Springtime A La Carte by O. Henry

Click. Clack. Click. Clack.

An intrusive narrative voice is the perfect vehicle for O. Henry to deliver his signature plot twist by playfully manipulating certain reader expectations. The opening sentence is fantastic and indicative of the narrators tendency to break the fourth wall by directly addressing both the reader and main protagonist while providing literary critiques on the art of writing: 

"It was a day in March.

Never, never begin a story this way when you write one. No opening could possibly be worse. It is unimaginative, flat, dry and likely to consist of mere wind. But in this instance it is allowable. For the following paragraph, which should have inaugurated the narrative, is too wildly extravagant and preposterous to be flaunted in the face of the reader without preparation."

The narrator's witty remarks and ironic commentary recur throughout the text, setting the humorous tone. They even offer life advice to the main protagonist who is also a writer, creating a sort of meta-narrative. Sarah is a typist who writes the daily menu cards for a fancy restaurant in New York but she also seems to be in the process of writing her own story at the same time. She is engaged to a farmer from the countryside but has not heard from him in several weeks. How will they ever find each other again? This story takes place during the late 1800s or early 20th century before phones were invented. I suppose she could always write a letter to her finance or return to the farm but then that would surely diminish the drama and tension. The narrator's intrusion allows them to exert control over the story, guiding the readers interpretation and cleverly steering the plot towards its inevitable twist ending. However, while the final outcome may not achieve the same "wow factor" as seen in the author's other works, it is still a solid addition to their literary repertoire.