The Red Badge of Courage and Four Great Stories

by Stephen Crane, Ralph Ellison (Introduction)

Stories include:
-The Red Badge of Courage
-The Open Boat
-The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky
-The Monster
-The Blue Hotel

Genres: Fiction, Classics

351 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1960

About the author

Stephen 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.

Reviews

[Cub Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm writing this a few years after having read only The Red Badge of Courage, which, after reading the exceptional short stories that follow it, I think I very much need to reread. Along with The Monster bringing out the most complicated, conflicted thoughts and feelings I've ever had about a single, partly masterful short story, the other three stories are fantastic. They're disquieting, wonderfully rich in observation, satisfying, and have a strong moral sense and a love for people.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am finally reading the Red Badge of Courage in this old school 1960 edition that sat on my bookshelf all growing up. I am enjoying the beginning, but I can see how this would be really hard for jr. high kids.

OK, I really enjoyed this. It's kind of hard for me to describe well, but I liked it. It's a very narrow, focused book about one young boy going off to fight for the north in the Civil War. There's a brief part about how he talks himself into going and his dreams of glory, but then it really takes place mostly over two days of fighting.

The language is very dated, but perfect and effective. It reminded me of Faulkner with the imagery and importance of each word, with some Twain with the language of the common soldier. It's evocative: it really makes you feel scared, proud, confused, crazy, etc. It also brings out character despite being outwardly so distant and third person like some other books I've complained about. The boy is called "the youth" 99% of the time he is referenced, and his companions are "the friend" or "the loud one" or "the tall one." But it just worked for me and really complemented the meaning of the story.

I realize as I read it that I really buzz through many of the exciting and interesting stories I read, or even history when it's telling a story. I appreciate good descriptions, but I'm taking it in as a whole more than word-for-word I guess. I had to slow down more than once and really examine and enjoy the language in order to understand even in a description of the scene, let alone the plot. It's definitely different and will not be for everyone.

I thought the main idea in the story was the characterization of the main kid. He is so obvious and easy to criticize in his self-serving self-talk, careening from crushing doubt or depression to supreme confidence and borderline insanity. But I can relate to the way we justify our own behavior and dwell on our fears and worries about what others think. I think many of our politicians do this kind of mental dance everyday. I think there's a lot there to think about trying to understand the experience of a soldier and to think about our own self-justifications. These guys did not have a history book's view of the Civil War and its causes. They went and fought horrible, searing battles in confusion and noise without understanding larger issues or strategy.

So I can see how the boy's thoughts and reactions to his experience could actually be quite interesting to discuss with a class, but I still think the language and pacing would make it hard for them to access and appreciate the insights into life.

So...I am very glad I read it and can see why it's a classic.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe how low this is rated: pretty much bottom of the barrel as far as Goodreads is concerned. I thought Crane did a marvelous and poetic job depicting a young, young soldier stewing in his thoughts during the Civil War. This, even though Crane was born years after the war was over. I didn't care as much for the frenetic scenes of action because his stationary writing was so good, to be honest. His short stories The Blue Hotel and particularly The Monster were also outstandingly done as both literature and commentary. I read later that certain scholars think that The Monster presents the best idea of the author that Crane would have become had he not suddenly died from tuberculosis at 28, essentially my age.

The youth looked keenly at the ashen face [of the dead soldier]. The wind raised the tawny beard. It moved as if a hand were stroking it. He vaguely desired to walk around and around the body and stare; the impulse of the living to try to read in dead eyes the answer to the Question.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know it's a classic, but I actually preferred the Four Great Stories to The Red Badge of Courage!