The Red Badge of Courage

The Red Badge of Courage (1895) by Stephen Crane. I am scarcely competent to judge this book, having (like Crane) never experienced war first-hand. It has been described by some as the greatest war story ever written, but I hesitate to endorse that opinion. I can say that it has held up remarkably well for a book that is over 100 years old -- but also that some aspects of it are extremely dated. I read it with great interest, and found it almost always engrossing. As a piece of Americana, it is probably unmatched. Grade: B+