The Red Badge of Courage
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4.0 • 142 Ratings
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Publisher Description
An Apple Books Classics edition.
Henry Fleming is full of romantic notions when he signs up to join the Civil War, fighting as a Union soldier. But after seeing the horrors of his first battle, Henry tries to run away at the next one, even as he shamefully envies the other wounded soldiers their "red badges" of courage. When he gets the chance to redeem himself on the field, he does. But at what cost?
Although it was published in the 19th century, this novel was banned in schools long into the 20th for its graphic depiction of war and its violent, empty battles. It is a timeless contemplation of courage, individuality, and what it means to be a "man."
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This 1895 tale of young soldier Henry Fleming's initial experiences in combat during the Civil War still startles. Artist Vansant captures Fleming's uncertainty and fear quite well, sometimes through effectively understated facial expressions. Yet this adaptation oversimplifies Crane's portrayal of Fleming, ignoring or de-emphasizing the character's other failings: his egotism, his talent for self-justification and the "wild battle madness" underlying much of his later heroism. In Crane's book, Fleming is haunted by his desertion of the dying "tattered man"; in Vansant's version, Fleming forgets him. Though Crane's book is a landmark in realism, the author's symbolic writing turned Fleming's battlefield into a mythic realm. Vansant's conventionally realistic artwork, on the other hand, is more prosaic than Crane's brilliantly descriptive captions. This adaptation faithfully introduces the plot, characters and primary themes of Red Badge to readers unfamiliar with the original book without penetrating the full depths of Crane's masterwork.
Customer Reviews
The Fog of Self-Doubt
We're all cowards, but we're all heroes. In the midst of war, men and women find themselves. The public accolades will never triumph over personal demons.
Outstanding
I last read this 60 (!) years ago. I did not care for it then, largely because I did not understand it. It seemed much different—and much, much better—this time around. I recall reading somewhere that the author wrote the book as a way of experiencing what happened, “what it must have been like”. He succeeded brilliantly. I will read and reread this novel again, between the books of Civil War history I consume.
The Red Badge of Courage
Stephen Crane’s tale of a young man entering and serving in the Civil War was an intellectual bore. It seemed that Crane tried to write a war story in the point of view from a young man in search of his call, but the whole point of the book is lost in trying to sound too poetic. This was a disappointing read.