One of the most famous humorists in world literature, O. Henry created a unique panorama of American life at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, in grotesque situations, he conveyed the contrasts and paradoxes of his era, which opened up space for people with business acumen, whom the game of chance raises to the top of success, then throws to the very bottom of life. It is possible to avoid the deadly breath of the Anchar, no matter what the lovers of metaphor say; it is possible, if very lucky, to blow the eye of the Basilisk; it is even possible to dodge Cerberus and Argus; but it is impossible for any man, whether he is alive or dead, to escape from the curious gaze of an onlooker. New York City City of Onlookers . There are many people in it, of course, who go their own way, making up capital and not looking either to the right or to the left, but there is also a whole tribe, very peculiar, consisting, like the Martians, only of the eyes and means of transportation.