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Maggie: A Girl of the Streets and Other Short Fiction
Not yet famous for his Civil War masterpiece, The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane was unable to find a publisher for his brilliant Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, finally printing it himself in 1893.
Condemned and misunderstood during Crane’s lifetime, this starkly realistic story of a pretty child of the Bowery has since been recognized as a landmark work in American fiction.
Now Crane’s great short novel of life in turn-of-the-century New York is published in its original form, along with four of Crane’s best short stories–The Blue Hotel, The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky, The Monster, and The Open Boat–stories of such remarkable power and clarity that they stand among the finest short stories ever written by an American.
Condemned and misunderstood during Crane’s lifetime, this starkly realistic story of a pretty child of the Bowery has since been recognized as a landmark work in American fiction.
Now Crane’s great short novel of life in turn-of-the-century New York is published in its original form, along with four of Crane’s best short stories–The Blue Hotel, The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky, The Monster, and The Open Boat–stories of such remarkable power and clarity that they stand among the finest short stories ever written by an American.
240 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1969
About the author
Stephen Crane
1,564 books1,152 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 - 30 of 55 reviews
December 28, 2008
Couldn't appreciate "Maggie..." much when it was assigned reading in high school, but returning to it later in life I was pretty enthralled. Final lines of the story land like a punch to the jaw; I suspect I missed the conclusion's brutal cynicism when reading it as a teenager. My growing interest in that time period in general also made it better reading than the first time around, as I better understood the story's context (try Jacob Riis's collection of photographs How the Other Half Lives for some of that). So, every detail that bored me as a kid fascinated me last week as I reread it.
Went on and read the other stories in the collection as well, some of which were quite interesting though not especially exhilarating ("The Monster", "The Blue Hotel"), some little more than amusing ("The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky"), and one being clearly the best of the bunch, the much-anthologized "The Open Boat," which was far more moving to me when I read it today than it ever was reading it in class.
Don't really know why high schoolers are forced to read "classic" lit that fails to be relevant to them; seems that quickly snuffs out a general interest in reading later in life, which leads to today's miserable statistics regarding the tiny percentage of adults actually reading books these days (while, presumably, a large percentage of the rest await their orders from Oprah). It's not as if Crane wrote for an audience of 15 year-olds. But this collection of stories demonstrates that revisiting some of these classroom terrors can one day make for an unexpectedly pleasurable experience.
Went on and read the other stories in the collection as well, some of which were quite interesting though not especially exhilarating ("The Monster", "The Blue Hotel"), some little more than amusing ("The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky"), and one being clearly the best of the bunch, the much-anthologized "The Open Boat," which was far more moving to me when I read it today than it ever was reading it in class.
Don't really know why high schoolers are forced to read "classic" lit that fails to be relevant to them; seems that quickly snuffs out a general interest in reading later in life, which leads to today's miserable statistics regarding the tiny percentage of adults actually reading books these days (while, presumably, a large percentage of the rest await their orders from Oprah). It's not as if Crane wrote for an audience of 15 year-olds. But this collection of stories demonstrates that revisiting some of these classroom terrors can one day make for an unexpectedly pleasurable experience.
February 28, 2008
Hard-core working class short fiction from one of the great originals of turn of the century neo-realism. "Maggie" reminds me of Tom Waits' "Swordfishtrombones" and "Rain Dogs" with its scenes of tenement melancholy.
Also included is "The Monster" about the black stable hand who risks his life to save a child and the callousness he suffers in return.
"The Blue Hotel" is about men too drunk and too insane to remember they're human. Bukowski and Hemingway both ripped a lot of stuff from Crane.
Also included is "The Monster" about the black stable hand who risks his life to save a child and the callousness he suffers in return.
"The Blue Hotel" is about men too drunk and too insane to remember they're human. Bukowski and Hemingway both ripped a lot of stuff from Crane.
August 7, 2013
Rereading Maggie
I have read Steven Crane's short novel, "Maggie: A Girl of the Streets" many times over the years and returned to read it again recently together with Crane's more famous book, "The Red Badge of Courage." Crane wrote "Maggie" in 1891 at the age of 21 and published the book at his own expense in 1893 under the pseudonym Johnston Smith. Some famous writers, including William Dean Howells praised "Maggie" enthusiastically, but for the most part the book was indifferently received.
I have always cared more about "Maggie" than about the "Red Badge of Courage". It is difficult to understand why this is the case, other than perhaps the subject matter, but there have always been readers who also thought this way. It may be due to the intense, sincere character of this book, obviously the product of a young, rebellious man. I still love the book, even though I am older and presumably wiser than when I first read it years ago.
Maggie is set in the New York slums of the Bowery in the late 1890s. The plot is simple. Crane describes a family in the Bowery, the Johnsons, living in the midst of poverty, alcohol, violence, and squalor. For most of the book, the family consists of the alcoholic brutal mother, Mary, her wastrel, philandering son, Jim, and the young, innocently naive daughter, Maggie. Crane says Maggie "blossomed in a mud puddle. She grew to be a most rare and wonderful production of a tenement district, a pretty girl."
Maggie has a spirit-numbing job in a sweatshop. She soon takes up with a rakish bartender and friend of her brother, Nick. Maggie comes to see Nick ideally, as her knight. Nick soon seduces Maggie and her mother, in a show of righteousness, orders her to leave home. Nick summarily jilts Maggie in favor of a prostitute, Nell, with whom he earlier had a relationship. Maggie becomes a prostitute wandering the New York City streets and, within months commits suicide.
This is the bare bones of a common story. Crane's artistry and passion bring the story to life. The passion seethes through the writing even though Crane tell the tale with ironic detachment and frequently with sharp humor.
The book is told in a heavily episodic way in short chapters which may seem disjointed. Most readers at first find the book overwritten in its long descriptive passages and heavy-handed use of violence, brutality, and metaphor on almost every page. There is a sense of exaggeration, almost of caricature, in the depictions of slum life, especially in the many scenes of domestic violence. Much of the writing is fresh and suggestive, parts of it may be less so. It works to capture the environment Crane is describing.
Many readers see "Maggie" as the first work of American naturalism, meaning that the characters are shown as determined by their shocking surroundings in the slums. Other readers, including myself, think that naturalistic character of the book frequently is overstated. In a letter written shortly after the publication of the book, Crane qualified the naturalistic interpretation of the book. He wrote that "Maggie tries to show that environment is a tremendous thing in the world and frequently shapes lives regardless. If one proves that theory one makes room in Heaven for all sorts of souls (notably an occasional street girl) who are not confidently expected to be there by many people,"
The book does not take a position of environmental determinism. Rather, it is an implicit critique of the lives of some people in the slums who criticize others and refuse to work to better themselves. Even more so, it is a critique of the values of the larger society, in matters of sexual morality and in matters of callousness towards the poor and unfortunate. The book is full of religious metaphor and scenes. Crane, the son of a Methodist minister, has little sympathy with religion as practiced, but the message of compassion and forgiveness in the book has strong religious overtones. Maggie herself, while not a fully developed character, is a romantic figure in what is essentially still a romantic novel.
"Maggie" is still widely read and discussed among readers, for all the differences in interpretation of the book and disagreements about its literary quality. The lasting quality, its ability to inspire passion and disagreement, of the book alone makes "Maggie" a substantial achievement for a young writer. The book is readily accessible in various editions, including a Library of America volume devoted to the writing of Steven Crane. I was pleased to reread "Maggie" and to share my thoughts on the book with interested readers.
Robin Friedman
I have read Steven Crane's short novel, "Maggie: A Girl of the Streets" many times over the years and returned to read it again recently together with Crane's more famous book, "The Red Badge of Courage." Crane wrote "Maggie" in 1891 at the age of 21 and published the book at his own expense in 1893 under the pseudonym Johnston Smith. Some famous writers, including William Dean Howells praised "Maggie" enthusiastically, but for the most part the book was indifferently received.
I have always cared more about "Maggie" than about the "Red Badge of Courage". It is difficult to understand why this is the case, other than perhaps the subject matter, but there have always been readers who also thought this way. It may be due to the intense, sincere character of this book, obviously the product of a young, rebellious man. I still love the book, even though I am older and presumably wiser than when I first read it years ago.
Maggie is set in the New York slums of the Bowery in the late 1890s. The plot is simple. Crane describes a family in the Bowery, the Johnsons, living in the midst of poverty, alcohol, violence, and squalor. For most of the book, the family consists of the alcoholic brutal mother, Mary, her wastrel, philandering son, Jim, and the young, innocently naive daughter, Maggie. Crane says Maggie "blossomed in a mud puddle. She grew to be a most rare and wonderful production of a tenement district, a pretty girl."
Maggie has a spirit-numbing job in a sweatshop. She soon takes up with a rakish bartender and friend of her brother, Nick. Maggie comes to see Nick ideally, as her knight. Nick soon seduces Maggie and her mother, in a show of righteousness, orders her to leave home. Nick summarily jilts Maggie in favor of a prostitute, Nell, with whom he earlier had a relationship. Maggie becomes a prostitute wandering the New York City streets and, within months commits suicide.
This is the bare bones of a common story. Crane's artistry and passion bring the story to life. The passion seethes through the writing even though Crane tell the tale with ironic detachment and frequently with sharp humor.
The book is told in a heavily episodic way in short chapters which may seem disjointed. Most readers at first find the book overwritten in its long descriptive passages and heavy-handed use of violence, brutality, and metaphor on almost every page. There is a sense of exaggeration, almost of caricature, in the depictions of slum life, especially in the many scenes of domestic violence. Much of the writing is fresh and suggestive, parts of it may be less so. It works to capture the environment Crane is describing.
Many readers see "Maggie" as the first work of American naturalism, meaning that the characters are shown as determined by their shocking surroundings in the slums. Other readers, including myself, think that naturalistic character of the book frequently is overstated. In a letter written shortly after the publication of the book, Crane qualified the naturalistic interpretation of the book. He wrote that "Maggie tries to show that environment is a tremendous thing in the world and frequently shapes lives regardless. If one proves that theory one makes room in Heaven for all sorts of souls (notably an occasional street girl) who are not confidently expected to be there by many people,"
The book does not take a position of environmental determinism. Rather, it is an implicit critique of the lives of some people in the slums who criticize others and refuse to work to better themselves. Even more so, it is a critique of the values of the larger society, in matters of sexual morality and in matters of callousness towards the poor and unfortunate. The book is full of religious metaphor and scenes. Crane, the son of a Methodist minister, has little sympathy with religion as practiced, but the message of compassion and forgiveness in the book has strong religious overtones. Maggie herself, while not a fully developed character, is a romantic figure in what is essentially still a romantic novel.
"Maggie" is still widely read and discussed among readers, for all the differences in interpretation of the book and disagreements about its literary quality. The lasting quality, its ability to inspire passion and disagreement, of the book alone makes "Maggie" a substantial achievement for a young writer. The book is readily accessible in various editions, including a Library of America volume devoted to the writing of Steven Crane. I was pleased to reread "Maggie" and to share my thoughts on the book with interested readers.
Robin Friedman
February 6, 2015
Stephen Crane parece ser um autor pouco conhecido para além da sua terra natal (EUA). Eu próprio nada sabia sobre a sua obra para além do facto de este ter sido o autor do famoso conto (na América, pelo menos) "The Red Badge of Courage", que nunca li. No entanto, a sinopse impressa no verso desta edição capturou-me o interesse e, uma vez que se tratava de um volume tão barato, decidi-me a adquiri-lo. Foi um feliz achado. Os contos de Crane são relativamente invulgares - não nos temas sobre que estes se debruçam mas na forma como estes os abordam. A prosa do autor é extremamente expressionista. Os pensamentos e humores das personagens raramente nos são descritos pelo narrador, adivinhando-se estas pelas suas acções e diálogos (estes extremamente coloquiais e, consequentemente, impregnados de autenticidade)e o autor consegue com poucas linhas "pintar" uma imagem muito vivida na nossa imaginação, imagens estas por vezes extremamente dolorosas e difíceis de enfrentar, pois Crane não procura embelezar ou diminuir o horror inerentes a certas circunstâncias e ambientes sociais. Foi acima de tudo a candura com que relata circunstâncias trágicas e a simpatia que demonstra pelos proscritos da sociedade que me fez apreciar tanto os contos incluídos nesta colecção. No entanto, alguns dos seus contos parecem por vezes apressados e demasiado curtos, o que diminui algum do impacto que estes pudessem vir a ter no leitor.
Os contos incluídos neste volume são:
"Maggie: A Girl From The Streets" - Este conto debruça-se sobre as limitadas opções de vida e o abuso a que estavam e estão sujeitas as crianças e adolescentes que nascem no seio de uma família com pais abusivos, alcoólicos e violentos. Crane narra as difíceis realidades e dificuldades inerentes a nascer em tal meio de um modo directo e sem meias medidas. Um corajoso conto, especialmente tendo em conta a época em que foi escrito. (5/5)
"The Monster" relata o quão insignificante se torna um acto heróico aos olhos da sociedade quando este deixa consequências incómodas para os seus membros. Neste caso em particular, é a deformação facial e limitações cognitivas de um afro-americano que resultaram deste ter salvado de um fogo o filho do seu patrão que vêm a expor a hipocrisia e dúbia rectitude moral de uma pequena comunidade que se orgulha dos seus "bons sentimentos" e "espírito cristão". (5/5)
"The Blue Hotel" é uma história á primeira vista simples mas que defrauda a cada evento as expectativas do leitor. Vou coibir-me de debruçar-me sobre este conto porque quanto menos se souber sobre este mais enriquecedora será a sua leitura. (5/5)
"His New Mittens" apresenta um convincente retrato da manipulação emocional de que pode ser capaz uma criança de forma a evitar um castigo da parte de uma mãe que lhe ama profundamente. (4/5).
"Twelve O' Clock" evidencia a brutalidade e violência existente no Oeste americano mas com considerável dose de humor. (4/5).
"Moonlight in The Snow" trata da tentativa de uma cidade do Oeste americano de má fama obter uma imagem de respeitabilidade de modo a incentivar futuros investimentos imobiliários na sua zona, o que é dificultado pela quantidade de tiroteios e pistoleiros de índole duvidosa que caracterizam a cidade. (5/5).
"Manacled" e o conto mais fraco da colecção. Apesar de um bom conceito a sua excessiva brevidade leva a que este se torne algo inconsequente. (3/5)
"An Illusion in Red and White" é outro excelente e convincente retrato de psicologia infantil que ilustra o quão moldável e manipulável é a mente de uma criança. Sublinha também o quão perpétuamente influentes na vida de um individuo podem vir a ser conceitos e "verdades" aprendidos por estes quando crianças por mais ilógicos que estes possam parecer para um raciocínio adulto. (5/5)
Estou muito grato por ter "esbarrado" nesta versátil e excelente colecção de contos.
Os contos incluídos neste volume são:
"Maggie: A Girl From The Streets" - Este conto debruça-se sobre as limitadas opções de vida e o abuso a que estavam e estão sujeitas as crianças e adolescentes que nascem no seio de uma família com pais abusivos, alcoólicos e violentos. Crane narra as difíceis realidades e dificuldades inerentes a nascer em tal meio de um modo directo e sem meias medidas. Um corajoso conto, especialmente tendo em conta a época em que foi escrito. (5/5)
"The Monster" relata o quão insignificante se torna um acto heróico aos olhos da sociedade quando este deixa consequências incómodas para os seus membros. Neste caso em particular, é a deformação facial e limitações cognitivas de um afro-americano que resultaram deste ter salvado de um fogo o filho do seu patrão que vêm a expor a hipocrisia e dúbia rectitude moral de uma pequena comunidade que se orgulha dos seus "bons sentimentos" e "espírito cristão". (5/5)
"The Blue Hotel" é uma história á primeira vista simples mas que defrauda a cada evento as expectativas do leitor. Vou coibir-me de debruçar-me sobre este conto porque quanto menos se souber sobre este mais enriquecedora será a sua leitura. (5/5)
"His New Mittens" apresenta um convincente retrato da manipulação emocional de que pode ser capaz uma criança de forma a evitar um castigo da parte de uma mãe que lhe ama profundamente. (4/5).
"Twelve O' Clock" evidencia a brutalidade e violência existente no Oeste americano mas com considerável dose de humor. (4/5).
"Moonlight in The Snow" trata da tentativa de uma cidade do Oeste americano de má fama obter uma imagem de respeitabilidade de modo a incentivar futuros investimentos imobiliários na sua zona, o que é dificultado pela quantidade de tiroteios e pistoleiros de índole duvidosa que caracterizam a cidade. (5/5).
"Manacled" e o conto mais fraco da colecção. Apesar de um bom conceito a sua excessiva brevidade leva a que este se torne algo inconsequente. (3/5)
"An Illusion in Red and White" é outro excelente e convincente retrato de psicologia infantil que ilustra o quão moldável e manipulável é a mente de uma criança. Sublinha também o quão perpétuamente influentes na vida de um individuo podem vir a ser conceitos e "verdades" aprendidos por estes quando crianças por mais ilógicos que estes possam parecer para um raciocínio adulto. (5/5)
Estou muito grato por ter "esbarrado" nesta versátil e excelente colecção de contos.
December 23, 2025
My final read of the year and while not as emotionally resonant as I was hoping it would be, it’s a solid short story
September 5, 2013
Alright, I just had to read Maggie for class. Hopefully, one day I'll read the other short stories in here, because I've heard they are head over heals better than this one.
Back to Maggie. So, I had to read this for a basic history survey course. Most of the people in the course are a good 4-5 years younger than me, (this class was one of the last survey courses I needed for my major, yahoo). But that being said, most of the students are straight out of highschool and were either not challenged with texts in their school systems, or simply do not care. But, the first response about Crane that I heard was, "It's too hard to read, it doesn't make sense." Now, the language takes a little getting used to, but it's really not too hard to read to the point where you lose all comprehension of the story.
I think Crane is hilarious, personally. He talks about life in a dark way, yes, but shit, life is dark. It wasn't the typical, Cinderella met her fairy God mother, type story and that is exactly what I liked. I heard that Crane had wanted to leave all the characters as, "the girl", "the boy" but instead was bullied into giving them names. I would have loved if the characters didn't have names. But, thats just me.
Overall, I enjoyed it.
Back to Maggie. So, I had to read this for a basic history survey course. Most of the people in the course are a good 4-5 years younger than me, (this class was one of the last survey courses I needed for my major, yahoo). But that being said, most of the students are straight out of highschool and were either not challenged with texts in their school systems, or simply do not care. But, the first response about Crane that I heard was, "It's too hard to read, it doesn't make sense." Now, the language takes a little getting used to, but it's really not too hard to read to the point where you lose all comprehension of the story.
I think Crane is hilarious, personally. He talks about life in a dark way, yes, but shit, life is dark. It wasn't the typical, Cinderella met her fairy God mother, type story and that is exactly what I liked. I heard that Crane had wanted to leave all the characters as, "the girl", "the boy" but instead was bullied into giving them names. I would have loved if the characters didn't have names. But, thats just me.
Overall, I enjoyed it.
August 17, 2012
I do love Stephen Crane (especially his poetry I find it fascinating) but this book not so much. I base my ratings on this website on mainly two things, the writing craft but mostly how much I enjoyed the book (b/c I could go on and on about how this book's craft was incredible but you'd be asleep in 5 minutes). Maggie is a tough call for me. She is innocent and sweet ( but a bit naive)in a world that hates innocence. I feel for the character it's just that the darkness of this novel, it's brutality and it's final statement about the essence of humanity makes me cringe. In the end humanity is just a plague upon the earth, like lice, and every thing humans do is corrupt and horrible and actively seeks to destroy any redeeming good. The whole premise is that humans are naturally bad. It just doesn't jive with my own personal philosophy which is why I can't bring myself to like this book more.
October 15, 2020
Onvan : Maggie: A Girl of the Streets and Other Short Fiction - Nevisande : Stephen Crane - ISBN : 0553213555 - ISBN13 : 9780553213553 - Dar 240 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 1969
April 11, 2016
A key work of American literature, file under "naturalism" and then move on to McTeague and Sister Carrie. Published in 1893, the work describes the sordid and dismal existence of a family living in the Bowery, a section of Lower Manhattan that was infamous by Crane's time for its seedy flophouses, brothels and dive bars.
Published in 1893, this remarkable novella portrays with astonishing realism the grim despair and hopelessness of a family whose mother is an alcoholic and whose children have no way out of their impoverished circumstances. There are here no churches, no schools, no YMCAs or social service agencies; instead there are saloons, dirty streets, and street urchins or "gamins."
Crane brilliantly depicts with a laser like penetration the working class dialect, limited vocabulary, and dreadfully bleak existence of the dregs of urban society. Not unlike Carrie Meeber (Sister Carrie), the protagonist slaves away in the oppressive conditions of a collar and cuff factory.
Although "crimson legions" is the closest Crane comes to mentioning the word "prostitute," it is clear from the obliquely worded narrative that Maggie ultimately becomes a street walker. Of course in 1893 merely to suggest such a fate for the protagonist of a novel would be considered scandalous -- that is why the novella was originally published under a pseudonym. It was not until the successful reception of The Red Badge of Courage two years later that Crane published this work under his own name.
Crane is a talented writer; his taut and disciplined sentences weave a narrative that is perfectly suited to the dark and grimy world of saloons, tenements, wharves and streets. There is no nobility, no generosity of spirit, nothing of human nature that is praiseworthy in this novel. Human aspirations are either absent altogether or crushed like a bottle over your head in a barroom brawl.
Published in 1893, this remarkable novella portrays with astonishing realism the grim despair and hopelessness of a family whose mother is an alcoholic and whose children have no way out of their impoverished circumstances. There are here no churches, no schools, no YMCAs or social service agencies; instead there are saloons, dirty streets, and street urchins or "gamins."
Crane brilliantly depicts with a laser like penetration the working class dialect, limited vocabulary, and dreadfully bleak existence of the dregs of urban society. Not unlike Carrie Meeber (Sister Carrie), the protagonist slaves away in the oppressive conditions of a collar and cuff factory.
Although "crimson legions" is the closest Crane comes to mentioning the word "prostitute," it is clear from the obliquely worded narrative that Maggie ultimately becomes a street walker. Of course in 1893 merely to suggest such a fate for the protagonist of a novel would be considered scandalous -- that is why the novella was originally published under a pseudonym. It was not until the successful reception of The Red Badge of Courage two years later that Crane published this work under his own name.
Crane is a talented writer; his taut and disciplined sentences weave a narrative that is perfectly suited to the dark and grimy world of saloons, tenements, wharves and streets. There is no nobility, no generosity of spirit, nothing of human nature that is praiseworthy in this novel. Human aspirations are either absent altogether or crushed like a bottle over your head in a barroom brawl.
July 15, 2013
The character of Maggie I found sketchy but Crane's
description of the depressing poverty and the street
life of the Bowery of the 1890s is brilliantly brought
to life. Throughout the novel Maggie retains her goodness
and innocence (her little brother Jimmie is already a
seasoned street fighter) and when she meets Pete she
believes he is her white knight - but how wrong she is.
Considering the very similar endings, maybe W. Somerset
Maugham must have been influenced by this book when he
wrote his very powerful first novel "Liza of Lambeth".
Other stories include the powerful "The Monster", "His
New Mittens" deals with sympathy and understanding of
a little boy determined to run away from home. "An Illusion
in Red and Black" - the title says it all and is really a
chilling account of how young children can be manipulated
by an evil father.
description of the depressing poverty and the street
life of the Bowery of the 1890s is brilliantly brought
to life. Throughout the novel Maggie retains her goodness
and innocence (her little brother Jimmie is already a
seasoned street fighter) and when she meets Pete she
believes he is her white knight - but how wrong she is.
Considering the very similar endings, maybe W. Somerset
Maugham must have been influenced by this book when he
wrote his very powerful first novel "Liza of Lambeth".
Other stories include the powerful "The Monster", "His
New Mittens" deals with sympathy and understanding of
a little boy determined to run away from home. "An Illusion
in Red and Black" - the title says it all and is really a
chilling account of how young children can be manipulated
by an evil father.
August 17, 2007
Published by 21, famous by 24, dead by 28, it's really no surprise that Crane's fiction was ambitious or depressing. His word economy (and plot economy) was almost revolutionary in his time, and so even his worst stories are quick and relatively good reads. This volume contains some of his better short fiction, such as "Blue Hotel," the excellent short story on the attitudes of immigrants and self-fulfilling prophecies. This additional short fiction helps make up for some of the huge gaps in storytelling that Crane left in the title story - popular with the literary crowd, but annoying to the average reader who wants tragedy to be earned at some point.
December 22, 2011
Maggie (which I reread) is a classic and wonderfully devastating, but what really blew me away in this collection was the other text that I read for my exam, "The Monster." It's Frankenstein meets post-bellum commentary on American race relations, and the result is both very creepy and very moving. I think it would be a great story to teach in an American lit course because it shows the breakdown of the sentimental approach to overcoming racial difference that Stowe tries so hard to inculcate. I also think that it would generate some really interesting ethical debates among students about the character's decisions and discussions about Henry Johnson's fate.
February 22, 2015
I heard about this book in APUSH and the ending was already spoiled by the textbook and my teacher, but nonetheless, I wanted to read it. For a story written in the late 1800s, it was very eye-opening to the unfortunate conditions of the New York tenements and the family situations. The story revolves around Maggie, a sweet, young innocent girl who slowly gets corrupted by her disgusting surroundings and the consequences of her decisions. It was a very "quick" read and I had a fun time reading the New York accents aloud (as there is a lot of dialogue in the book).
August 25, 2010
A decent bunch of short stories. Although, somewhat surprisingly to say the least, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets was my least favorite in the collection.
Oh, for some strange reason Algeria was again mentioned in a book this summer. I don't know what it is with the place, but it seems something is calling me to Algeria. Or maybe the bigfoot aliens are leaving secret messages for me, warning me to not go to Algeria, or maybe they want me to go to Algeria to fulfill my interstellar destiny.
Oh, for some strange reason Algeria was again mentioned in a book this summer. I don't know what it is with the place, but it seems something is calling me to Algeria. Or maybe the bigfoot aliens are leaving secret messages for me, warning me to not go to Algeria, or maybe they want me to go to Algeria to fulfill my interstellar destiny.
October 21, 2007
I tried to read this. I couldn't. It kind of sucks. Even if it was this boy-genius's first (and, ahem, self-published) novel and I should be educated enough to get around the impossibly phonetic dialog and stilted plot. I mean, hey, one of America's first real naturalistic novels! Yay! But, no.
I did mightily enjoy the introduction. Crane was a fascinating bloke.
I did mightily enjoy the introduction. Crane was a fascinating bloke.
December 5, 2020
His prose can often be enthralling, but I find his attempts at "dialect" a bit distracting and cumbersome.
November 11, 2020
The Red Badge of Courage and Other Stories was the bait, but this book proved to be the line that reeled me into the works of Stephen Crane with the writer himself being the talented fisherman. In other words, this collection of Crane's works helped to establish him as one of my favorite writers of all time.
I found to be quite the depressingly fantastic piece about a beautiful, young girl who loses everything she has, including her family, her paramour and her innocence. The novella successfully made me feel bad for the titular character and the horrible experiences she underwent while trying to survive in the streets of New York. I also couldn't put it down during most of the story as it was an interesting dive into urban fiction.
was even better than the aforementioned work as it is one of the most brilliant pieces of anti-racism literature that I've read, and the fact that it was written while America was undergoing its hard Progressive movement in history made it so much better. I immediately fell in love with the character of Henry Johnson and was quick to feel bad for him after being shunned by the townsfolk despite his heroic deeds and actions. Finally, the character of Dr. Ned Trescott may not have been Atticus Finch, but he was still an incredibly noble and humble man when faced with the disapproving eyes of his neighbors and friends.
"The Blue Hotel" was a decent read. The only things I can really commend this piece for is Crane's mastery of prose and its beautiful setting. The story itself was hard to understand and the characters didn't really stand out too much to me. I still recommend giving it a read, but it probably won't be the most entertaining of these stories.
"The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky" is an amazing piece about the changes of society and time and the loss of old traditions and cultures. The story was well-written, had some profound messages and symbols and was decently intense to the point of leaving me slightly at the edge of my seat.
Finally, I won't include a review of "The Open Boat" because I already did so in my review of The Red Badge of Courage and Other Stories, but I will end this off by saying that Stephen Crane is one of America's best and most revolutionary writers and I can safely say that the majority of his works are definitely worth reading. His prose is magnificent, his subjects are interesting and profound and his brilliant style and uses of symbolism have secured him a spot on my list of favorite all-time writers. Although, it is quite sad that he is one of the most underrated writers of our time.
I found to be quite the depressingly fantastic piece about a beautiful, young girl who loses everything she has, including her family, her paramour and her innocence. The novella successfully made me feel bad for the titular character and the horrible experiences she underwent while trying to survive in the streets of New York. I also couldn't put it down during most of the story as it was an interesting dive into urban fiction.
was even better than the aforementioned work as it is one of the most brilliant pieces of anti-racism literature that I've read, and the fact that it was written while America was undergoing its hard Progressive movement in history made it so much better. I immediately fell in love with the character of Henry Johnson and was quick to feel bad for him after being shunned by the townsfolk despite his heroic deeds and actions. Finally, the character of Dr. Ned Trescott may not have been Atticus Finch, but he was still an incredibly noble and humble man when faced with the disapproving eyes of his neighbors and friends.
"The Blue Hotel" was a decent read. The only things I can really commend this piece for is Crane's mastery of prose and its beautiful setting. The story itself was hard to understand and the characters didn't really stand out too much to me. I still recommend giving it a read, but it probably won't be the most entertaining of these stories.
"The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky" is an amazing piece about the changes of society and time and the loss of old traditions and cultures. The story was well-written, had some profound messages and symbols and was decently intense to the point of leaving me slightly at the edge of my seat.
Finally, I won't include a review of "The Open Boat" because I already did so in my review of The Red Badge of Courage and Other Stories, but I will end this off by saying that Stephen Crane is one of America's best and most revolutionary writers and I can safely say that the majority of his works are definitely worth reading. His prose is magnificent, his subjects are interesting and profound and his brilliant style and uses of symbolism have secured him a spot on my list of favorite all-time writers. Although, it is quite sad that he is one of the most underrated writers of our time.
May 28, 2020
An interesting collection of stories and an early novella by Stephen Crane combine to create a decent overview of the work of the author. "The Blue Hotel" is a hallmark of the collection of short stories and did not ring with the same punch I remembered. The work remains strong in description and action but the premise is so odd, it seems like a spaghetti western. The novella fails as the intended morality warning to the masses but this lack of hitting mark does little to take away from the vibrant early prose of an American master storyteller. Throughout the unfortunate fall of the hero of this tale of want and sorrow there are bursts of brilliance throughout the text. Mr. Crane, even early in his career, is able to string together vivid and intriguing descriptions of scenes and characters. While there are stronger texts from Mr. Crane's short career to enjoy, this novella, as be was beginning his career in fits and starts, is a lovely introduction to the style Crane would make his own in Red Badge.
February 12, 2018
4/5: Besta sagan þótti mér The Open Boat (fimm stjörnur). Þvínæst The Monster, mjög áhugaverð (kannski fjórar stjörnur). The Blue Hotel fannst mér síðri, þó hún væri athyglisverð í sjálfu sér (3-3 1/2). Maggie (3 stjörnur) er frumraun hjá Crane, og þannig nokkuð óhefluð, en segja má að það henti söguefninu. Áhrifarík mynd sem hann varpar af fátæktarlífinu í New York, en honum átti eftir að fara fram sem höfundi og sjálfur söguþráðurinn og persónusköpunin nokkuð einföld. The Bride Comes to the Yellow Sky (2-2 1/2 stjarna) var allt í lagi, en skildi lítið eftir sig. Það vekur svo ekki minni athygli hvílíka hæfileika Crane sýndi, jafn ungur og hann var. Hann lifði hins vegar hratt og dó ungur.
October 27, 2025
"The Open Boat" is an exceptional short story, incredibly well-written and more than worthwhile as a reading experience.
However, the rest of this book is terrible. The other stories are depressing and/or pointless, and Stephen Crane's obsession with vernacular-style dialogue is jarring to a modern reader.
However, the rest of this book is terrible. The other stories are depressing and/or pointless, and Stephen Crane's obsession with vernacular-style dialogue is jarring to a modern reader.
May 13, 2020
Crane is a better storyteller than I remember, or perhaps he does better with shorter forms or when bot trying to carry such big themes. Regardless, this is some nice writing. Detailed, well-paced, and interesting. Wish he’d lived long enough to write more.
September 1, 2021
Not too bad. I think it's interesting how the culture was during those times and it reads really well in this story. A sad story about a girl turned prostitute after a bad childhood. Very scandalous for its time I'm sure.
July 26, 2018
4 stars for 𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑔𝑖𝑒 and 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑂𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝐵𝑜𝑎𝑡. 2 stars for the other stories.
October 18, 2019
A masterful storyteller,Crane's place in the American literary canon is well deserved
December 30, 2019
I recommend this anthology of short fiction by Stephen Crane (1871-1900) for its variety and originality. The story Maggie seems stereotypical in the way it begins, but the vivid characters and settings make it a strong, unique piece. The plots of the next three stories--Monster, The Blue Hotel, and The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky--are all amazingly unique and real. One is a kind of Elephant Man story and the other two are unique Westerns. This collection is now one of my all time favorites because it's given me great respect for Crane's imagination and story telling.
January 1, 2022
Super interesting writer, want to read his bio by Paul Auster, but this collection was real rough
February 23, 2026
Crane has a knack for observing the ordinary and extracting from that a real understanding of human nature
October 27, 2015
The writing here is so modern, in word choice, in structure, in topic, and in theme, everything is so modern and fresh, that it's actually quite jarring when Crane refers to things that place his stories before the automobile, before jazz music, and before citywide electric streetlights and paved roads.
He populated many of his stories in this collection with the poor and uneducated, and captured their dialogue without pandering to them or condescending. He strove for accuracy in his retellings. In Maggie, especially, his population of the urban poor were stuck, not only in their poverty and violence, not only in their pasts, but stuck also in their language- not stupid, but also not able to express themselves fully. Crane gave these characters repetitive language, full of passion but lacking in specific content.
"Ah what deh hell" "Deh hell" and "Oh hell" became the catch all terms for anger, confusion, exasperation, disbelief, bravado, deferred dreams, resignation, and even for pleading. With these shades of meaning erased by the language- or more specifically by the lack of it, you can see how many of the feelings and mental states can begin to cloud and blur and just generally be lumped together under the most primal of these- anger. Crane showed us a very angry place in Maggie, a place where everyone was locked in by their lack of material wealth and education, barely able to even express sympathy or regret. It was deep.
All of the stories in this collection were equally deep, but maybe they were even more purely stories, focusing heavily on the characters and letting the characters create the story around themselves. Where Maggie, the title piece, may have been the most purposefully designed in terms of theme and topic, and is the most well known, the others are more literary in terms of character and setting, and, in a very modern way, their meaning is hidden within the engaging story and never stated specifically. A real idiot might have some trouble getting anything out of Maggie, but any idiot could enjoy the other stories, even if they couldn't get anything deeper out of them.
The Monster is a story about a young black man who works for a wealthy doctor until he is greatly disfigured rescuing the doctor's son from a fire, and it then becomes an examination of duty and obligation and the subtle social costs involved in going against popular opinion.
The Blue Hotel is a story about a man coming to an unfamiliar town during a snowstorm and becomes an almost new agey examination of the way your preconceptions shape your experiences.
The Bride Comes to Yellow Knife starts as the sheriff of a small town goes to pick up his new bride and becomes an examination of how to wield true power.
The Open Boat is a semi-autobiographical tale of survival and becomes the type of examination of meaning and purpose in a life that will ultimately end and the understanding gained by facing those questions.
But, as I said, each of these stories in engaging in character, setting, and plot, even if the reader never quite grasps what the story is ABOUT, they have plenty to chew on with very much alive characters making decisions.
Stephen Crane is considered by many critics to be the father of modern American fiction. And reading these stories I understand why. But they are just good stories anyway- worth reading for non-academic reasons.
He populated many of his stories in this collection with the poor and uneducated, and captured their dialogue without pandering to them or condescending. He strove for accuracy in his retellings. In Maggie, especially, his population of the urban poor were stuck, not only in their poverty and violence, not only in their pasts, but stuck also in their language- not stupid, but also not able to express themselves fully. Crane gave these characters repetitive language, full of passion but lacking in specific content.
"Ah what deh hell" "Deh hell" and "Oh hell" became the catch all terms for anger, confusion, exasperation, disbelief, bravado, deferred dreams, resignation, and even for pleading. With these shades of meaning erased by the language- or more specifically by the lack of it, you can see how many of the feelings and mental states can begin to cloud and blur and just generally be lumped together under the most primal of these- anger. Crane showed us a very angry place in Maggie, a place where everyone was locked in by their lack of material wealth and education, barely able to even express sympathy or regret. It was deep.
All of the stories in this collection were equally deep, but maybe they were even more purely stories, focusing heavily on the characters and letting the characters create the story around themselves. Where Maggie, the title piece, may have been the most purposefully designed in terms of theme and topic, and is the most well known, the others are more literary in terms of character and setting, and, in a very modern way, their meaning is hidden within the engaging story and never stated specifically. A real idiot might have some trouble getting anything out of Maggie, but any idiot could enjoy the other stories, even if they couldn't get anything deeper out of them.
The Monster is a story about a young black man who works for a wealthy doctor until he is greatly disfigured rescuing the doctor's son from a fire, and it then becomes an examination of duty and obligation and the subtle social costs involved in going against popular opinion.
The Blue Hotel is a story about a man coming to an unfamiliar town during a snowstorm and becomes an almost new agey examination of the way your preconceptions shape your experiences.
The Bride Comes to Yellow Knife starts as the sheriff of a small town goes to pick up his new bride and becomes an examination of how to wield true power.
The Open Boat is a semi-autobiographical tale of survival and becomes the type of examination of meaning and purpose in a life that will ultimately end and the understanding gained by facing those questions.
But, as I said, each of these stories in engaging in character, setting, and plot, even if the reader never quite grasps what the story is ABOUT, they have plenty to chew on with very much alive characters making decisions.
Stephen Crane is considered by many critics to be the father of modern American fiction. And reading these stories I understand why. But they are just good stories anyway- worth reading for non-academic reasons.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2013
Poor Mrs. Johnson, she spends her life throwing three sheets to the wind only to witness her household collapse around her. She raises Jimmie and his little sister Maggie to regard their kin with vigilence. She teaches them smashing English so that they too may communicate when push comes to shove. Home cooked potatoes grow Jimmie into a durable chap and Maggie becomes a pretty woman. If only the devil hadn't gotten hold of Maggie, the Lord wouldn't have to redeem her soul in heaven.
Poor Mr. Johnson, he fights the devil for Jimmie's soul only to lose his dapper identity to hot chemical transformation. He mentors and reconciles Jimmie as he relates and minds coach duties. Instinctively, he searches through the terrific confusion of smoke and flame so that he may pull Jimmie from harm's way. The house of fire cooks an exploding jar that reduces his face like red wine. If only the fire snake hadn't bit his face, people wouldn't have to care for his suffering.
I got sidetracked. So much for finishing the blue hotel. I planned on reading during the course of an evening bus ride home, however I was left to walk home. Shenanigans followed. I plated with a PVC pipe like a Buddhist monk and slung trash from the ditch into the road. I stopped at a stream for a drink and saw a garter snake with a slick black body and a green stripe. Green racer I called him. The sun kept me warm between signs. I did 66 push ups for every road sign at I traveled. I picked up a broken rock shaped like a banana that I used for curls as I walked into traffic. I threw the rock when I needed to cross a fence. I posted on slack barbed wire with a road sign for balance. When I released the road sign and swung my hips toward the other side of the fence I found my balance compromised and slid my knuckle down a fence post only to catch it with my chin. I fell back from trading blows with the post onto the laptop in my back back where the screen cracked. I had my cell phone in my hood because of its reflective qualities in the twilight of night and lost it for good. Now I forgo the bus and only walk around my small hometown and use the library for electronics.
Poor Mr. Johnson, he fights the devil for Jimmie's soul only to lose his dapper identity to hot chemical transformation. He mentors and reconciles Jimmie as he relates and minds coach duties. Instinctively, he searches through the terrific confusion of smoke and flame so that he may pull Jimmie from harm's way. The house of fire cooks an exploding jar that reduces his face like red wine. If only the fire snake hadn't bit his face, people wouldn't have to care for his suffering.
I got sidetracked. So much for finishing the blue hotel. I planned on reading during the course of an evening bus ride home, however I was left to walk home. Shenanigans followed. I plated with a PVC pipe like a Buddhist monk and slung trash from the ditch into the road. I stopped at a stream for a drink and saw a garter snake with a slick black body and a green stripe. Green racer I called him. The sun kept me warm between signs. I did 66 push ups for every road sign at I traveled. I picked up a broken rock shaped like a banana that I used for curls as I walked into traffic. I threw the rock when I needed to cross a fence. I posted on slack barbed wire with a road sign for balance. When I released the road sign and swung my hips toward the other side of the fence I found my balance compromised and slid my knuckle down a fence post only to catch it with my chin. I fell back from trading blows with the post onto the laptop in my back back where the screen cracked. I had my cell phone in my hood because of its reflective qualities in the twilight of night and lost it for good. Now I forgo the bus and only walk around my small hometown and use the library for electronics.
January 8, 2016
Crane had a certain fascination with the downtrodden underdogs, assorted drunks, and street characters of his time. I actually find the author more interesting and intriguing as a person than his stories and brief snapshots of a New York City long gone. As for Maggie, the "girl of the streets", I either did not pay enough attention to the details of this bleak tale or just found it depressing for other than "SAD", it did not have much of a pay-off as a story; perhaps writing sad tales was Crane's way of dealing with the serious respiratory malady that ultimately killed him in his twenties. His body was under prolonged attack , but one gets the impression there was a very bright spirit and mind within that frail flesh. He seemed uninterested in writing about socialites or the wealthy but instead had a fascination with the impoverished, the lost souls, the losers and the raw, rough reality of their lives. There is plenty of atmosphere to Crane's writing and the characters are quite vivid; it's just a pretty joyless ride, sort of a crumbling sand castle of a volume of stories and observational scenarios. It is pointless to compare Red Badge of Courage to this collection; they almost seem written by two different authors. I can't exactly say I found this book entertaining but it was worth checking out.
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