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Maggie: A Girl of the Streets and Selected Stories
Published in 1893, Crane's first novel shocked a world unprepared for his grim and starkly realistic exploration of the destructive forces within and against us. Maggie tells of a young girl's fall in turn-of-the century Bowery. Five stories offer sketches of small-town and city life and war stories imbued with the irony of heroism.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
3 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Crane
1,484 books1,057 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 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 29, 2023
Fantastically written stories, especially of the downtrodden living in New York's bowery district, long ago. It is written, that Crane's art of writing, is the extreme in human fate and behavior and this is so very true. This was an enjoyable read, written by a masterful storyteller!
May 20, 2020
Harsh realism of 19th century America.
September 11, 2013
This very short novella set in a poor district of New York at the end of the nineteenth century tells the story of a young girl's descent into prostitution. The daughter of a drunken and abusive mother and father, Maggie succumbs to the charms of her brother's friend, Pete, who seems to promise a little more fun and excitement that she has ever known. But of course it goes badly wrong.
The blurb on the back says that the book 'shocked a world unprepared for his grim and starkly realistic exploration of the destructive forces within and against us': I'm a little surprised that readers were so very shocked even back in 1893. Everything about Maggie's ruin is implied rather than explicitly gone into, and I always thought that girls being ruined was the mainstay of Victorian melodrama. To be honest I found the story fairly predictable with characters that were not very fully realised. It was interesting as a historical piece of writing, but not that exciting otherwise.
The blurb on the back says that the book 'shocked a world unprepared for his grim and starkly realistic exploration of the destructive forces within and against us': I'm a little surprised that readers were so very shocked even back in 1893. Everything about Maggie's ruin is implied rather than explicitly gone into, and I always thought that girls being ruined was the mainstay of Victorian melodrama. To be honest I found the story fairly predictable with characters that were not very fully realised. It was interesting as a historical piece of writing, but not that exciting otherwise.
March 3, 2018
Clever literature; brutal, disturbing subject matter.
I appreciate Crane's conviction here. Every page evidences his plea for a response to the hopeless dysfunction in the poverty-plagued tenements in New England. When publishing companies turned him away, Crane went into debt to publish this novel himself. And it's well he did so. I don't know the impact it had at the time, but his point is driven home relentlessly.
This is difficult reading because of the disturbing nature and behavior of the characters in the story. But it's worse if you listen to the LibriVox recording; it's terrible! It's a collaborative audiobook, where each chapter is read by a different person. Some of them were fine. But some were like nails on a chalkboard. I actually thought one reader's voice was an electronic bot for the first several minutes. (Maybe I wasn't even wrong, and it was just a really good bot that can do a New York accent.)
I appreciate Crane's conviction here. Every page evidences his plea for a response to the hopeless dysfunction in the poverty-plagued tenements in New England. When publishing companies turned him away, Crane went into debt to publish this novel himself. And it's well he did so. I don't know the impact it had at the time, but his point is driven home relentlessly.
This is difficult reading because of the disturbing nature and behavior of the characters in the story. But it's worse if you listen to the LibriVox recording; it's terrible! It's a collaborative audiobook, where each chapter is read by a different person. Some of them were fine. But some were like nails on a chalkboard. I actually thought one reader's voice was an electronic bot for the first several minutes. (Maybe I wasn't even wrong, and it was just a really good bot that can do a New York accent.)
August 17, 2022
-MAGGIE, A GIRL OF THE STREETS-
"The girl, Maggie, blossomed in a mud puddle... None of the dirt of Rum Alley seemed to be in her veins."
barely 75 pages that have served me to
1) want to adopt maggie and give her a hug
2) realize all the other characters are shit people
3) give me goosebumps with such descriptions
i wish i could have known an analysis of the work, but the lousy organization of my american literature professor (if there ever was one) did not allow it 💔
"The girl, Maggie, blossomed in a mud puddle... None of the dirt of Rum Alley seemed to be in her veins."
barely 75 pages that have served me to
1) want to adopt maggie and give her a hug
2) realize all the other characters are shit people
3) give me goosebumps with such descriptions
i wish i could have known an analysis of the work, but the lousy organization of my american literature professor (if there ever was one) did not allow it 💔
September 25, 2023
Maggie is just a good story. Great visuals.
August 18, 2017
I first started reading this book because it was required of my Women's Literature class. We only read/referenced the first story though, the Maggie story. Even then I remember it being a sad story and the ending disappointed me. I can't believe how badly she was treated and she didn't deserve that, from her mother or from the men around her. I felt so bad for her and found it hard to read at times without cringing. I wish it had ended better for her, I really do. Poor girl.
Anyway, since I had started it, I figured I should at least read the rest of the book before tossing it out. Unless a book really fails to hold my attention or bores me to tears, I simply can't throw it out without finishing the rest of it. I have to read it cover-to-cover or I feel I've accomplished nothing. The other stories were alright. The two war stories kinda bored me, although it was comical watching that one kid try and get the water to the soldiers. I really liked the "Youth" story about the girl and the boy the worked at the fair. I wish it hadn't ended so soon.
The last story "The Monster" had equally the same tone as the Maggie story. I understand that it was probably written before the civil rights movement but I simply can't condone literature that treats black people so badly or looks down on them so much, especially in the days of slavery. As hard and sometimes annoying as I find it when an author writes dialogue in "ebonic" form with a lot of bad pronunciation, my heart truly went out to the Henry character. He didn't deserve to be treated so harshly simply because his face was burned off. He should have been seen as a true hero for his sacrifice to save little Jimmie. I'm so glad that the doctor and Jimmie defended him and tried to make everyone else see that he was worth knowing and not to be feared simply because of his appearance. Trust me, I've been there before. It's an awful feeling and really hit home to see this man being classified as a "Monster" when he should have been branded a "Hero."
Overall, it was an okay book. Depressing but yeah, worth a read for the first and last stories.
Anyway, since I had started it, I figured I should at least read the rest of the book before tossing it out. Unless a book really fails to hold my attention or bores me to tears, I simply can't throw it out without finishing the rest of it. I have to read it cover-to-cover or I feel I've accomplished nothing. The other stories were alright. The two war stories kinda bored me, although it was comical watching that one kid try and get the water to the soldiers. I really liked the "Youth" story about the girl and the boy the worked at the fair. I wish it hadn't ended so soon.
The last story "The Monster" had equally the same tone as the Maggie story. I understand that it was probably written before the civil rights movement but I simply can't condone literature that treats black people so badly or looks down on them so much, especially in the days of slavery. As hard and sometimes annoying as I find it when an author writes dialogue in "ebonic" form with a lot of bad pronunciation, my heart truly went out to the Henry character. He didn't deserve to be treated so harshly simply because his face was burned off. He should have been seen as a true hero for his sacrifice to save little Jimmie. I'm so glad that the doctor and Jimmie defended him and tried to make everyone else see that he was worth knowing and not to be feared simply because of his appearance. Trust me, I've been there before. It's an awful feeling and really hit home to see this man being classified as a "Monster" when he should have been branded a "Hero."
Overall, it was an okay book. Depressing but yeah, worth a read for the first and last stories.
April 15, 2011
Maggie: A Girl of The Streets is the unfortunate story of a young Irish girl who is born into the lower class. As a beautiful, naïve girl of the streets, whose family situation is terrifying, Maggie is quick to take the first opportunity to leave when she is seduced by a bartender who eventually “ruins” her. After her family realizes that Maggie has lost her virginity to this intruder, she is rejected by her family and forced to live with her lover. Soon after, her lover unapologetically leaves her for a well-to-do woman named Nellie. When Maggie realizes she is not welcome back home, she is forced to turn to prostitution. This ultimately leads to her tragic fate.
Personally, I appreciated the valuable lessons of class warfare tucked in this story, but found it to be a dry read. It was a quick read, so I was not disappointed in the time that I invested in it, though. Overall, I can appreciate the text, but would not read it a second time.
As far as teaching this text, I believe it could be taught in the classroom. I support this statement because this text was a required text in a college course I took this semester. It can serve as an adequate demonstration of an early American novel as well as a History lesson about class warfare in the earlier 1900’s. The sexual undertones send a red flag, but the vagueness of the text seems like it allows teachers a better opportunity to teach this as part of the classroom curriculum.
Personally, I appreciated the valuable lessons of class warfare tucked in this story, but found it to be a dry read. It was a quick read, so I was not disappointed in the time that I invested in it, though. Overall, I can appreciate the text, but would not read it a second time.
As far as teaching this text, I believe it could be taught in the classroom. I support this statement because this text was a required text in a college course I took this semester. It can serve as an adequate demonstration of an early American novel as well as a History lesson about class warfare in the earlier 1900’s. The sexual undertones send a red flag, but the vagueness of the text seems like it allows teachers a better opportunity to teach this as part of the classroom curriculum.
January 21, 2011
Two solid novellas mixed with a bunch of sub-par short stories. "Maggie, a Girl of the Streets" is worthwhile mainly as a reporting exercise (Crane dressed like a bum and "slummed" on the Lower East Side for weeks to get the feel of life in the old tenement houses). The characters are all pretty stock and pretty unsympathetic, and lack the kind of lovable buffoonery Dickens manages to put in his stock lower-class characters. Still, some of the vignettes, like the opening children's rock battle, and the bar fight, are fantastic. I actually liked "Monster," the other novella in this book, a lot more. It's about a black hostler who is horribly burned and disfigured when saving his master's son from a house fire. He then becomes a kind of Rorschach-test demon for his small town, with everybody expressing their horror of him in their own peculiar ways. Its a strange and wonderful take on racism and loyalty.
Also, the afterword by Tom Wolfe in this edition is great. He manges to convey his excitement at discovering Crane's naturalistic style and New Realist eye for detail. He also laments the post-World War II novelistic turn towards internal struggles and makes a rousing call for a return to journalistic fiction about everyday life.
Overall a worthwhile read.
Also, the afterword by Tom Wolfe in this edition is great. He manges to convey his excitement at discovering Crane's naturalistic style and New Realist eye for detail. He also laments the post-World War II novelistic turn towards internal struggles and makes a rousing call for a return to journalistic fiction about everyday life.
Overall a worthwhile read.
April 8, 2008
It reads like the unpolished work in a writers’ workshop: a good story, but it is very rough stylistically
April 11, 2021
Did not finish.
Another book in a row that I did not complete. Maybe it's me.
I read maybe two-thirds of the "Maggie" story, and was just bored and lost. At the outset, I thought the writing was rather lovely and interesting. The story was depressing, about an abusive, poverty-stricken family, and I was pretty in invested in it at first. But the thick "Irish" accent Crane wrote into the story made it tough to understand and after a while, I honestly just got tired of struggling through it and gave it up.
The next story, about a homeless pauper looking for a bite to eat and a place to stay for the night, was well told and suitably depressing, but ultimately led no where. Not much really happened; it was more of a character study than anything. It was okay.
The story after that, about a man who owns a carousel, (and about a young man who operates it, and the owner's daughter who sells tickets, and the flirtation between the two), was good as far as the writing and description go, but again, really went nowhere. I don't even remember the ending, and I just read it a day ago.
Honestly, I gave up out of boredom and didn't really want to sit through the rest of the stories.
Another book in a row that I did not complete. Maybe it's me.
I read maybe two-thirds of the "Maggie" story, and was just bored and lost. At the outset, I thought the writing was rather lovely and interesting. The story was depressing, about an abusive, poverty-stricken family, and I was pretty in invested in it at first. But the thick "Irish" accent Crane wrote into the story made it tough to understand and after a while, I honestly just got tired of struggling through it and gave it up.
The next story, about a homeless pauper looking for a bite to eat and a place to stay for the night, was well told and suitably depressing, but ultimately led no where. Not much really happened; it was more of a character study than anything. It was okay.
The story after that, about a man who owns a carousel, (and about a young man who operates it, and the owner's daughter who sells tickets, and the flirtation between the two), was good as far as the writing and description go, but again, really went nowhere. I don't even remember the ending, and I just read it a day ago.
Honestly, I gave up out of boredom and didn't really want to sit through the rest of the stories.
September 30, 2018
When I used to watch Bugs Bunny cartoons I got a kick of how people spoke; saying "see' at the end of everything.
I'm gonna punch you in the face, see!
I gotta a bunny rabbit in my basket, see!
Well, apparently people really spoke like that around the turn of the twentieth century, or thereabouts.
In Stephen Crane's Maggie, Crane has the common speech of the day exhibited very well. It's a hoot to read. It's a sad story though, about a poor girl with alcoholic parents looking for a way out.
The other stories are pretty good as well, especially The Monster; a story of the prejudice people can have because of a disfigurement...even if you're a hero.
For those looking for more of his war stories, they're here too.
More of a 4 star book, objectively speaking, but it did not stick with me overly much. Also the ending to Maggie was a bit vague; the reader has to surmise what happened. I went to Wikipedia for an opinion.
I hate when I have to do that!
I'm gonna punch you in the face, see!
I gotta a bunny rabbit in my basket, see!
Well, apparently people really spoke like that around the turn of the twentieth century, or thereabouts.
In Stephen Crane's Maggie, Crane has the common speech of the day exhibited very well. It's a hoot to read. It's a sad story though, about a poor girl with alcoholic parents looking for a way out.
The other stories are pretty good as well, especially The Monster; a story of the prejudice people can have because of a disfigurement...even if you're a hero.
For those looking for more of his war stories, they're here too.
More of a 4 star book, objectively speaking, but it did not stick with me overly much. Also the ending to Maggie was a bit vague; the reader has to surmise what happened. I went to Wikipedia for an opinion.
I hate when I have to do that!
September 20, 2025
Picked this up with no preconceived notions or knowledge about what this was or where it was going and was pleasantly surprised by the contents within. Short stories are usually not my jam, but the two novellas within are well written and full of feeling for the human condition. “Maggie” and “The Monster” are both quite good, the latter particularly surprising because of the turns it takes. There is also a good short read in here called “Youth” that I enjoyed. Overall, makes me want to revisit Stephen Crane because there is a spark here that I found engaging, and I wanted to read more.
May 9, 2024
Maggie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
(the curse of the poor, the disillusionment, and the oppression of the society to women)
An Experiment In Misery - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
(First page, and I'm hooked. Would love to hug him)
The Pace of Youth - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
(the language of the eyes. It has this Murakami-short-story feels)
A Mystery of Heroism - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
(funny. Like kids bragging)
An Episode of War - ⭐⭐
(honestly can't remember)
The Monster - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
(juxtaposition of a brave deed and a horrifying appearance. Utang na loob)
(the curse of the poor, the disillusionment, and the oppression of the society to women)
An Experiment In Misery - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
(First page, and I'm hooked. Would love to hug him)
The Pace of Youth - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
(the language of the eyes. It has this Murakami-short-story feels)
A Mystery of Heroism - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
(funny. Like kids bragging)
An Episode of War - ⭐⭐
(honestly can't remember)
The Monster - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
(juxtaposition of a brave deed and a horrifying appearance. Utang na loob)
May 17, 2019
Poverty brought on drunkenness which naturally led to abuse. Stephen Crane's observation of New York City's new immigrants is vivid. He takes me to a raw time and place in history, one I'm very glad I missed.
March 9, 2016
(3.5) "Maggie" is dark and demoralizing story of what it's like to grow up in the poverty-stricken areas of Manhattan at the end of the 1800's. This is not a happy story, but lives like those of Maggie and her brother were not uncommon, and Crane didn't want to make them an exception to the rule. They, like others in this time, couldn't escape the unrelenting pressures and influences of their toxic society.
January 20, 2010
Probably my favorite "classic" novel.
April 24, 2018
Brutal naturalism with a hint of expressionism.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews