Reviews

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

andotherworlds's review against another edition

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4.0

4 // Oh this was so very cute! I wish I had read it prior to Christmas but nonetheless the writing was lovely. The only thing that took me aback was when Della said "something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim". Yeah... that was a bit *dun dun du-du-du-du-dun *

AH ALSO THIS COUNTS AS THE FINAL BOOK TO MY 2020 READING CHALLENGE AND I AM SO HAPPY I COMPLETED IT YAY IT IS SO SATISFYING!! TILL NEXT YEAR GOODREADS :)

mehsi's review against another edition

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2.0

It was cute, and fluffy, but I was also bored out of my mind, and I wondered why they couldn't just give each other something small instead of having to buy something big. Isn't it the thought that counts in the end?

lonelyasfranz's review against another edition

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4.0

Very charming and quaint, though I wish it had been longer. I would have liked to read James’s perspective in addition to Della’s.

felynmarie's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

angelsrgorgeous's review against another edition

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3.0

With the coming season, I couldn't resist reading this short classic again.

rereader33's review against another edition

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5.0

2024 Year of Classics

This was so precious, heartwarming, and wholesome. I had never read it up until now, and I question how I managed to live without this glorious light in my life. I implore everyone to please give this a read, its very short but undeniably worth it. A truly delightful read.

rose_celeste's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

book_concierge's review against another edition

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5.0

O Henry was a master of the short-story format, and it's a pity that he's not regularly taught in high school any longer. This is the classic Christmas tale of sacrifice, love and giving. The date read here refers to when our book club discussed it; but I first read in the early 1960s and have read it several times since.

teatime_and_reading's review against another edition

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inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

4.25

imme_van_gorp's review against another edition

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3.0

First read: August 2022 | ★3.0 stars
Second read: November 2023 | ★3.0 stars

This is a story about love and poverty, and the message behind it is really quite sweet.

Two people, very much in love, want to buy each other a Christmas present, but have no money to spare. To get their lover a gift anyway, they both sell their most prized possession.
However, they eventually find out that neither can use the gift the other bought because they sold their own possessions. This could have been a pretty depressing revelation, but no; they're both still really happy because it was actually the thought and sacrifice that counted. 
They each agree that such beautiful selflessness and such unwavering devotion was something money could never buy. Thus, even though they were both ‘worse’ off in the end, they most definitely did not feel like it.