My tussle with the devil, and other stories: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
My tussle with the devil, and other stories: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
My tussle with the devil, and other stories is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Henry, O. (Spirit) (1862–1910).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
My tussle with the devil, and other stories by O. Henry. It is a collection of short stories, parables, and prose poems written in the early 20th century. Framed in a spiritualist vein, the book meditates on the afterlife, moral choice, love, cruelty, and war, often personifying abstract forces and urging readers toward compassion and inner awakening. The volume opens with claims of messages “from beyond,” then unfolds a series of allegorical vignettes: the title tale stages a sumptuous temptation by a majestic Devil that the narrator decisively rejects; “The Contest” pits a seductive Life against a radiant Death; other pieces recast chain-gang misery, grief, and wartime loss through the transfiguring power of Love. Animals, flowers, and jewels become teachers—condemning cruelty (a vivisected spaniel), honoring loyalty (a ghostly dog who brings a slipper), and urging seekers to value the “diamond” of love above rubies or emeralds. Domestic memories, homely wisdom, and dockside camaraderie (with the dog Dakta choosing “brothers” for a redemptive mission) reinforce the book’s ethic of kindness. Later entries reimagine “munitions” as Kindness, Joy, and Love; depict dying as “going home”; and culminate in a quest in which the key to the Temple of Knowledge is simply love, before a final vision of Peace unfolding its golden wings over a renewed world.
Book and edition facts
- Title: My tussle with the devil, and other stories
- Author credits: Henry, O. (Spirit) (1862–1910)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Spirit writings
- United States -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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