Classic - Fifth printing 1967
Stephen Crane - THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE
This book is very unusual.
I wish I'd found (and read) it earlier.
Might have helped me a bit while I went through my adolescence, to learn that the confusion, uncertainty, and about-face on decisions/choices are natural.
The Red Badge of Courage isn't about physical wounds picked up during battle - those visual scars and signs that one survived a battle, might be able to live to the end of the war.
Nor is this about a boy (Henry Flemming) growing up, leaving home to join the army, with his school friends, against the wishes of his mother.
The Red Badge Of Courage could be about any war, any young man (and woman) going through terrible times.
It speaks to the heart, to the soul, to over inner beings.
How?
By the way the author, Stephen Crane, wrote the book. It is from 'The Youth' viewpoint, following his thoughts, trailing him as he trails his regiment as they go off to fight for his country.
Most of the characters remain nameless, many others remain faceless - it is this way of not-describing people that allows the situations Henry faces to feel real, because we are drawing upon OUR memories, our feelings, our thoughts - the young man just guides where we go, doesn't demand what we pay attention to.
I love the details.
Stephen Crane's use of color - lots of red (Handkerchiefs, blood, sky, and more), yellow, the black curses, blue demonstrations, white, and more.
His description of sounds - both natural and machine, and war, -Dragon "red and green monster" meaning the enemy infantry and its hellish advance towards them, along with the shelling.
I could go on, but I think I'll stop here.
Can see why this book has made it into The MacMillan Classics.
This book is very unusual.
I wish I'd found (and read) it earlier.
Might have helped me a bit while I went through my adolescence, to learn that the confusion, uncertainty, and about-face on decisions/choices are natural.
The Red Badge of Courage isn't about physical wounds picked up during battle - those visual scars and signs that one survived a battle, might be able to live to the end of the war.
Nor is this about a boy (Henry Flemming) growing up, leaving home to join the army, with his school friends, against the wishes of his mother.
The Red Badge Of Courage could be about any war, any young man (and woman) going through terrible times.
It speaks to the heart, to the soul, to over inner beings.
How?
By the way the author, Stephen Crane, wrote the book. It is from 'The Youth' viewpoint, following his thoughts, trailing him as he trails his regiment as they go off to fight for his country.
Most of the characters remain nameless, many others remain faceless - it is this way of not-describing people that allows the situations Henry faces to feel real, because we are drawing upon OUR memories, our feelings, our thoughts - the young man just guides where we go, doesn't demand what we pay attention to.
I love the details.
Stephen Crane's use of color - lots of red (Handkerchiefs, blood, sky, and more), yellow, the black curses, blue demonstrations, white, and more.
His description of sounds - both natural and machine, and war, -Dragon "red and green monster" meaning the enemy infantry and its hellish advance towards them, along with the shelling.
I could go on, but I think I'll stop here.
Can see why this book has made it into The MacMillan Classics.