him, and feels that there's something missing from his friend's work. Through some experiences, Pettit falls in love and finds himself the object of someone's love - both having effects on his writing. Only one of these effects is lucrative.
Verdict
I have to be honest - at first, I was very much bored with this story. I don't know if it's because it's different than what I've been reading lately or if it's because of the "older" style of writing. But once I made myself go past the first two pages, I was able to appreciate the writing style and the story. I have more of O. Henry's stories to pick from, so we'll see how I end up feeling about this author overall! Either way, I say give him a try - but his writing may not be for everyone.
By the way, I have not told you the whole story - that's mostly because I rather enjoyed the ending and it won't work if I tell you what the ending is!
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