The Red Badge of Courage

By Stephen Crane

Book Overview

&&LIThe Red Badge of Courage and Selected Short Fiction&&L/I, by &&LBStephen Crane&&L/B, is part of the &&LI&&LIBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I &&L/Iseries, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of &&LIBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I: New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events Footnotes and endnotes Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work Comments by other famous authors Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations Bibliographies for further reading Indices & Glossaries, when appropriate All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. &&LIBarnes & Noble Classics &&L/Ipulls together a constellation of influences--biographical, historical, and literary--to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works. Young Henry Fleming dreams of finding glory and honor as a Union soldier in the American Civil War. Yet he also harbors a hidden fear about how he may react when the horror and bloodshed of battle begin. Fighting the enemy without and the terror within, Fleming must prove himself and find his own meaning of valor. &&LPUnbelievable as it may seem, &&LBStephen Crane&&L/B had never been a member of any army nor had taken part in any battle when he wrote &&LIThe Red Badge of Courage&&L/I. But upon its publication in 1895, when Crane was only twenty-four, Red Badge was heralded as a new kind of war novel, marked by astonishing insight into the true psychology of men under fire. Along with the seminal short stories included in this volume--"The Open Boat," "The Veteran," and "The Men in the Storm"--&&LIThe Red Badge of Courage&&L/I unleashed Crane's deeply influential impressionistic style. &&L/P&&LP&&LBRichard Fusco&&L/B has been an Assistant Professor of English at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia since 1997. A specialist in nineteenth-century American literature and in short-story narrative theory, he has published on a variety of American, British, and Continental literary figures.&&L/P

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1593081197
• ISBN13: 9781593081195
• Release Date: November 2004
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble Classics
• Length: 198 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Skip the intro

Great book. But be sure to read the introduction _after_ you read the book, not before. It gives away too much of the story. :-(

Value-added edition of this worthy classic ...

THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE is a classic story about a boy who comes of age as a Union soldier during the Battle of Chancellorsville. You experience the frustrations, fears, illnesses, injuries, defeats and wins through the eyes of an idealistic young man. Crane's writing is remarkable. His use of language is so proficient he portrays the reality of a war he never experienced in the space of a short story. This particular edition with an introduction by Richard Fusco adds much-needed information for readers today. Fusco's notes explain what Crane meant by certain words or phrases that were popular at the time, but which have no meaning, or different meaning, today. His introduction is enlightening. It provides a short biography of Crane, which gives the reader even more insight into the stories. And speaking of stories, in addition to RED BADGE, this edition contains 3 short stories: THE OPEN BOAT (based on Crane's near-death experience), THE VETERAN, and THE MEN IN THE STORM. It also provides commentary from contemporary authors.