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Great Short Works
The collected short work of an American master, including The Red Badge of Courage and A Girl of the Streets. Stephen Crane died at the age of 28 in Germany. In his short life, he produced stories that are among the most enduring in the history of American ficiton. The Red Badge of Courage manages to capture both the realistic grit and the grand hallucinations of soldiers at war. A Girl on the Streets reflects the range of Crane's ability to invest the most tragic and ordinary lives with great insight. James Colvert writes in the introduction to this "Here we find once again the major elements of Crane's the egotism of the hero, the indifference of nature, the irony of the narrator ... Crane is concerned with the moral responsibility of the individual ... (and) moral capability depends upon the ability to see through the illusions wrought by pride and conceit—the ability to see ourselves clearly and truly." Great Short Works of Stephen Crane Includes : The Red Badge of Courage; A Girl of the Streets; The Monster . An Experiment in Misery; A Mystery of Heroism; An Episode of War; The Upturned Face; The Open Boat; The Pace of Youth; The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky; The Blue Hotel.
384 pages, Paperback
First published August 7, 1942
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237 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Crane
1,444 books1,028 followersStephen Crane (1871-1900) was an American novelist, poet and journalist, best known for the novel, The Red Badge of Courage. That work introduced the reading world to Crane's striking prose, a mix of impressionism, naturalism and symbolism. He died at age 28 in Badenweiler, Baden, Germany.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 12, 2012
Like most males, I read the Red Badge of Courage in high school. Heck, it was about fighting and it was short. Much later in life I reread it and realize how good it really was. Yet, you rarely hear about his other works, so I approached this volume with a bit of trepidation. I was pleasantly surprised at just how darn good of a writer Crane was. No overblown Victorian prose, but rather clear realistic writing. Save for the inherent racism of the day, the writing is as though it were written today. In "The Monster" he tackles the question of quality of life, and when should we allow someone to die. In "A Mystery of Heroism" he delves into the difference, if there is any, between foolishness and heroism. Well worth the read folks.
April 12, 2009
This is Crane's philosophy:
"When it occurs to a man that nature does not regard him as important, and that she feels she would not maim the universe by disposing of him, he at first wishes to throw bricks at the temple, and he hates deeply the fact that there are no bricks, and no temples. Any visible expression of nature would surely be pelleted with his jeers."
And his irony in the final sentence of the story:
"When it ame night, the white waves paced to and fro in the moonlight, and the wind brought the sound of the great sea's voice to the men on the shore, and they felt that then they could be the interpreters."
"When it occurs to a man that nature does not regard him as important, and that she feels she would not maim the universe by disposing of him, he at first wishes to throw bricks at the temple, and he hates deeply the fact that there are no bricks, and no temples. Any visible expression of nature would surely be pelleted with his jeers."
And his irony in the final sentence of the story:
"When it ame night, the white waves paced to and fro in the moonlight, and the wind brought the sound of the great sea's voice to the men on the shore, and they felt that then they could be the interpreters."
December 4, 2012
These stories were fantastic.
Of the three short stories, my favorite was probably Maggie, but I loved them all.
Crane does a lot in a short space, discussing the concepts of people looking at each other (voyeurism) for the sake of feeling better about themselves (there were many other themes, too, but this one stuck out to me the most). He successfully puts us on the "in," allowing us to realize that circumstances can get the better of people. The stories were like a slap in the face, making readers realize how cruel life can be and how people often don't make it better, while us readers could easily be guilty of this.
Overall, great read.
Of the three short stories, my favorite was probably Maggie, but I loved them all.
Crane does a lot in a short space, discussing the concepts of people looking at each other (voyeurism) for the sake of feeling better about themselves (there were many other themes, too, but this one stuck out to me the most). He successfully puts us on the "in," allowing us to realize that circumstances can get the better of people. The stories were like a slap in the face, making readers realize how cruel life can be and how people often don't make it better, while us readers could easily be guilty of this.
Overall, great read.
March 9, 2009
Ok, so aside from the fact that the inclusion of _The Red Badge of Courage_ at the very beginning of this collection does not adequately display Crane's artistry, the stories that follow are remarkable: "Maggie" is excellent, "The Open Boat" is chilling, and "The Monster" is equally fascinating. Crane is great, but I wouldn't try to read this whole collection all at once.
January 2, 2013
The only one I hadnt read in the past was "The Monster", which was well written and not quite in Crane's usual style-but a little heavy handed in its moralizing.
Still, worth the time spent reading it.
Still, worth the time spent reading it.
January 7, 2020
Having previously read and commented on “The Red Badge of Courage” as a novel on its own I will withhold further comment on it here, except to note that the other stories in this edition have broadened and enhanced my understanding of what Stephen Crane’s work really signifies. “A Mystery of Heroism”, “The Upturned Face” and “An Episode of War” continue in the same vein as the Red Badge. Each of these stories in their own way reinforce Crane’s message: that men fall victim to their own self-delusion, their state of mind that, in concert with the environment within which they live, prevents them from rising above their limitations, either emotionally or socio-economically.
I was struck by how relentlessly Crane punishes his protagonists — especially in “Maggie, a Girl of the Streets” — how heavy-handed he is in depicting their brutality and degradation. This goes beyond realism to what might better be termed impressionism; there is a strange beauty to the ugliness of the pictures he paints, reminiscent of impressionist paintings that depict old, ravaged, misshapen human figures. This is prose of a very high calling.
“The Monster” is a bit of very dark humor, a study in the mob mentality of a community held captive to its own idle gossip. “An Experiment in Misery” particularly stands out: a truly brilliant sketch depicting an aimless existence, a perverse state of bare survival that drifts from moment to moment.
“The Open Boat” perhaps most eloquently sets forth Crane’s philosophy, of man’s futile struggle with himself and his destiny. “The Pace of Youth” and “The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky” are somewhat lighter; nevertheless, each has much to say about the human condition.
The final story “The Blue Hotel” is perhaps the most disturbing of all. Hell-bent upon a self-destructive path, a man falls victim to his own delusions and sweeps those around him into his crazed downfall.
All in all, these are dark, unsettling stories. A master of evocative prose, Crane probed the inner workings of the minds of his protagonists to a degree that at times feels almost uncomfortably invasive. It’s not surprising that contemporaries including Henry James and Joseph Conrad applauded his work.
I was struck by how relentlessly Crane punishes his protagonists — especially in “Maggie, a Girl of the Streets” — how heavy-handed he is in depicting their brutality and degradation. This goes beyond realism to what might better be termed impressionism; there is a strange beauty to the ugliness of the pictures he paints, reminiscent of impressionist paintings that depict old, ravaged, misshapen human figures. This is prose of a very high calling.
“The Monster” is a bit of very dark humor, a study in the mob mentality of a community held captive to its own idle gossip. “An Experiment in Misery” particularly stands out: a truly brilliant sketch depicting an aimless existence, a perverse state of bare survival that drifts from moment to moment.
“The Open Boat” perhaps most eloquently sets forth Crane’s philosophy, of man’s futile struggle with himself and his destiny. “The Pace of Youth” and “The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky” are somewhat lighter; nevertheless, each has much to say about the human condition.
The final story “The Blue Hotel” is perhaps the most disturbing of all. Hell-bent upon a self-destructive path, a man falls victim to his own delusions and sweeps those around him into his crazed downfall.
All in all, these are dark, unsettling stories. A master of evocative prose, Crane probed the inner workings of the minds of his protagonists to a degree that at times feels almost uncomfortably invasive. It’s not surprising that contemporaries including Henry James and Joseph Conrad applauded his work.
January 24, 2022
Read this for the the pieces other than "The Open Boat" and "The Red Badge of Courage" which I'd read a very long time ago. Namely, "The Monster", "Maggie: A Girl of the Streets" and "The Blue Hotel". Also liked "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky" and "An Experiment in Misery". I'd call it Modern American Realism.
Quotes:
"...Reifsnyder turned at once in his work, sullenly, as a man overwhelmed by the derision of numbers." - "The Monster"
"In City Hall Park the two wanderers sat down in the little circle of benches sanctified by traditions of their class. They huddled in their old garments, slumbrously conscious of the march of the hours which for them had no meaning.
The people of the street hurrying hither and thither made a blend of black figures, changing, yet frieze-like. They walked in their good clothes as upon important missions, giving no gaze to the two wanderers seated upon the benches. They expressed to the young man his infinite distance from all that he valued. Social position, comfort, the pleasures of living were unconquerable kingdoms. He felt a sudden awe.
And in the background a multitude of buildings, of pitiless hues and sternly high, were to him emblematic of a nation forcing its regal head into the clouds, throwing no downward glances; in the sublimity of its aspirations ignoring the wretches who may flounder at its feet. The roar of the city in his ear was to him the confusion of strange tongues, babbling heedlessly; it was the clink of coin, the voice of the city's hopes, which were to him no hopes.
He confessed himself an outcast, and his eyes from under the lowered rim of his hat began to glance guiltily, wearing the criminal expression that comes with certain convictions." - "An Experiment in Misery"
Quotes:
"...Reifsnyder turned at once in his work, sullenly, as a man overwhelmed by the derision of numbers." - "The Monster"
"In City Hall Park the two wanderers sat down in the little circle of benches sanctified by traditions of their class. They huddled in their old garments, slumbrously conscious of the march of the hours which for them had no meaning.
The people of the street hurrying hither and thither made a blend of black figures, changing, yet frieze-like. They walked in their good clothes as upon important missions, giving no gaze to the two wanderers seated upon the benches. They expressed to the young man his infinite distance from all that he valued. Social position, comfort, the pleasures of living were unconquerable kingdoms. He felt a sudden awe.
And in the background a multitude of buildings, of pitiless hues and sternly high, were to him emblematic of a nation forcing its regal head into the clouds, throwing no downward glances; in the sublimity of its aspirations ignoring the wretches who may flounder at its feet. The roar of the city in his ear was to him the confusion of strange tongues, babbling heedlessly; it was the clink of coin, the voice of the city's hopes, which were to him no hopes.
He confessed himself an outcast, and his eyes from under the lowered rim of his hat began to glance guiltily, wearing the criminal expression that comes with certain convictions." - "An Experiment in Misery"
July 21, 2024
Containing Crane’s two most famous novellas as well as a half dozen short stories, this collection shows just how ahead of his time Crane was stylistically, and how stuck in it he was thematically.
Starting with the standout The Red Badge of Courage which still astounds with its descriptive language, the immediacy of its action and deep dives into the thoughts of its protagonist, its experimentation with anonymizing the soldiers as symbolic archetypes, its depoliticization of war to the the smoke and the blood. This could be written now, not 130(!) years ago. An immortal classic.
The other longer form is less successful, but still has sparks. Maggie, Crane’s first published novella is a lurid depiction of the violence and wasting of the lower classes which alternates between wonderful pathos and description and leering judgmental voyeur. There’s less empathy than a contempt for many of the characters. The Monster is a tale of the cruelty of society undermined by its broad strokes Black characters and what feels a too-abrupt (though effective) end. A product of its time that feels if it just edged further it would have been transformative, but is still caged.
The short stories vary with their war and poverty, but still hold up well if lacking the full weight of Crane’s powers. The Pace of Youth has its charms and The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky is the real astounding standout, as close as it comes to genius. You can feel Crane’s precocious keenness to fit all the hidden parts of the world in everything. Read The Red Badge of Courage. Read it again. And once more.
Starting with the standout The Red Badge of Courage which still astounds with its descriptive language, the immediacy of its action and deep dives into the thoughts of its protagonist, its experimentation with anonymizing the soldiers as symbolic archetypes, its depoliticization of war to the the smoke and the blood. This could be written now, not 130(!) years ago. An immortal classic.
The other longer form is less successful, but still has sparks. Maggie, Crane’s first published novella is a lurid depiction of the violence and wasting of the lower classes which alternates between wonderful pathos and description and leering judgmental voyeur. There’s less empathy than a contempt for many of the characters. The Monster is a tale of the cruelty of society undermined by its broad strokes Black characters and what feels a too-abrupt (though effective) end. A product of its time that feels if it just edged further it would have been transformative, but is still caged.
The short stories vary with their war and poverty, but still hold up well if lacking the full weight of Crane’s powers. The Pace of Youth has its charms and The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky is the real astounding standout, as close as it comes to genius. You can feel Crane’s precocious keenness to fit all the hidden parts of the world in everything. Read The Red Badge of Courage. Read it again. And once more.
October 13, 2024
This is the second volume of Crane’s work that I bought recently. Each has material that I wanted to read but which wasn’t in the other. This one has a almost novella-length short story called “The Monster” that I had read about, but which I found disappointing. It really needed fleshing out, which would have made it longer, but it seemed choppy in the way that it jumped from scene-to-scene without developing the story up to that new point. The rest of collection was well worth the effort. I especially enjoyed the two classic and much anthologized short stories, “The Blue Hotel” and “The Bride comes to Yellow Sky.” I was supposed to read these in college. I didn’t do so at the time, but I am glad I have done so now. As for this collection, I had already read The Red Badge of Courage and also Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, so I only read about half of the collection now.
January 4, 2018
Crane strikes me as a proto-Hemingway, if Papa was a shade more self-aware. He wrestles with the notion of courage, of manliness, but he also explores the Bowery slums and the exploitation of women in "Maggie".
"The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky" is the perfect short story- suspenseful, painterly, and satirical of the tropes of the Western genre.
"The Open Boat" is also a page-turner, catching a (true) episode of danger with a humanistic eye. The author's eye pivots skillfully between the description of the merciless sea to the mental experience of the men in the boat.
"The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky" is the perfect short story- suspenseful, painterly, and satirical of the tropes of the Western genre.
"The Open Boat" is also a page-turner, catching a (true) episode of danger with a humanistic eye. The author's eye pivots skillfully between the description of the merciless sea to the mental experience of the men in the boat.
January 16, 2024
One thing about this collection that struct me was the sense that over the course of these stories, Crane was looking for himself as a writer. Especially with the earlier pieces (like the famous "The Red Badge of Courage"), there is a feeling that the writer is experimenting with their own sense of the story, committing to strange and outlandish forays into imagery. Yet he is doing so as a talented and dedicated writer. Every story here is solid.
And then at the end, "The Blue Hotel" is an absolute masterpiece.
And then at the end, "The Blue Hotel" is an absolute masterpiece.
December 12, 2025
I was amazed at the emotional depth, the understanding of moral ambiguities, and most of all the imagery. We've become used to great imagery by modern writers, sometimes to excess. Crane's imagery is appropriate in usage and amazing in its power.
I didn't expect to be particularly taken with this book and hadn't read The Red Badge of Courage in 50+ years, but here I am giving it five stars!
I didn't expect to be particularly taken with this book and hadn't read The Red Badge of Courage in 50+ years, but here I am giving it five stars!
September 12, 2021
Brilliant.
March 9, 2022
A reread of some of my favorite stories. An Open Boat being the best. I like the Western stories of A Bride Comes to Yellow Sky and A Blue Hotel.
February 17, 2023
Anybody who has graduated from an American high school or taken an introductory course in American literature at the college level, has been exposed to the "Red Badge of Courage." This story of cowardice, courage, and self discovery is often ranked with the hallmarks of American literature. However, after this story has been read and discussed, all too often the author of this work is soon forgotten. This is unfortunate. Crane produced an amazing amount of work, some equal to or superior to the "Red Badge", but very few contemporary readers are aware of these writings. This collection of short works and stories group together the very best of Crane's work and hopefully will help bring him to the attention of a new generation of readers.
Although Crane wrote some of the best descriptions of warfare ever written, not to mention other forms of action from gunfights to sea adventures, his main interest was always concerned with how the individual reacts to the various challenges posed by a flatly indifferent universe. His characters invariably react with the egotistical assurance that they are in control of their destiny only to be knocked flat by life's vicissitudes. The character that can strip away his illusions finds redemption; those that don't are simply condemned to repeat the pattern over and over again.
Two stories in particular deserve renewed attention. "The Blue Hotel" and "The Monster" rank with the very finest short stories ever written by an American. Both deal with false impressions and how these fallacies eventually lead to the ruin of the characters who hold them. In the two stores, one dealing with 19th century romantic notions of the American west, and the other with the unseemly side of American small town life, Crane combines realistic dialogue with his wonderful descriptive powers to create a world of his own making, one in which assumptions and prejudices are ever bit as powerful as decent behavior and civil responsibilities.
Although Crane wrote some of the best descriptions of warfare ever written, not to mention other forms of action from gunfights to sea adventures, his main interest was always concerned with how the individual reacts to the various challenges posed by a flatly indifferent universe. His characters invariably react with the egotistical assurance that they are in control of their destiny only to be knocked flat by life's vicissitudes. The character that can strip away his illusions finds redemption; those that don't are simply condemned to repeat the pattern over and over again.
Two stories in particular deserve renewed attention. "The Blue Hotel" and "The Monster" rank with the very finest short stories ever written by an American. Both deal with false impressions and how these fallacies eventually lead to the ruin of the characters who hold them. In the two stores, one dealing with 19th century romantic notions of the American west, and the other with the unseemly side of American small town life, Crane combines realistic dialogue with his wonderful descriptive powers to create a world of his own making, one in which assumptions and prejudices are ever bit as powerful as decent behavior and civil responsibilities.
April 15, 2014
Not sure I'd say the Red Badge of Courage is a great American classic, but I guess put into context that it was written in an era gone by, it's just a notch below Huck Finn. The other short stories aren't bad, but not classics either.
August 17, 2007
If only all these stories were as good as "The Red Badge of Courage". Bummer.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews