Book Review: After Twenty Years (O. Henry).

After Twenty Years is a short story written by O. Henry. I have read many of his short stories like, The Gift of the Magi and The Last Leaf, and I really enjoyed reading them. So, picking up After Twenty Years was a no-brainer. The story is about two friends, Jimmy and Bob, who promise to meet each other twenty years later at the same place as they go their separate ways.

Jimmy and Bob are good friends who have grown up together in New York. They are having dinner together at a restaurant before they go their separate ways to explore new opportunities. Before they part, they make a promise to each other that they will meet at this same restaurant after twenty years. The story begins with a policeman patrolling the streets at night. He comes across an individual who is leaning against the door of a store and smoking. This person tells the policeman of his promise to meet his friend, Jimmy Wells, to avoid seeming suspicious to the cop.

The cop wishes him luck and leaves. Sometime later, a person shows up to meet Bob. They start talking and strolling, and Bob reminisces about their old times together. As they turn a corner, Bob realizes, that this is not Jimmy but someone else. It’s a cop in plain clothes who was sent to arrest him. This cop hands him a note. The policeman Bob came across earlier was actually Jimmy and he recognized that Bob was a wanted criminal. He couldn’t arrest him himself as he was his friend, so he sent this other cop.

After Twenty Years by O. Henry, explores deeper themes of loyalty versus duty and even talks about time and identity. Jimmy upon finding out about Bob’s criminal activities, is torn between loyalty to his childhood friend and his duty as a cop. It is not an easy choice for Jimmy as his friend has traveled thousands of miles to keep their promise. He has some loyalty towards Bob, which is why he chooses not to make the arrest and asks someone else to do it. Yet he is the reason for Bob’s arrest. So, there is no good choice, and he has to compromise, to fulfill his duty without complete disregard for his friend.

The time span of twenty years also plays an important role in the story. Jimmy chooses to remain in New York and becomes a police officer. Bob, on the other hand, moves west and doesn’t stay in one place for too long. Jimmy is respected and responsible, while Bob to explore monetary opportunities, has become a criminal. Even their appearances show this difference. Jimmy is watchful, and Bob is wearing a fancy watch and a diamond pin on his scarf. Bob has paid the price for his riches as he is wanted in Chicago. Bob is focused on telling his story and does not realize that the patrolman is his old friend. Jimmy purposely hides his identity from Bob. This shows how much difference time has made in their lives and their identities.

I loved reading After Twenty Years by O. Henry. It is a short and sweet story with its length and pacing, but it hits the themes it wants to. O. Henry’s writing style is deceivingly simple with how the narration flows, so you never assume the depth of the story. I can’t wait to read more short stories from O. Henry.

*Click on the book cover above to get a copy.