Reviews

The Red Badge of Courage and Selected Short Fiction by Stephen Crane

lottie_moony's review against another edition

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challenging informative lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

beehanc1929's review against another edition

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tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

angeldove0505's review against another edition

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4.0

Had to read this for my humanities class. I liked it but I think I paid too much attention to what was going to happen instead of really taking the time I needed for the book. I hate reading a book only to have a discussion/paper due. It takes the enjoyment out of the read.

erindemse's review against another edition

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challenging sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

librarianna81's review against another edition

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2.0

Gosh, this book took me so long to get through because I was so bored I kept drifting and then having to rewind!! Which upset me, because I liked the premise of the story, and I know it's a Civil War classic. I just wish I had cared at all about "the youth." I suppose I did to an extent; there were some spots that really had me engaged. I just mostly wanted to sleep through the entire thing. There are definitely better Civil War stories out there, that's for darn sure.

It did, however, make me want to start cursing by saying "Thunder!"

Edit: I liked Henry's change of heart, and the internal struggles he went through. I didn't notice much of this famous "color imagery" that the book is so known for. And, really, at the end, when they say "It's over"...it just makes me sad for them. But, I suppose, c'est la vie....

jennmora's review against another edition

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5.0

Lush imagery and poetic writing. It boggles my mind that the author was able to plumb the depths of the human spirit as it confronts the atrocities of war having never engaged in battle. I felt immersed in the fight along with the youth. Riveting literature! Highly recommend the audiobook available on Libby (Listening Library, Books on Tape...reader unknown). The reader is at turns stoic and passionate which imbues the literature with a tone which I may have missed reading on my own.

kmccurdy's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I’m sure this is a good book, I know it’s a classic and normally I love Stephen Crane. It was a bit dry and I don’t love the topic of war so I think it just wasn’t for me.

laurenbachman7's review against another edition

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2.0

I had to give this book a low rating because quite frankly I found it boring. War books in the first place are not my cup of tea, so I figured I wouldn't care for it, but I read it anyways because it's a classic. Set in the Civil War, young Henry decides to join the Army in hopes of becoming a man. Once he faces the reality of war, however, he realizes it is too much to handle and hopes to be wounded with a "red badge of courage" so that he may flee from the fighting. Henry is ashamed of his cowardice, but throughout the novel fights with his inner guilt and fear on his journey of becoming a true man.
Although I was mostly bored by the content in general, I give this book props for the story of a young man burdened with the realities of being a soldier who learns to grow from his mistakes and accept them.

charity_royall_331's review against another edition

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5.0

I do not know how I managed to earn a degree in English, taking approximately three times the number of literature courses I needed, without ever having read this. But what an experience has been waiting for me these 30+ years! The whole experience of war is here in this small, potent novel: fear, boredom, aggression, confusion. Especially resonant for me as my son awaits his journey to boot camp. The Marine Commandant's Reading List (assembled by General James Mattis) was my impetus to read this at last.

shane_tries_to_read's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging informative reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0