La roja insignia del valor

Por Stephen Crane

Con tan solo 24 años, Stephen Crane cambió el curso de la literatura bélica con su obra maestra La roja insignia del valor. Por primera vez, la guerra deja de ser un escenario romántico para convertirse en un infierno de fango, desesperación y miedo. La novela no tardó en convertirse en un best-seller que atrajo la atención de todo tipo de lectores, incluidos los más jóvenes. Crane conjuga con talento inigualable la descripción expresionista del campo de batalla con las dudas que siente el individuo hacia su valor en una situación extrema. Ambientada durante la Guerra Civil Americana, un joven se alista voluntario ingenuamente para defender unos ideales que irán siendo destruídos con el fragor de los cañonazos. Su capacidad narrativa y la agilidad de los diálogos sorprendieron a autores como Joseph Conrad, Henry James o H. G. Wells, aunque serían los narradores norteamericanos de la Generación Perdida (Hemigway, Dos Passos y Faulkner) quienes más se verían influidos por la prosa de Crane. Fallecido prematuramente a los 28 años, poco antes de morir acudió como corresponsal de prensa a la Guerra de Cuba, lo que le llevó a escribir Heridas bajo la lluvia, también publicada por Rey Lear en el número 1 de esta colección.

• Idioma: Español
• Editorial: Rey Lear
• Fecha de lanzamiento: 1 may 2011
• ISBN: 9788492403660

Stephen Crane

Stephen Crane (1871-1900) was an American poet and author. Along with his literary work, Crane was a journalist, working as a war correspondent in both Cuba and Greece. Though he lived a short life, passing away due to illness at age twenty-eight, Crane’s literary work was both prolific and highly celebrated. Credited to creating one of the earliest examples of American Naturalism, Crane wrote many Realist works and decorated his prose and poetry with intricate and vivid detail.

Vista previa del libro

PRESENTACIÓN

S

TEPHEN CRANE (1871-1900) aún no había nacido cuando en 1865 acabó la Guerra Civil Americana, que enfrentó a los industriales estados del Norte con los de un Sur agrícola, que asentaba su economía en la explotación del obrero negro y la esclavitud.

Y, sin embargo, pese a no haber presenciado aquellas batallas donde los soldados sangraban y morían bajo los cañonazos de la artillería, La roja insignia del valor (1895) parece ser la novela de un testigo directo de aquellos horrores. El realismo de los detalles que describe entre las trincheras impresionó tan poderosamente a los lectores que medio mundo se rindió a su destreza novelística y el libro se convirtió en un best-seller.

Desde Inglaterra, Joseph Conrad escribía a propósito de La roja insignia del valor que, «durante el transcurso de mi lectura de aquel librito, merecedor por entonces de un reconocimiento tan ruidoso, había ido creciendo mi interés por la personalidad de su autor. La imagen de un joven sencillo e inexperto, que a consecuencia de las necesidades de su país se convierte en una pieza de la gran máquina de la guerra, era presentada con un planteamiento tan serio, un sentido de lo trágico y una fuerza de expresión tan imaginativa, que me causó un enorme impacto, al encontrarme con algo de todo punto extraordinario y digno de admiración sin reservas».

Conrad y Crane se conocieron durante un almuerzo en Londres. El norteamericano acababa de leer El Negro del Narcissus y, pese a que nunca había sido un gran lector, la novela le había gustado. Conrad describe a Crane como «un joven de estatura media y complexión leve, de penetrantes y firmes ojos azules, los de alguien que no sólo ve visiones sino que es capaz de cavilar sobre ellas con algún propósito».

«Poseía una intuición maravillosa —continúa el autor de El Negro del Narcissus—, que aplicó a las cosas de nuestra tierra y de nuestra humanidad mortal con una fuerza incisiva que parecía llegar al verdadero espíritu de la esencia de la vida, más allá de sus apariencias formales. Su ignorancia del mundo en general —había visto muy poco de él— no se interponía en el camino de su imaginativa captación de los hechos, acontecimientos y personajes pintorescos. Su tenor era muy tranquilo, su personalidad interesante a primera vista y su forma de hablar encerraba una parsimonia y entonación que en algunas personas, principalmente en los americanos, creo que ejercía un efecto desagradable. A mí no. Cualquier cosa que dijera llevaba un acento personal y se expresaba con una simplicidad gráfica extremadamente encantadora. Sabía poco de literatura, ya fuera de su propio país o extranjera, pero cuando tomaba la pluma era un fantástico artista de las palabras. Desvelaba entonces su don, que se revelaría como algo más que la mera facilidad o felicidad de lenguaje. El impresionismo de su frase calaba mucho más hondo de la superficie. Estaba muy seguro de los efectos de su escritura. No creo que dudara jamás de sus posibilidades. Con todo, a menudo me parecía que sólo apreciaba a medias la excepcional calidad de sus logros».

La misma atracción que Conrad sintió por Crane la experimentaron también Henry James, Ford Madox Ford o H. G. Wells. Aunque tal vez ninguno de ellos se diera cuenta de que La roja insignia del valor era algo más que una buena novela con éxito. Porque había logrado crear un subgénero narrativo, el del relato bélico donde lo que prima no es la épica romántica sino la injusticia salvaje del campo de batalla, la crueldad de la muerte que llega por sorpresa entre el miedo y la suciedad del frente. Tendrían que pasar décadas para que el magisterio de Crane fuera comprendido en todas sus dimensiones por autores como John Dos Passos, William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, E. E. Cummings, Norman Mailer, Kurt Vonnegut o Erich Maria Remarque.

Para entonces, Crane ya estaba frío en su tumba, después de haber contemplado poco antes de su muerte, y desde primera línea de fuego, la brutalidad y el desconcierto de la batalla en la guerra greco-turca y en la que enfrentó a España y los Estados Unidos de América en Cuba durante 1898. A ambas asistió en calidad de periodista, como enviado especial, y de ésta última escribió los magníficos relatos recopilados en Heridas bajo la lluvia, volumen publicado por REY LEAR en el número 1 de esta colección.

Poco antes de su muerte, Conrad volvió a encontrarse con Crane. «Fue en Dover, en un gran hotel, en una habitación con un amplio ventanal que se abría sobre el mar. Había estado muy enfermo y Mrs. Crane [se refiere a su compañera, Cora Stewart-Taylor] lo llevaba a algún lugar de Alemania. Pero una mirada a aquel rostro morbosamente adelgazado fue bastante para convencerme de que era la esperanza más vacía que pudiera haber. Las últimas palabras que me dirigió con aliento entrecortado fueron: Estoy cansado. Transmíteles mi afecto a tu mujer y a tu hijo. Cuando me detuve junto al umbral para darle un último adiós vi que había vuelto su cabeza sobre la almohada y que miraba fijamente por la ventana las velas distantes de un cúter, que cruzaba lentamente ante el vano como una sombra difuminada contra el cielo gris».

Herido de muerte por la tuberculosis, Cora Stewart-Taylor logró ingresarle en un hospital de la localidad alemana de Badenweiller, donde ya nada se pudo hacer. Murió allí en 1900 a los 28 años de edad. En el mismo lugar donde también fallecería cuatro años después el gran escritor ruso Antón Chéjov. Es curioso, no hay constancia de que Crane hubiera leído jamás a Chéjov, pero se consideraba discípulo de un amigo y admirador de éste, León Tolstoi.

EL EDITOR

CAPÍTULO 1

E

L FRÍO SE RETIRABA de mala gana de la tierra y, al desvanecerse, la niebla reveló a un ejército que descansaba acampado en las colinas. A medida que el paisaje pasaba del marrón al verde, el ejército se despertó y comenzó a estremecerse de ansiedad ante la propagación de rumores. Fijaba la mirada en los caminos, que dejaban de ser largos lodazales casi líquidos para transformarse en auténticas carreteras. Un río, de tonalidad ambarina bajo la sombra de sus orillas, murmuraba a los pies de los soldados; y por la noche, cuando la corriente se transformaba en una negrura triste, se podía divisar el brillo rojizo, parpadeante, de las hogueras del campamento enemigo, apostado en las cimas bajas de las lejanas colinas.

De pronto, un soldado de gran estatura se sintió diligente y bajó a lavar una camisa. Regresó a toda prisa desde el arroyo ondeando la prenda como si fuera una bandera. Traía noticias que le había transmitido un amigo de confianza, quien, a su vez, las había recibido de un honesto soldado de caballería, que también las había escuchado de un hermano fiable, uno de los ordenanzas del cuartel general. Al hablar, se dio la importancia de un heraldo ataviado de grana y oro.

—Mañana nos movemos seguro —dijo pomposamente a un grupo que se encontraba en la calle principal de la compañía—. Vamos a remontar el río, lo cruzaremos y les rodearemos por detrás.

Detalló a su atenta audiencia el llamativo y elaborado plan de una brillantísima campaña. Cuando terminó, los hombres de azul se dispersaron para discutir en pequeños grupos entre las filas de barracas chatas y pardas. Un carretero negro, que había estado bailando sobre un embalaje de galletas ante cuarenta soldados que le jaleaban entre risas, se vio abandonado. El hombre fue a sentarse con tristeza. El humo se dispersaba perezosamente desde multitud de pintorescas chimeneas.

—¡Eso es mentira! ¡Es una patraña! —gritó otro soldado. Su rostro suave había enrojecido y tenía las manos hundidas con mal humor en los bolsillos del pantalón. Se había tomado el asunto como una afrenta personal—. Este maldito y viejo ejército no va a salir en la vida. Estamos listos. Me he preparado para salir ocho veces en las dos últimas semanas, y nunca nos hemos movido.

El soldado alto se sintió obligado a defender la autenticidad del rumor que él mismo había propagado. La controversia hizo que ambos casi llegaran a las manos.

Un cabo comenzó a quejarse ante el grupo. Acababa de poner un costoso suelo de madera en su barraca, dijo. Y a principios de la primavera se había abstenido de aumentar significativamente la comodidad de su morada porque creyó que el ejército emprendería la marcha en cualquier momento. Sin embargo, últimamente tenía la impresión de que se encontraban en una especie de campamento perpetuo.

Muchos de los hombres se enzarzaron en una acalorada discusión. Uno resumió con peculiar lucidez todos los planes del general al mando. Se le enfrentaron quienes defendían que los proyectos de campaña eran otros. Se gritaban, muchos intentaban en vano llamar la atención de la asamblea. Mientras, el soldado que había propagado el rumor se paseó de un lado para otro con aires de grandeza.

Le llovían preguntas de todas partes:

—¿Qué ocurre, Jim?

—El ejército va a salir.

—¿De qué hablas? ¿Cómo lo sabes?

—Bueno, puedes creerme o no, tú verás. Me importa un rábano.

La manera en la que respondía daba que pensar. Al no dignarse a proporcionar ninguna prueba, llegó casi a convencerlos. El asunto encendió los ánimos.

Un soldado joven había estado escuchando con ansiedad las palabras del soldado alto y los diversos comentarios que habían suscitado en sus compañeros. Cuando se hartó de discusiones sobre marchas y ataques, se dirigió a su barraca y se arrastró a través del intrincado agujero que hacía de puerta. Deseaba rumiar a solas ciertos pensamientos que le asaltaban últimamente.

Se echó en la amplia litera que se extendía al fondo de la habitación. En el otro extremo de la estancia, varios embalajes de galletas servían de mobiliario. Se hallaban agrupados cerca de la chimenea. En la pared de troncos descansaba la foto de una revista semanal y, colgados de ganchos, tres rifles se alineaban en paralelo. Varias piezas del equipo pendían de unos salientes situados al alcance de la mano, y algunos platos de hojalata reposaban sobre una pila de leña. Una tienda de campaña plegada les servía de techo.

La luz del sol, al caer sobre ella, le confería un brillo amarillo claro. Un ventanuco arrojaba un cuadrado oblicuo de luz invernal sobre el suelo abarrotado. El humo de la hoguera en ocasiones se salía de la chimenea de arcilla e inundaba la estancia. Aquella endeble chimenea de arcilla y ramas amenazaba constantemente con prender fuego a todo la barraca.

El joven pasaba por una especie de pequeño trance de estupor. Así que, finalmente iban a luchar. Tal vez, al día siguiente habría una batalla, y él tomaría parte en ella. Le costó tiempo y esfuerzo hacerse a la idea. No podía aceptar del todo el presentimiento de que estaba a punto de tomar parte en uno de los grandes conflictos de la Tierra.

Por supuesto que había soñado con batallas toda su vida, con vagos y sangrientos conflictos cuyo fuego y devastación le sobrecogieron el ánimo. Se había imaginado en numerosas contiendas. Había fantaseado con la idea de que las gentes hallaban seguridad bajo la sombra de su valor y su mirada de lince. Pero, despierto, veía las batallas como manchas sangrientas en las páginas del pasado. Las tomaba por cosas del ayer, asociadas a fabulaciones de pesadas coronas y altos castillos. Había una parte de la historia del mundo que él consideraba como el tiempo de las guerras, pero ese tiempo, creía, había desaparecido para siempre.

Desde su hogar, sus ojos juveniles habían contemplado con desconfianza la guerra en su propio país. Debía de tratarse de una especie de teatro. Hacía ya mucho tiempo que había perdido la esperanza de presenciar una batalla al estilo griego. Aquello no volvería a ocurrir, se había dicho. Los hombres eran mejores o más medrosos. La educación seglar y religiosa había eliminado el instinto de agarrarse por el gaznate. O, tal vez, era la solidez de la economía la que mantenía controladas las pasiones.

Había deseado alistarse muchas veces. Los relatos sobre grandes gestas zarandeaban el país. Podían no ser precisamente homéricas, pero aún así parecían gloriosas. Había leído sobre marchas, asedios, conflictos, y había soñado presenciar todo aquello con sus ojos. Su agitada mente había dibujado grandes cuadros de extravagante colorido, refulgentes de hazañas que quitaban el aliento.

Pero su madre le había desalentado. Mostraba cierto desprecio hacia la calidad de su ardor guerrero y su patriotismo. Era capaz de sentarse tranquilamente y, sin aparente dificultad, enumerar cientos de razones por las que resultaba mucho más necesario en la granja que en el campo de batalla. Se había expresado de tal manera que él comprendió que sus palabras provenían de una convicción profunda. Estaba convencido, además, de que las argumentaciones de su madre tenían un fundamento ético inatacable.

Al final, sin embargo, se había rebelado con firmeza contra aquella postura que pretendía empalidecer el color de sus ambiciones. Los periódicos, los cotilleos del pueblo, sus propias fabulaciones, le habían entusiasmado hasta extremos incontrolables. Se estaba combatiendo de verdad allá abajo. Casi cada día los periódicos daban cuenta de una victoria decisiva.

Una noche, cuando se encontraba en la cama, el viento le trajo el tañido de la campana de la iglesia. Algún entusiasta daba frenéticos tirones a la cuerda para propagar la noticia tendenciosa de una gran batalla. Aquella voz del pueblo entusiasmado en la noche le hizo vibrar en un prologado éxtasis de emoción. Luego acudió a la habitación de su madre para decirle:

—Madre, me voy a alistar.

—Henry, no seas tonto —le contestó su madre.

Después se cubrió la cara con el edredón.

Y el asunto quedó zanjado por esa noche.

Sin embargo, a la mañana siguiente se dirigió a un pueblo que se encontraba cerca de la granja de su madre y allí se alistó en una compañía que estaba formándose.

Comentarios para La roja insignia del valor

[4bonasa · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

A classic of the anti-war genre. Read in HS.

[auntmarge64 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This short novel recounts a young farm boy's first battle as a Union soldier and his internal struggles with cowardice. Scholars believe the action is meant to take place at Chancellorsville.Henry Fleming enlists against his mother's wishes. Like many naive youngsters, he thinks battle will be glorious, but instead his group is kept in camp for a lengthy period, bored and uninformed of what is planned for them. When they are finally called to action, he sees little purpose to what they do against a seemingly invincible enemy, and he runs away from the battle. Later in the day he makes his way back to try to find a way to feel good about himself. I found the book generally unsatisfying. Henry's internal monologue taken as a whole is thought-provoking, but it's difficult to relate to his reasoning and actions. This may be because I have no experiences by which to judge his, but I think it goes deeper. Henry's not particularly likable (and apparently wasn't to Crane, either). There's something in his manner and speech (and in those of his fellow soldiers), that made me think of the three escaped prisoners in the movie "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" In other words, bumbling and not-too-bright fools. However, many people thought it was so spot-on that he must have been at war himself, so the book obviously resonated with many at the time it was published.

[akblanchard_1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

A young man moves from cowardice to courage, doubt to self-confidence, and youth to manhood in this classic Civil War novel.Between the conversations in dialect and the chaotic battle scenes, I found this novel hard to follow but rewarding. I particularly liked Crane's use of color imagery. Recommended for Civil War buffs.

[mahsdad · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Written near the end of the 19th Century, this is a classic story of the Civil War. The "youth" leaves his farm and mother as an idealistic soldier wanting to fight the good fight for the Union. War is Hell, especially in the 1860's. But it also means long stretches of boredom. After much waiting around, the Youth's regiment meets the enemy on the battle field. He finds he is overwhelmed and has a crisis of faith and confidence and runs away, a coward. He eventually returns to his unit, after much soul searching, the next day, crisis resolved, determined to become a good soldier.This war story is, perhaps, the prototypical war story. I recognized many tropes of modern war stories (both in film and books). The unsure, untested youth, who rises to be a hero. The gruff veteran leader who cajoles and inspires his troops to fight on to victory.A classic story that is engrossing, despite being almost 125 years old. Despite being that old, the language wasn't that dated, and very readable."In the darkness he saw visions of a thousand-tongued fear that would babble at his back and cause him to flee, while others were going coolly about their country's business. He admitted that he would not be able to cope with this monster. He felt that every nerve in his body would be an ear to hear the voices, while other men would remain stolid and deaf.""In the present, he declared to himself that it was only the doomed and the damned that roared with sincerity at circumstance.... A man with a full stomach and the respect of his fellows had no business to scold about anything that he might think to be wrong in the ways of the universe, or even with the ways of society."8/10S: 1/7/17 - F:1/15/17 (9 Days)

[fuzzi_1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

This book has been considered a classic, but I never considered reading it until this year: I am trying to read many of those classics that I neglected during my childhood.The story is told through the perspective of 'the youth', aka 'Henry'. He is a raw recruit in the Union Army, during the American Civil War, actual year is not mentioned. Henry dreams of glory until his first real battle. He survives, but has conflicting emotions, which continue to haunt him until the next battle.I did have some difficulty with this book, especially concentrating during occasional musings by Henry. However, I did get a better sense of what the young soldiers must have experienced.I'm glad I finally read it, but am unsure of a reread in the future.

[arielfl · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This was another classic I read to help out my twelve year old daughter for school. Somehow I missed it in my youth which is just as well because I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it then anyway.The story is about Henry Fleming, a spoiled young man who enlists in the Union Army against his mothers advice. Henry doesn't know what to expect in war. For a long time his unit is left idling, waiting to engage the enemy. When they are finally called to battle it is not anything like Henry expected. Although he tries to fight he decides it would be suicide to stay and runs. He is so convinced that they will all be needlessly slaughtered that he is determined to alert the field commander that he is making a mistake. By the time he reaches the officer he finds out that the men in his unit who have stayed to fight have indeed won the battle. Henry feels ashamed of himself when he sees the men with their bloody injuries, their "red badges of courage." Not so ashamed though that he does not accept the bedroll and care offered to him by a fellow soldier who mistakenly thinks that Henry was injured in battle but in reality his head wound was obtained while running away. Henry examines himself and his actions and determines to be more courageous the next time he meets the enemy. In the ensuing battle Henry grabs up the flag and leads his unit after it is dropped by the injured flag bearer. By taking charge Henry metaphorically makes the transition from a boy to a man.Although the author never served in a regiment his portrayal of war is very realistic. As I read I could clearly picture the bullets whizzing past the heads of the men as they fought. Another searing image that will stay with me is the dead soldier in the woods. At the time this was written, the war was being portrayed as being glorious by people such as Frederick Douglas. Crane's depiction offered a much more realistic view of the horrors of war. Stephen Crane used literary devices such as simile, personification, alliteration, and imagery to paint a vivid picture of what it would have been like to be on the battlefield. The text needs to be read slowly in order to get the full picture of the words. My twelve year old daughter was bored to tears by this book and I am sure that many children who are assigned this novel fail to appreciate it. Part of the problem may be that the protagonist is a very unlikeable person. Even when he is having his moment of glory, he is doing so by wresting the flag away from another soldier who is also reaching for it. Henry's characters flaws aside, I still found the book fascinating. I have always enjoyed learning about the Civil War and having visited several battlefields I could clearly picture the events as they were unfolding in the book. I don't think a generation raised on Harry Potter and Hunger Games will find a lot to enjoy in this novel but I did like the soldiers perspective of war that this book gave.

[bryndahlquis · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

I found it very hard to keep my attention focused on it, and half the time I honestly had no idea what was going on. But, since I really wasn't interested, I never could take the time to go back and find the context.I can kind of see why this book has become such a classic, but I have to say that it's just not for me.

[stefany_6 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Red Badge of Courage is a descriptive narration of one youth's first battle experience during the Civil War. This book deals with a dark time in American History and the writer treats it as such. The detail is stark, bleak and Crane doesn't sugar coat anything. I'm not disappointed that I finally picked this up and read it. It is a very short novel and doesn't take much of a time commitment to read. I did however find it dragging in parts and it took me a while to get into it. Henry, the youth, of the novel is a fairly simple individual who is shown the ugly face of war and his reactions to his first experiences are what the book is about. All in all, this is a good book, but nowhere near great. I'm not a big fan of Crane's style in his storytelling, however he does paint a vivid picture and the reader gets a clear idea of what it may have been like to be an unwitting youth going into battle for the first time with little training or warning of what to expect.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

While I read this in high school I remembered almost nothing. The prose of the novel is beautiful and Crane highlights the ugliness of the war with the nature images that exist in the midst. Henry (or "the youth") is not a very likeable character - he is deluded about a great many things, including his very own character. He successfully faces his fears and develops courage, but it's questionable if he succeeds in facing his self-delusions. The chaos and incomprehensibility of war are so successfully captured in this short novel so that the reader can imagine just what it was like.

[srboone · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Not as exciting or as emotionally relevant as I thought it would be, but immensely enjoyable.

[santhony_35 · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

For Christmas, I ordered an mp3 player (Library of Classics) that was pre-loaded with 100 works of classic literature in an audio format. Each work is in the public domain and is read by amateurs, so the quality of the presentation is hit or miss. This was the fifth novel I’ve completed and, like the first four, the reader did not detract from the experience, and was in fact quite good.The Red Badge of Courage is subtitled “An Episode of the American Civil War”. It follows a callow, young Union soldier named Henry Fleming, as he enlists and sees his first action against the Confederate Army. At times, the story is very engaging, however very long stretches are taken up with the thoughts and imaginings of young Fleming that grind the story to an agonizing halt. It is no secret that Fleming runs from his first encounter with battle, whereupon numerous chapters are consumed with his rationalizations and recriminations as he wanders the rear, seeing injured soldiers and advancing and withdrawing units, before he returns to his squad with a mysterious head wound which covers his cowardice.Subsequent skirmishes take place in which the author uses every florid adjective in the English language to describe Fleming’s actions, thoughts and impressions. The final several chapters are so absurd in their tortured use of descriptive words and phrases that I was left shaking my head. As bad as the audio version was, I can only imagine having to read the book. Avoid at all costs.

[lhlogan1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

A lot of people seem to dislike this tale, but I enjoyed it. Really set the stage for thinking about the Civil War.

[elosoblanco · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

I think that there are some very telling moments in this novel, and I think there are some beautiful metaphors, but there was something about it that just did not draw me in. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something was missing.

[6boysandme · Calificación: 1 de 5 estrellas]

Summary: I am sure that I'm just to much of a girl to appreciate the wonder of this book. War, war, war and the suffering of young boys is all around us. I imagine my boys will glory in it, now if I can just get through it again...

[auntieclio · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

The Red Badge of Courage is yet another book that has been praised so much I thought I should read it. While I can't say that I enjoyed it, or even appreciated it, I can say I'm not sorry I read it. But into the Give Away pile it goes.

[n.t.embe · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

My last status update on this book may have confused a great deal of those following along with me. The four-out-of-five star rating was probably even more of a shocker for those of you watching me rant and rave, practically frothing and foaming at the mouth with madness as I slung curses like weapons--desiring and willing to accept nothing short of our main character's, Henry's, death and destruction. There is validity in this! Since we first meet Henry, this kid who wants to become a soldier for the glory's sake along with every other wrong reason you can contrive, I didn't like him. He was a self-serving, fame-seeking kid (again, I emphasize) who didn't give a rip about his mother's concern for his safety, and only the admiration of absolutely everyone around him. He goes behind her back, joins the army, and is disappointed when a "poetic" and beautifully scripted farewell scene isn't given the chance to play out because his mom is too busy lecturing him about the various dangers and giving him advice on how to SURVIVE before he goes! Yeesh what a prick!

But oh no, that's not the reason I hate him. No, that comes almost instantly afterwards and for the next SEVENTY PAGES. Considering the book is about 100pgs long? That means he spends more than half the time being a complete JACKWAGON. D8< *Mild loss of temper* But how do I mean this? What do I base it off of? Well, perhaps that he thinks poorly of everyone around him, calling them far more stupid and saying he's the more superior and perceptive, when all the little brat has done is this: nothing. NOTHING!!! He RAN AWAY when the fighting got tough! He got injured because he was holding onto a retreating soldier, babbling like an idiot, and then got whacked in the head with the butt of his rifle! Then he has the AUDACITY to walk into camp and say he was SHOT in the HEAD. And he LIVES IT UP too! Taking advantage of the guy treating him! But hey, before he gets THAT "battle scar" he's complaining about how his body aches and how hungry he is and how his feet hurt. You little inconsiderate! There are men DEAD everywhere AROUND YOU. And others who are ALIVE and SUFFERING. And you have the GALL to tell me that you can barely STAND?! What type of nonsense is this!?!?!?!

And it goes ON, as I said, for the next TWO THIRDS of the book! GAH! I wanted to smack him and strangle him and MORE. At every--single--TURN he's doing something new that makes me want to throttle the living daylights out of him!!! And man, does he pull some incredible stunts of asininity. -__- Seriously, how far up your own butt do you have to be to think that highly of yourself? What a prick!!!

So why, you ask, did I give this book a four out of five? Well, because around the late 60 to early 70 page mark, I made an update saying that for once... Henry was acting the part of a man. There was a large gap after that one status update, where I had no further comments until I reached the end of the book. It was in those last thirty or so pages that something unexpected happened--what I had hoped would happen throughout most of the story: Henry became a man. There was no more of his philosophy, no more comparing himself to the other men around him. It was just a burning desire to enact what he had to; to get the task at hand done, and to do it with every fiber of his being. When he stopped thinking about himself, about some falsely claimed or obtained glory, and just did what needed to be done... when he didn't realize he was throwing himself right past the front lines, fully capable of being shot and killed at any moment... when he had no hesitance to run forth right into the bullets and try to claim the victory...! Those are the moments where he changed. Where, suddenly, he wasn't the little boy anxious for poetic depictions of battle and glory and praise. He was the man, throwing himself out there, regardless of the circumstances or the possible danger, the horrible outcomes, and growing up through those actions.

What's more that finally settled my mind about this? ...he admitted how ashamed he was. And... that he hated the thoughts of himself, when he looked back on how he had been when he first started out. Is there a fine line that's being trod here? Is the change too abrupt? ...perhaps, perhaps not.

Either way... it was stunning to see, and it... surprised me in a good way. It took me aback and... it made me realize that he did change. Those actions--they spoke louder than any words he ever uttered. And he uttered less and less of them the more he grew towards the end. I feel that, if only because of the ending, it was worthwhile. Boys go into wars and come out men. And... perhaps this is one of the best examples of that transformation, and how suddenly, how amazingly... it happens, without us even knowing it.

It's a truly amazing book in a way. I would definitely recommend it to be read. It was enjoyable, even if for the greatest part of it, I was a lunatic desiring our main character's death. *Chuckles* But hey... people change. And that's what is so fascinating and interesting about this book. That this kid who I thought for certain was going to be a stupid prick to the very end... ended up changing like that. Definitely read it, at some point or another. If you don't want to risk it, then take it out of a library or get it secondhand, but at the very least, it's a book that's worth a shot.

[aiufjcf · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

This book didn't really grab me. It was just ok.

[allen1993 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

About a young union soldier who ran from battle during the civil war. This book taught me the importance of forgiving yourself and others.

[kronos999_1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Another book that I no doubt should have read as a child, but never got to (not being American). Very fast read. I finished the entire thing in about an hour. While it is a classic study of the horrors gripping a young soldier on his first trip to the battlefield and influential in its time, the book didn't really grab me. This is probably due to the use of theme as plot in a fairly short novel so I never really became attached to Henry.

[musicmom41 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Crane, Stephen: The Red Badge of CourageI'm not sure how I managed to miss reading this for so many years because it is one of the most well known American classics about the Civil War. It was never a reading assignment for me in school for which I am now glad because I'm sure I enjoyed it more as an adult than I would have as a student.This is an "interior" novel that emphasizes the thoughts and emotions of a young, idealistic boy who enlists in the Union army against his mother's advice and prayers. He goes off with ideas of the glory of battle after reading such classic accounts of war for which the ancient Greeks were renowned. He quickly learns that the reality is nothing like the ideal of the classic wars. Crane does a good job of giving us the ups and downs of the daily life of a foot soldier and excellent descriptions of battles. However, the focus of the novel is Henry Fielding's (often referred to merely as "the youth") adolescent perceptions and reactions to the daily grind of the soldier and to his concerns about how he appears to the other soldiers. This is a coming of age novel that takes place in the hellish conditions of armed conflict. It deserves its classic designation but if it is assigned to students it should be read and discussed in small doses. There is essentially no plot to keep a young person's interest but it could make a great discussion book about dealing with the ups and downs of adolescent emotions.While reading this book I also started reading a book of Walt Whitman's Complete Poems. I know he had written poems about the Civil War so I looked up some of them. After reading this very realistic novel most of them seemed to me to be a too romanticized look at the war. However, one of them captured well the feel of a scene described by Crane early in the book. I know Crane never witnessed anything of the civil War; I wonder if Whitman did.CALVALRY CROSSING A FORDA line in long array where they wind betwixt green islands,They take a serpentine course, their arms flash in the sun-hark to the musical clank,Behold the silvery river, in it the splashing horses loiteringstop to drink,Behold the brown-faced men, each group, each person apicture, the negligent rest on the saddles,Some emerge on the opposite bank, others are just enteringthe ford-while,Scarlet and blue and snowy white,The guidon flags flutter gaily in the wind.(Walt Whitman)

[novelbookworm_1 · Calificación: 1 de 5 estrellas]

Since I didn't remember reading this book as a kid, I thought I'd read it when my daughter had to read it for summer reading. The Red Badge was typical of the classics written in the 1800's. Florid, flowery language, certainly a book of great impact for the time it was written. That said though, as a reader, I mean....as a person who really loves the written word, and wants nothing more than to see kids grow up with that same love, it seems to me to be almost counter intuitive to teach a novel like this to a group of 13 year olds. Its a difficult book to read, archaic language, obscure phraseology, yet with themes that are pertinent today. I guess I feel that its important to appreciate classic literature, but on a very basic level it feels more important to me to foster a love of reading. I'm not sure that a book such as this will encourage kids to read. I don't know that a 13 year old can appreciate this book and will simply write it off as a boring dusty old book that a teacher crammed down his/her throat. Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating that Junior High kids should be reading only Teen People, Star, XMen and the like, but I think the books we direct them to should be more engaging.

[stbalbach_1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Stephen Crane first published Red Badge in a local Philadelphia magazine when he was 23 years old. It is a short work because Crane found other popular realists like Zola ("Germinal") and Toltstoy to be tiresome, saying of "War and Peace" - "He could have done the whole business in one third the time and made it just as wonderful". He even criticized his own "Red Badge of Courage" as being too long. Crane was a rebel and non-conformist, essentially without any formal education, he disliked anything that was considered popular.Crane was aiming for photographic documentation, but the work is also richly symbolic, with a series of episodic scenes juxtaposed like a French impressionist painting forming contrasts. Thus he is able to capture the ironic and contradictory nature of war, swinging from elation to fear, pride to humbleness, love to anger .. time and geography are lost, what is right becomes wrong and what is wrong becomes right. The book has no real plot, and is morally ambiguous, one leaves it feeling a bit disheveled wondering exactly what happened, but with certain scenes forever etched in your memory. Probably one of the best artistic representations of the experience of combat.

[emathison-1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This book was required reading when I was a freshman in highschool. However, I enjoyed reading it because I felt like I was watching a movie in my head.

I love how the author describes the sun as an orange wafer in the sky, at the end of the book. Maybe it was red, I forget.

[brose72 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Story of valor and fear experienced by civil war combatants. How the personal fortunes and perceptions of the participants change so quickly during the tumultuous conflicts into which the characters are thrown.

[soylentgreen23 · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

Crane's work, an early entry in the pantheon of American literature, can be read as either an anti-war polemic, or a pro-war piece of propaganda. Certainly the main character, who goes through a personal crisis when faced with battle, swings like a pendulum between the two extremes, and it is unclear by the end which side he settles on. For instance, is it good to fight the good fight because it is good, or because it is necessary?

[t1bnotown · Calificación: 1 de 5 estrellas]

This is among the very worst books I've ever read! I absolutely hated it! In my eighth grade journal (we read it in eighth grade), I nicknamed it The Red Book of Boredom. It was simply atrociously awful, and it went on and on and on. I remember no merits or saving graces in this one. To be kept in mind- I like most books in general, even books I don't especially LIKE, I feel friendly towards and am generally amicable towards. This book sucked.

[seriousgrace · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

To say that Red Badge of Courage is about a young man in combat during the Civil War sells the story short. Henry is a young man facing many things for the first time in his life and throughout battle he struggles with all of it. It's a historical snapshot of the psychology of war. It goes beyond whether Henry can be brave or not. Whether he is a true soldier or not.

[crewman_number_6 · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

Could this guy be any more annoying? He runs away, he comes back, runs away, comes back. Make up your mind. I know this is supposed to be a classic, but there really are better "classics" out there.

[neverstopreading-1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Anthony Heald does a fantastic job in his audio reading of this classic novel.

[aliceap-1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Today's book is a classic that I have wanted to read for quite some time but never got around to...until now. Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage covers the American Civil War from the point of view of a Union soldier. It's the gritty portrayal of life at the front and just what it's like to lay down your life for a cause that you don't fully understand. In fact, our protagonist has almost no clue what it is that he's fighting for or against. He joined up because it was the done thing which seems to be the case for the rest of his regiment as well. There are those that brag about their bravado but when the time comes for the bullets to fly they are the first to turn and run. At first, our soldier is condescending towards these 'cowards' as he sees them but he very quickly sees the futility of their regiment's actions as they seem to be merely feinting and arbitrarily gaining and losing ground. It is a gritty, raw description of battle and defeat which is undercut with confusion and fear. These are children playacting warfare but the injuries and death are very real. Crane's insistence on not holding back lends a realistic, deadening of the senses feel to what it's like on the battlefield when you are surrounded by death and horror at every turn. He was making a commentary on the futility of war and how those who are a part of the 'war machine' are generally lost as to the meaning of why and who they are fighting. I am immensely glad that I finally picked this book up and gave it a read. I encourage ya'll to do the same. It's a slim volume and will take no time at all (though I don't promise you'll want a break every now and again from the bloodshed). 9/10