Student Companion to Stephen Crane

(Hardback)

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Description

Born into a family of writers, Stephen Crane wrote his first poem, I'd Rather Have when he was eight, and his first short story, Uncle Jake and the Bell-Handle, at around the age of 13. Despite never having completed a course of study at any of the colleges he attended, Crane decided, in the spring of 1891, to pursue a career as a writer. While working as a journalist, he penned Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, a novella written in the Naturalist style that depicted the seaminess of urban tenement life. Enduring his own poverty, and taking temporary reporting jobs, Crane completed his literary masterpiece, The Red Badge of Courage, a dramatic depiction of a soldier's inner life during the American Civil War, in April 1894. The author, who continued to write both journalistic pieces and short stories until his death in June 1900, is one of the most highly regarded and popularly taught American authors today. Stephen Crane pursued his writing career during a time when the literary world was moving from Romanticism to Realism and Naturalism, and later in his life, Impressionism and Modernism. Sorrentino examines each of Crane's works, identifying the influence of these literary movements, and world events, on his novels, short stories, and poetry, including: Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, New York City Stories and Sketches, The Red Badge of Courage, War Stories, Western Stories, and Tales of Whilomville.

Reviews

The advantage of the book is that it is actually written for its intended audience * English *
A wealth of material on this 19th-century writer, his literary heritage, and family history will provide excellent support for studies of The Red Badge of Courage. An extensive chapter on that book includes background information on the Civil War and a discussion of Crane's groundbreaking depiction of the horrors of warfare. * Curriculum Connections *
Sorrentino includes facts about Crane's family, background on the Civil War, critical commentaries, as well as discussions about his writings, his literary heritage, and his revered place in American Literature.This volume includes a wealth of useful material that will help students better understand and interpret the writings of this great 19th-century author. * School Library Journal *
[S]tudent Companion to Stephen Crane provides an excellent blend of biography and critical review of Stephen Crane's works. * The Midwest Book Review - California Bookwatch *

Author Bio

Paul M. Sorrentino is the founder of the Stephen Crane Society and its journal, Stephen Crane Studies. Paul is also the co-editor of the Correspondence of Stephen Crane and co-author of The Crane Log: A Documentary Life of Stephen Crane 1871-1900. Recipient of numerous teaching awards, he is a professor of English at Virginia Tech.