The Red Badge of Courage

Dec 29, 2012 Henry Avila rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Battle of Chancellorsville,in northern Virginia, 1863,one of the bloodiest,24,000 casualties,of the war between the states, is the focus of this novel.Henry Fleming a farm boy, not yet a man, from New York State, goes off to fight during the American Civil War. Against the tearful pleading of his widow mother,not to,Henry out of patriotism or boredom, wants to join the Union Army.Many months pass,of training and marching, until Fleming gets into action.Some of his friends,boys he grew up wit...more The Battle of Chancellorsville,in northern Virginia, 1863,one of the bloodiest,24,000 casualties,of the war between the states, is the focus of this novel.Henry Fleming a farm boy, not yet a man, from New York State, goes off to fight during the American Civil War. Against the tearful pleading of his widow mother,not to,Henry out of patriotism or boredom, wants to join the Union Army.Many months pass,of training and marching, until Fleming gets into action.Some of his friends,boys he grew up with, are in the 304th regiment with him.Camp life,living mostly in tents,little food,nothing to do,unsanitary living conditions ,constant marching to different sites.The veterans call the newcomers "Fresh Fish".Wondering if he'll be brave or a coward in the conflict.Finally the youth see's war.The charging rebels from out of the woods, bring fear to his very soul.And Fleming caring little about glory, his friends or the regiment, runs away !Runs like the little boy he really is.Only he just wants to survive.Meeting many wounded soldiers,in the back of the line.Some who will not live long,including his close friend ,who Fleming watches fall mortally down on the ground. They ask him uncomfortable questions, where was he hit! Leaving them as fast and unobtrusively as possible.Wandering around aimlessly, Henry heads for a nearby forest,trying to get away from the ugly war.The sounds of battle are muted by the trees.Only a short distance from the struggle,as if all the world was a peaceful place,and is a sanctuary for him .But Henry can't get very far from reality.A Union soldier,propped up against a tree,stares with his dead eyes at the deserter.An insect crawling over his face.Henry decides to get back to his regiment but ironically is hit in the head,with a rifle butt. By a man in a blue uniform, Fleming was in the way,causing blood to flow.His Red Badge of Courage. Arriving home,with the help of an unknown soldier, nobody had noticed his cowardliness.They thought he was dead and bandage his "war wound".Next day another scrimmage.Fleming feels different now,comradeship with his fellow soldiers,as close as brothers,Henry never experienced such emotions ,he even leads the charge, has he become a man?(less)

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Mar 21, 2007 matt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

This book made my heart race and made me hear gunfire.

I think Crane manages to create the perfect visceral novel. Sure there is symbolism if you want it, but at its core this book is about experience.

Like a delicate flower, this book is easily ruined by too much prodding attention. Just read it, take it in, let yourself get dragged into the story and imagery. Don't think, don't read it closely to prepare for a paper or discussion, just experience it.

I would never teach this book in a class. I wo...more

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Nov 29, 2008 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

I feel almost guilty about how much I disliked this book. I know it's an important piece of literature, that it changed the way people viewed war, it's an American classic, etc. etc. But I could NOT stand it. I thought it was boring and I didn't really care what happened to the main character. I was totally distracted by how the author called him "the youth" instead of his name and I had to have my brother-in-law explain to me what the point of it was since I just couldn't tell. Maybe my tastes...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Nathan Albro rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found it disappointing that The Red Badge of Courage, an American classic, was dull, had poor pacing, and lackluster characterization. There might be historical value in this novel, written by Stephen Crane who was born nearly five years after America’s civil war ended, but there is little to enjoy. The novel does focus on the psyche of the protagonist – more so then on the war itself, but I found myself not caring. I didn’t care for the characters nor did I care about the battles or the war....more

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Feb 08, 2013 Marcia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-school, ya, historical-fiction

I'd never read this classic, and have a strong interest in the Civil War so picked it up. I struggled to get through it. While Henry's battlefield experience and passage into manhood are interesting, I got bogged down in the dialogue. I've been running an internal debate all week about the value of assigning classic literature, for all it's historical value/cultural reference points and rich language vs. the effect of forcing a difficult text on an interested reader when more up-to-date engaging...more

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Dec 15, 2011 Moses Kilolo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When Henry Flemming set off to join the war, he perhaps did not have a clear picture of what lay before him, what his decision meant. Like every other young man (across the divide of time and circumstance) he envisions his return as a hero - an achieved man. but does he pause to consider the damn hardship of the battlefield? Perhaps not! At some point he actually runs, but his conscience torments him. A series of happenings (accidental- i think) push him back to track, and there he tries to prov...more

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May 05, 2010 Erik Graff rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: kids

Recommended to Erik by: no one

Shelves: literature

I read this edition sometime during grade school, having heard of it somewhere--not difficult during the Centennial when the papers, radio, television and movies were full of it. Although now so much time has passed that I mix up its story with the one by Bierce about the wounded soldiers crawling for water at night, the part about the older man asking Henry about his wounds and Henry's embarrassment struck me deeply at the time. Children know embarrassment!

So big a deal was the Centennial for t...more I read this edition sometime during grade school, having heard of it somewhere--not difficult during the Centennial when the papers, radio, television and movies were full of it. Although now so much time has passed that I mix up its story with the one by Bierce about the wounded soldiers crawling for water at night, the part about the older man asking Henry about his wounds and Henry's embarrassment struck me deeply at the time. Children know embarrassment!

So big a deal was the Centennial for the kids at the Oak Ridge Elementary School that we celebrated it almost daily. Our Meadowdale community of identical (except for color) houses for veterans of WWII and Korea was filled with kids, so many that they built the school especially for us. Being carved out of farmland and woods in unincorporated Kane County, Illinois, our winding streets described an oasis of civilization surrounded by wooded hills, creeks and abandoned fields.

Below my house was one of the many creeks, alongside which was the road the school was on. Going one way it led to a quarry. Going the other it led to a huge drainpipe which connected to the development's storm sewers and debouched in a field to become a creek again to the east of us, right behind the houses at the end of Butte Lane, where our home was. There what had been productive farmland had been plowed for houses that were never built. The field had gone to weed, hills of clay and an enormous pile of long-dead trees in its center. The creek itself cut deeply between clay ridges where it exited the pipe. There, on its western bank, were the headquarters of our Federal forces.

The rest, the field, the log pile and a large clay hill alongside side it, belonged to the Confederacy, the forces of which far exceeded our own. For some reason few wanted to be Unionists. For me, it was a matter of principle. I was against slavery and at that early age I believed that what the Civil War had been about. Interestingly, since we lived in federally subsidized housing, some of the kids were black, but no one on either side ever thought about treating them as slaves or freedmen and women and no one ever made a racial slur.

The richer kids had various civil war paraphenalia, usually the hats which were available at the Meadowdale Shopping Center. Guns, however, were not used except for show. They were, after all, only toys. The fighting went on with rocks and pebbles, clumps of mud or dirt, sticks and fists. Usually it was restrained. We Federals would occupy our high ground on one side of the creek. The Confederate hordes would occupy the other side. Projectiles of all sorts would be lobbed in high arcs, there being plenty of time to step aside, cursing.

The only real violence was when numbers were low and one side or the other decided to sneak into the enemy territory. This was the real fun. The creek-defined boundary was pretty long (one would never think of entering the area of the enemy another way!), the weeds were high, so one could crouch and crawl across if a portion was unoccupied. A few, maybe four, of us Federals explored the inside of the log pile one late afternoon after a lengthy crawl across the field. The Rebels had been using it for some time, clearing paths in three dimensions, clearing little chambers within. Exploring, cracking branches, talking too loudly, we were discovered, the pile surrounded by superior numbers, and captured.

The Confederates took us to their Andersonville: a hand-dug cave on the side of the big hill beside the woodpile. It wasn't much, just big enough for the four of us to huddle in for protection as the Rebels rolled and tossed rocks down upon us from the peak. Then, disaster! One of my comrades had stuck his head out to say he had to get home for dinner and WHAM one of the rocks hit him full on, drawing blood and tears.

A bit of shouting from our muddy hole to the victors apprised them of the situation. The game was called off for the night and everyone left, me and my three unhurt comrades escorting our fellow to his home.

That was the worst injury I can recall. Although tears were common enough, bawling could normally be suppressed except by the smallest kids. Consequently, we were rather surprised when Ms. Loose, the school's principal, visited all six grades the following Monday to announce that henceforth the civil war was over in Meadowdale.

And it was. We were an obedient lot. The playing went on, of course, but the fighting ended. In any case, it was really more fun to walk the storm sewers for miles under the streets, ever guided by the dim glow beneath curbside drains, ever on watch for the giant rats said to inhabit the underworld. (less)

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Apr 26, 2009 Beth F. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, dude-lit, 2009, tnbbc-spring-2009

Here is a recreation of my brain while reading this book: "Alright, it's about time I read this and so far, okay. I like the prose, I like the prose, I like the...um...STOP TALKING! Stop talking to each other! Shutup! I can barely understand you! UGH. Thank you. Nice prose...nice...okay, nevermind. Boring. Boring. Boring. Boring. Gross. I hate fight scenes. Boring AND gross. Gross AND boring. Stop fighting. Stop talking. Get on with it...this is boring..."

Overall, I'd have to say that the dialog...more

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Jul 10, 2008 Tara Ferrin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: yes

I actually finally finished the book last night. I say finally not because I didn't enjoy it, because I did, but it definitely was a tougher read than I'm used. The language is older more descriptive, and at times hard to figure out, but in the end I think it made me appreciate it more. I'm not going to pretend that I understood even half of what the author was trying to say, but It did affect me, and spoke to me personally at times. In my opinion he's a brilliant writer.
It's a story of a very...more I actually finally finished the book last night. I say finally not because I didn't enjoy it, because I did, but it definitely was a tougher read than I'm used. The language is older more descriptive, and at times hard to figure out, but in the end I think it made me appreciate it more. I'm not going to pretend that I understood even half of what the author was trying to say, but It did affect me, and spoke to me personally at times. In my opinion he's a brilliant writer.
It's a story of a very young and inexperienced soldier in the civil war named Henry. It tells of his inward struggles finding courage and making sense of this terrible thing called war. It is disturbing at times to read some of the horrors he describes, not because it's graphic, but just emotionally heart wrenching.
I love this paragraph:
"As he gazed around him, the youth(Henry) felt a flash of astonishment at the blue pure sky and the sun-gleamings on the trees and fields. It was surprising that nature had gone tranquilly on with her golden processes in the midst of so much devilment."

After reading this, I could really feel myself in his shoes. Here he is in this captivatingly beautiful place, listening to the stream running by and the birds singing, how can life go so peaceably on for nature, when something so horrible and ugly as war is raging at the same time.
It was sad to read how insignificant he felt at times, his lieutenant called his regiment a bunch of slow "mule-drivers" and sent them off to charge the enemy stating that few would make their way back. How would that feel? Like being sent off as one of the unimportant masses to be slaughtered for the greater good. I can't imagine. I hope our soldiers understand how important they are not just collectively. but individually. They are each heros to me, for just being there.

I loved this novel. It wasn't an easy read for me, but it was worth it.

side note: I read the New Edition, it's I guess the complete edition restored from the author's original manuscript. The version first published and the one most people are familiar with is supposedly different. " It was altered in many key passages and an entire chapter was removed in order to make it a simpler, less realistic picture of war-more acceptable to the readers of the time." As stated on the back of my book.

Hope you enjoy!(less)

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Jun 14, 2008 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another librivox recording.

I've been doing a lot of yard work so my trusty ipod is filled with librivox books. I hate yard work. This is the only way I can get through it.

I'm not a fan of war anything: books,movies, stories. But my friend just finished listening to The Red Badge of Courage and suggested I try it. I'm still not a fan of war books. This one wasn't bad, but the descriptions of the war, of the injuries was really more than I wanted.

The person we're supposed to root for is Henry aka...more

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Nathan Albro I'm currently reading the book out of curiosity - I never read it, like so many, in High School. I'm finding the book rather dull at the moment.
I did...more
Jul 13, 2011 11:49am

Nick Schulte I think the book's stress is much more internal than external. As I see it, the external war is largely a backdrop to following the internal battles,...more
Feb 21, 2013 02:42pm

Jul 05, 2009 Andrew rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Red Badge of Courage was a very meaningful book for me. This book is about a boy named Henry who thinks that when his squad gets into battle, he will not have the courage to stay and fight. He hasn’t actually been in a fight yet, his squad has been resting and he thinks that they are going to go into a fight soon. When he thinks that his platoon is going to all die, he runs from the fight. He sees a lot of injured men that he admires and can’t stand to be with them. He sees his old friend Ji...more

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Mar 23, 2008 Wolfman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Stephen Crane died at the turn of the century in his late 20's, making him a rock star. I bet all of the college kids in the 1910's and 20's had posters of him on their walls. Or maybe portraits.

There isn't that much time in The Red Badge of Courage for you to get too attached to any characters, not even our hero The Youth, Henry Fleming. But you can totally empathize with his Desire to do Something Grand, his fear, his sense of accomplishment, and generally fickle human nature. Plus, Stephen C...more

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Aug 07, 2007 Christine E. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I first read this as a very young kid (I was no more than 8 years old). I thought it was amazing then, and I re-read it when I was in my 20's and appreciated it even more. However I doubt I'll be up for another re-read anytime soon, because I can't handle harrowing stories of war the way I once could, even ones as beautifully written as this one.

But there will always be a place for it on my bookshelf. Um ... or in one of my many boxes of books that hasn't yet been unpacked after 3 years in our...more

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Mar 25, 2009 Bill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historic-fiction, military

This novel is basically about a young man who goes to war. Written by an author who had never experienced war but believed he could write a better war novel than was currently available. If history is any indication - he did as the book is a classic (which is why I read it).

I enjoyed this tale! I would definately recommend it. I don't want to talk too much about what our protagonist goes through so will keep this review very brief.

The writing style was pretty fluid and the story was very easy to...more

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Mar 14, 2009 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Crane writes in a way that is easy reading. Even though it is a war novel, most of the action takes place in the mind of the main character, Henry Fleming. It is amazing how insecure Fleming is, not about the fighting per se but more about what other people think of him. In a way it was like reading a book about mean girls in high school. I found the novel a bit Brechtian in the sense that it seemed like the author was deliberately trying to keep the reader from identifying with the main charact...more

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Mar 04, 2009 Laura rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I always seem to write reviews for books I love. That really is a tragedy, because books I hated should be acknowledged here too.

This review is a warning to all. Especially the younger set that may still encounter this book in school. If you have a choice, do not read this book, sometimes they offer an array of books to chose from. I am still baffled at how this book was ever deemed a good choice for use in schools. It is the most boring and painful book I have ever read, to this day, and I read...more

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Mar 01, 2009 Eric rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: american-civil-war, books-i-own, fiction, historical-fiction

This is the first I’ve read The Red Badge of Courage. Believe it or not, it was never assigned in school, probably because I attended Christian schools until college. I do remember reading Crane’s short story The Open Boat in high school, but that’s not very violent, or filled with death and destruction (although one man dies). But my conservative Lutheran schools tended to avoid violent subject matter.
But that’s another topic.

Stephen Crane’s classic about the Civil War holds up quite well in...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Tyler Ratliff rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book

Stephen Cranes purpose or writing, The Red Badge of Courage was to give courage to his readers. Along with informing the reader about hardships Civil War soldiers went through, the purpose was to give courage to readers. The book details Henry Fleming a young private in the Union Army who wants to become a war hero and make his mother proud. Henry begins as a young private who is scared senseless of the sounds of battle. But through many ups and downs in the book Crane makes Henry a glorified wa...more Stephen Cranes purpose or writing, The Red Badge of Courage was to give courage to his readers. Along with informing the reader about hardships Civil War soldiers went through, the purpose was to give courage to readers. The book details Henry Fleming a young private in the Union Army who wants to become a war hero and make his mother proud. Henry begins as a young private who is scared senseless of the sounds of battle. But through many ups and downs in the book Crane makes Henry a glorified war hero. Crane also wrote the book to show that many obstacles can be overcome, Henry was told by his mother "come back a glorified hero, or do not come back at all (Crane 42)". Through many obstacles Crane shows the reader that even a long shot goal of being a glorified war hero can be obtained.
The book The Red Badge of Courage will have a long lasting impact on its readers. It will teach the readers the value of patience. At the beginning of the novel, Henry was eager to get involved in fighting right away but Crane tells the value of patience when he says “Henry soon found out the pain of waiting to be called into war, it could literally drive you crazy not knowing when you would be called to service (Crane 11)". The book will also make the reader appreciate what they own and put a value on it. While telling about the struggles Henry over comes the novel tells about how soldiers commonly did not have sufficient amounts of food, clothing, or shelter. The audience will be entertained but at the same time take pity and be thankful for what they have.
The novel The Red Badge of Courage is extremely well written. The plot is an up and down roller coaster that will keep the reader entertained the entire book. The book starts off as Henry who is afraid of battle and would hide from battle in his early time as a soldier. Crane makes this apparent when he says "Henry would walk to the scene of battle, but then walk back to the woods to because of his fear of battle" (Crane 61). Crane then transforms Henry from a scared private, into a fiery leader who leads his fellow soldiers at the front line of battles. The vocabulary used in the novel makes the paragraphs flow seamlessly together. The novel is 150 pages which makes every single page exciting to read.
The book The Red Badge of Courage was extremely captivating. The book was action packed and filled with emotion both positive and negative. Out of all of the characters in the book I related to Henry the most. Both of us could be classified as quiet and scared most of the time, but through many ups and downs both of us came out to be successful in our situations. The book was never boring at any time, it was paced full of constant action once Henry overcame his fear of battle. After Henry overcame his fear of battle the book mostly consisted of Crane saying "Henry would sprint to the front of the lines screaming and yelling at the top of his lounges to charge the enemy" (Crane 100). The book The Red Badge of Courage was serious and exciting. It could also be thought-provoking as Crane would leave clues as to what Henry would do next.
The greatest strengths of The Red Badge of Courage was the constant action of battle that was taking place and how the reader can see Henry transform from a scared private into a proven leader. The only weakness the book had was Henry because to reckless and began putting others in danger. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend. The book was encouraging and will give the reader confidence under any circumstance. I would recommend the book to anyone, but anyone who is particularly interested in the Civil War. The book is extremely exciting and will entertain anyone who is interested in reading a motivating novel. Anyone above the age of 15 should be able to read the book, understand it, take lessons from it, and most importantly, enjoy the novel.
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Apr 04, 2013 Gale rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: american-classics, historical-fiction-young-adult

"The Coffin of their Honor"

This book chronicles in slow motion the metamorphosis of a naive farm boy, Henry Fleming, as he comes of age during the Civil War. Proclaimed an "American masterpiece of fear, courage, conflict and death", this poignant tale of brutal initiation into military chaos makes a difficult read, despite its apparent brevity. I suspect that few high school students will appreciate or savor Crane's pre-20th century style; I must admit that it left me wallowing in the dust and...more "The Coffin of their Honor"

This book chronicles in slow motion the metamorphosis of a naive farm boy, Henry Fleming, as he comes of age during the Civil War. Proclaimed an "American masterpiece of fear, courage, conflict and death", this poignant tale of brutal initiation into military chaos makes a difficult read, despite its apparent brevity. I suspect that few high school students will appreciate or savor Crane's pre-20th century style; I must admit that it left me wallowing in the dust and mud of quasi boredom. The limited dialogue and long monologues are spelled in dialect and slang, which slows down the pace as we try to decipher the actual words and accents intended.

Thoughtful readers will recognize that this book is really a Psychological novel, which just happens to be set within the bloody frame of our most shameful war. There is much military action (skirmishes rather than all-out battles) packed between the covers, but Crane focuses on the mental struggle and emotional turmoil of his protagonist--casually identified as "the youth." He is so insignificant in the grand military scheme, that he does not even earn a name from the narrator. Indeed we only learn his name in conversation, for the author is hoards specific details. The barely-named secondary characters are identified by their attributes: the loud man, the tall man, the sarcastic soldier, the tattered soldier, etc. Perhaps a name makes us care more about their fate than mere impersonal adjectives...Crane seems as indifferent to their destiny as Nature appears during the smoky scenes of guns and gore.

In Henry's defense one should point out that at no time does he consciously plan to desert; nor does he deliberately abandon his comrades. No one ever accuses him of the foulest military crime (Desertion), yet he is tormented that he almost ran away after the first skirmish. Circumstances separate him from his regiment, but he does not undertake any despicable action and he returns voluntarily. Reduced to mere animal survival instincts, he is too terrified and confused to plan any definite strategy. Later he strives to keep his initial panic hidden from his regiment; he hugs his shameful secret to his breast like a second rifle.

Will Henry ever find justification for his first reaction of horror to the insensate terrors of war? Will he be vindicated and gradually forgive himself-- especially for his fake "wound" which he wore as an undeserved badge? Will this youth ultimately accept the accolade as a "wildcat" on the battlefield and behave as a true war hero? If he survives the physical ordeal, can he endure his own personal scrutiny into his fragile, refined psyche? An introspective read.

(November 14, 2012. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
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Mar 20, 2013 Abby R. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 7th-grade-3rd-quarter-reading

The Red Badge of Courage
180 pages
Stephen Crane
Infomational

Anxious for some excitement, Henry Fleming sets off to join the Union troops fighting the Civil War. But when suddenly thrust into the slaughter he is overcome with blind fear and runs from the field of battle. He does not earned their "red badge of courage" and becomes extremely angry when he witnesses the death of his good friend. In a confused struggle with his own army's retreating soldiers, he is wounded not by the enemies gunfire....more

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Feb 26, 2013 Jon Hagmann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Stephen Crane writes The Red Badge of Courage in an excellent, entertaining, and inspiring manor that I really enjoyed reading. His novel follows young infantryman Henry Fleming as he depicts his experiences in the American Civil War. Crane provides the gritty barbarity of the battlefield in a war reporter’s proximity in his depiction of the American Civil War.

Stephen Crane writes The Red Badge of Courage in order to give readers a different perspective on the American Civil War. Crane does so...more Stephen Crane writes The Red Badge of Courage in an excellent, entertaining, and inspiring manor that I really enjoyed reading. His novel follows young infantryman Henry Fleming as he depicts his experiences in the American Civil War. Crane provides the gritty barbarity of the battlefield in a war reporter’s proximity in his depiction of the American Civil War.

Stephen Crane writes The Red Badge of Courage in order to give readers a different perspective on the American Civil War. Crane does so because, up until this time the traditional representation of this conflict, in terms of presenting the righteousness of the Union’s cause, instead is focused on the grim reality of the war for the front-line soldier and the death and extreme hardships faced. Crane conveys this newfound image of brutality and blood-shed when imagining the American Civil War, rather than the righteous acts by the Union as a result, using Henry who is compelled to place self-preservation above his vain pursuit of glory, and be shamefaced when confronted by those who actually sport wounds or the “red badge of courage.”

Obviously enough, given the title of the work, the theme of The Red Badge of Courage is courage, in wanting it and achieving it. In the beginning, Henry’s comprehension of courage is elementary and he believes that in order to be defined as courageous he must come home a decorated war hero or like the ancient Spartans said he will either return with his shield or on it. However, as the novel progresses Henry learns that courage is not all based off of how other people see your actions, its more delicate and complex, as he displays true courage emerging into manhood.

Stephen Crane depicts The Red Badge of Courage as a description writing style in order to properly convey his purpose and theme in the novel. Crane explains the American Civil War through a unique, yet very effective, perspective, through the eyes of a frontline infantry soldier. Through the eyes, as well as inner thoughts, of Henry the reader can truly understand the civil war at a more in depth level rather than the common knowledge of the Union’s virtue to mankind. He successfully makes the reader feel as if they are experiencing the true viciousness and brutality that is the civil war.

All in all, I truly enjoyed Stephen Cranes classic, The Red Badge of Courage not only because it was entertaining and it held me making me want to read more and more, but because it opened my eyes to the viciousness and Hell-like battlefield that soldiers underwent during the American Civil War. Overall it firmly grasped my attention, and gave me a whole new perspective on a tumultuous topic in American history, and in my book that is truly a win-win.
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Feb 10, 2013 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: war

One of those books people always talk about as being in the pantheon of war literature, so when I was on a Civil War kick I decided to give it a read for myself.

There is much to like. The thing about Red Badge you have to respect is that it is one of the first works to really dive into something resembling modern war - that is, writing where the vast majority of the combatants have some sort of rifle armaments, with artillery flying around. The problem with this is that sometimes it's hard to go...more One of those books people always talk about as being in the pantheon of war literature, so when I was on a Civil War kick I decided to give it a read for myself.

There is much to like. The thing about Red Badge you have to respect is that it is one of the first works to really dive into something resembling modern war - that is, writing where the vast majority of the combatants have some sort of rifle armaments, with artillery flying around. The problem with this is that sometimes it's hard to go back and appreciate an original after you've seen so many things that have built off of that, and I think Red Badge suffers from this.

There are some brilliant passages, and single sentences that really struck me. When the youth stops to watch an artillery battery as they lob some shells, he thinks how they are doing this "thoughtfully", and there are others like this, word choices that are so incongruous it must have been intentionally used. Or maybe it just seems incongruous to me because I think of thoughtful as something positive, but those artillerymen, I suppose, were taking great care in aiming their exploding balls of death meant to kill men far away. Here, Confederates, a present for you: I was thinking of you just now. Boom.

The other problem with Red Badge is that, for me, it was just tough to read due to a stylistic choice by the author to never refer to the characters by name in the narration. The main character is only ever "the youth" - though others refer to him by his name in dialogue, so you know his name is Henry Fleming - and every other character that appears is similarly referred to only by some description or another. I am not sure if this is meant to convey that the infantryman is faceless and nameless amidst the madness of war or what, but it makes for harder reading than it needs to, at least to my eyes. Give me a name to stick in my brain, and more importantly, a name so that you get the occasional capital letters to break up a sentence.

In the end, like many other books, I wanted to like it more than I liked it. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't great either. I'm glad I read it to see some of what came before the more modern war fiction I've read, but outside of that historical context, there unfortunately is not much left for Red Badge to offer.(less)

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Feb 10, 2013 Bill S. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: american-classics

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I read this when I was probably 13 and remember being a little disappointed. Rereading it now, I think I know why. At that time I was more interested in how battle must have looked. I now understand and appreciate what others have observed. This novel is like impressionistic art. Crane's use of metaphors depicts more how battle felt than specific descriptions of actions and sights.

It is a deeply psychological work. I think it illustrates an essential point about people. How we perceive ourselve...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Daniel Wheeler rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

With learning about the civil war and all the battles I thought I'd read The Red Badge of Courage just to see if I can relate to any of it from my history class. Personally I thought the book was slightly below being a good entertaining read for myself but then again I am a pretty picky reader! book dragged on a lot. Such as when Henry was injured and in the medical care center. This wasn't as action packed as I thought it would have been. I thought it would have had far more battle scenes and...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Kevin Cervantes added it · review of another edition

"His self-pride was now entirely restored. In the shade of its flourishing growth he stood with braced and self-confident legs..." During the Civil War, a Union regiment rests along a riverbank, where it has been camped for weeks. A tall soldier named Jim Conklin spreads a rumor that the army will soon march.He fears that if he were to see battle, he might run. The narrator reveals that Henry joined the army because he was drawn to the glory of military conflict. This books makes you feel like...more "His self-pride was now entirely restored. In the shade of its flourishing growth he stood with braced and self-confident legs..." During the Civil War, a Union regiment rests along a riverbank, where it has been camped for weeks. A tall soldier named Jim Conklin spreads a rumor that the army will soon march.He fears that if he were to see battle, he might run. The narrator reveals that Henry joined the army because he was drawn to the glory of military conflict. This books makes you feel like your actually there and it also makes you question your courage. Stephen Crane's "The Red Badge of Courage" astonished me with the great story of honor, courage, and war.

Some of the themes in this book is courage, manhood, and Youth and Maturity. This book is Great for teenage boys and a great class discussion about courage and honor. There aren't many character in the story which is good because it is easier to follow the story and understand what is going on. Throughout the novel, Crane refers to Henry as “the young soldier” and “the youth.” He believes, albeit naïvely, in traditional models of courage and honor, and romanticizes the image of dying in battle by invoking the Greek tradition of a dead soldier being laid upon his shield. On the other hand, because he is young, Henry has yet to experience enough to test these abstractions. As a result, his most passionate convictions are based on little else than fantasies, making him seem vain and self-centered. Another inspiring character is Henry’s commander in battle, a youthful officer who swears profusely during the fighting. As Henry gains recognition for doing brave deeds, he and the lieutenant develop sympathy for each other, often feeling that they must work together to motivate the rest of the men. I can relate to this book because one day I plan to join the military and at times I ask myself where is my courage and honor. And will it come to me when I need it the most. This book reminds me of my friend that joined the Marines right after high school because he wanted to leave San Diego and start doing what he wanted to do as a living which was protect country. He wanted to leave because he wanted something more than just him. He wanted to be apart of something.

This book is great, I loved it. It is great to see the main character grow up from a boy to a man. I just whoosh I had the courage to do what he did. I hope I can be half the courages man he was in this book. I recommend this book to any one that likes inspirational or war books.(less)

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Dec 20, 2012 Stuart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read this with my daughter. When we read a book, as Bloom tells us, we read a book to discover something of ourselves. This book tells us a lot and most of it we will not like.

I found the book a quick read. Stephen Crane writes with an imaginative hand, rolling paragraphs, and gripping descriptions. Often I found that I held the book with a tight grip, held my breath through some of the scenes, and emoted with the imagery.

The author writes in the third person narrative, but it reads as if we ha...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Alan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was recommended this book from Mrs.Augustine since I like historical fiction. This books is about a civil war private named Henry that joined the Union Army so he could be hero and have glory. He flees from battle, and later feels ashamed, and he wants to find some type of story or excuse, then rejoin his regiment so he doesn't look like a coward. He wants to earn his "red badge of courage" or wound to show to his regiment. When he gets a gash in his head from getting hit from a rifle he goes...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Matthew Duke rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Stephen Crane's The Red Badge Of Courage underwhelms me with it's very particular delineation of writing. Henry Fleming, or as he is referred to, "the youth," by the author is forced to enlist into the civil war and placed into a regiment of ragtag soldiers. With the incessant foul language used it is obvious the book is not meant for children. I believe the strict and mundane style that is used can turn many readers off.

The stylistic method Crane uses is for acquired tastes, explain the setti...more Stephen Crane's The Red Badge Of Courage underwhelms me with it's very particular delineation of writing. Henry Fleming, or as he is referred to, "the youth," by the author is forced to enlist into the civil war and placed into a regiment of ragtag soldiers. With the incessant foul language used it is obvious the book is not meant for children. I believe the strict and mundane style that is used can turn many readers off.

The stylistic method Crane uses is for acquired tastes, explain the setting and/ or characters then dialogue immediately after. This repetition is used so often it feels as though we are stopping to walk every few paces and pick something up, only to drop it again in another location. It would be aided better if the pauses between dialogue were longer and more meaningful. Not only that, the narration by the author makes him seem like an intellectual placed upon a pedestal, but the dialogue alludes to dimwitted, logic-less characters. That discrepancy is an unintentional and painful foil. For example, the narrator will lay the foundation for compelling, interesting characters,"The man had gone into a rage, and had sworn comprehensively. Stung by his language, his tormentors had immediately bristled at him with a great show of resenting unjust oaths." Only to be ruined by the incompitance of the characters "'We'll be at th' rebs in less'n an hour. What's th' good fightin' 'mong ourselfs."

Another downfall of Crane, the inability to tap the characters emotions into the reader. While it is obvious Crane can bring the emotion of the character out, the reader may still feel as though a pole is between them and the pool of feelings. I could image the characters even briefly interacting as cardboard cut-outs walking around. The characters are the intestines of the book format, and the inability to connect with them makes the book in my opinion fall flat.
The only counterexample that can be used with this is when Fleming friend, Jim Conklin is shot and killed, "As he youth looked at them with the black weight of his woe returned."

However one feature to the text that is very redeeming, is the setting. The author has a clear ability to hype this up in his texts, and creates an aura around the book. The author pulling the reader into the book would create the same sense as reading the story. The condensation from the fog feels as though it can lick your face. the gunpowder can sing clothes if not careful. Part of the attractive nature of Crane's setting is it an area people may never visit in there lifetime, personified into liquid text. "He knew the frenzy of a rapid successful charge. The music of the trampling feet, the sharp voices, the clanking arms of the column near him made him soar on the red wings of war. For a few moments he was sublime."

A book such as the Red Badge of courage I recommend to the loyal fans of Stephen Crane, especially due to it being one of his earlier and more famous works. Those seeking a thrill of being captured into a new journey along the setting's place will find that they thoroughly enjoy this. History buffs seeking an insight to what characters might be like in this era can benefit from reading this short text aswell. However, those looking to expand upon others books, better can be found with a simple search. (less)

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Nov 14, 2012 Steven Thompson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The best aspect is Crane's in depth character study of Henry Fleming. Henry not only second guesses himself before being battle tested, he rationalizes and flip flops more than a hyperactive politician.

First he feels shame for fleeing from his first battle. Then he feels he is better than others who ran faster than he did (even though he tried his best to stay in the front of the pack). He fears the judgments of his fellow soldiers before he finds and rejoins his regiment, but after realizing t...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Graham Johnson added it · review of another edition

There exists a raging debate among artists and critics of all mediums, with creators and pundits alike taking both sides, as to the extent that the context of a piece should be taken into account. Some circles of thought advocate looking at a work with complete disregard to its history – the life of its author, the period in which it was written in – all are irrelevant to the work's artistic merit. Other circles strongly argue that a work's context is one of its most important aspects when consi...more There exists a raging debate among artists and critics of all mediums, with creators and pundits alike taking both sides, as to the extent that the context of a piece should be taken into account. Some circles of thought advocate looking at a work with complete disregard to its history – the life of its author, the period in which it was written in – all are irrelevant to the work's artistic merit. Other circles strongly argue that a work's context is one of its most important aspects when considering and judging it. Groups of music writers for example, are vehemently calling for a return back to the pre-digital era's musical purity, when information about artists and musicians was less known and music was taken on its own sans the influence of Bieber hair or Britney sex appeal; other caucuses of bloggers insist that an artist's back-story and the authenticity of his or her message is as important as the message itself, a viewpoint especially predominant in the hip-hop scene.
It would seem that to a significant extent, the degree of a person's regard for Stephen Crane's classic The Red Badge of Courage, would be influenced by where they fall on the spectrum of this debate. While Red Badge of Courage may stand as an important ushering-in of modern prose and style, as University of South Dakota professor Sherwood Cummings asserts, it does not, for a variety of reasons, fare as well as many of its peers outside the context of its time. It was a book I deeply wanted to like but ultimately was moved very little by, finishing it feeling apathetic towards the plights of both the antagonist and the war in general. What made the book special upon publication in the the late 19th century seems to have been all but erased by the literary and cultural shifts of the last one hundred and eight years.
A critical darling upon release largely for its unflinching realism in portraying the horror of war, it juxtaposed with much of the romanticized war literature of the period. But when read today, Crane's paradigm is nothing new or revealing. It is a recognized, undisputed trend that since his time our susceptibility as a society to shock has diminished almost exponentially. Deviance has become more acceptable and violence more numbed, mainly as a product of technological advancement. The provocative and the grotesque are now easily snapped up on cell phone cameras, sent around the world, posted on the web, or broadcast on television for all to see. What would have been shocking or disgusting to the public a hundred or even twenty years ago, is often met now with an apathetic shrug of the shoulders. While this cultural shift is obviously unpreventable on Crane's part, it has greatly diminished the impact of his novel.
Crane stylistically uses shorter paragraphs and terser sentences than typical of the time, which upon publication was received as modern and verging on revolutionary. Today, his prose and syntax when taken in context with and compared to the century of writing that has come since, should be recognized as a landmark achievement but does not hold the same emotional power it may have wielded at the time. The most redeeming aspect of Crane's prose comes with his synesthetic description, as color is constantly wielded throughout the book even for non-visual descriptions, to create vivid imagery of “purple-streaked” water, “blue haze” evenings, and “crimson cheering” that paint the book's pages with the thick impasto of an impressionist oil.
When stripped of the novelty of its prose and stark realism it once brandished, as it is for readers today, the book is forced to offer other virtues to readers in order to maintain its relevancy: relatable characters, emotional connection, or resonant ideas. I remember distinctly the investment I had in Jim's well-being as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn unfolded, simultaneously sickened and concerned as Huck made an adventure game out of his captivity in the final chapters. Unfortunately, The Red Badge of Courage offers very little in this regard. Crane's choice to refer to Fleming simply as "the youth" successfully emphasizes both the young age of the character and the status of his maturation, but it also has the negative effect of lending a degree of anonymity to the book's main character. And while the irony in Crane's coming-of-age story is one of the book's greatest strengths, it also becomes the cause of one of its greatest downfalls. To illustrate the idiocy of battle as the ultimate means of self-proving and becoming a man, Crane portrays the boy as immature and arrogant: Fleming broods on how everyone else is a "brute" with no appreciation for his "fine mind," even as he "proves" his maturation and manhood as color-bearer in a charge. And while an effective means to achieve this irony and serve as a social critique, it ends up making the boy unlikeable and ultimately unrelatable for readers. The combined effect of both Crane's narrative style and characterization alienates the audience from the boy, preventing them from empathizing with or even caring about his fate.
Author Alain de Botton once proclaimed that “The hope on picking up a book [is] it will tell us what we already feel and intuit but haven't had time to think.” A great story will hold up throughout the ages by speaking these universal human truths, a feat even the nearly three thousand year-old Illiad and Odyssey achieve through their depiction of Greek shame culture. It can be argued then, that Red Badge of Courage has no place in the literary canon, since it lacks the timelessness which has kept alive contemporaries Twain and Austen, and even the words of pre-Christ Homer. As a literary achievement in the evolution of writing, it is and will forever be an important step, but a heart-wrenching story of courage and death, as the synopsis on the back of my paperback copy proclaims, it is no longer.
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