3 Review(s)

A master of stories and an American writer–Stephen Crane was a pioneer of the realistic movement. His characters are pitted against hostile forces and his approach as their creator is realistic. In deed, he was a realist, a naturalist, an impressionist and a symbolist all combined in one. The remarkable thing about this realistic novel about war is that its young writer had never seen battle as such. He wrote some remarkable stories. He was a keen observer of life and possessed exceptional power of visualization. He portrayed the life of an ordinary people with elan and authenticity. The present selection includes some surrogate stories by Stephen Crane. The Monster is the story of a man being inhuman to his fellow-beings. The Open boat is based on his personal experience aboard the Commodore which sank while sailing to Cuba in 1896. The Blue Hotel and The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky are set in western background and deals with violent death. The Men in the Storm shows man pitted against the hostile forces working from within and without. The Veteran tells about the courage of a war veteran. An Illusion in Red and White shows a man in his cunning. His New Mittens is the story of a small boy who annoyed at his mother's constant nagging, decides to leave home. The stories included in this book make a very impressive reading. They show the great modern realist in his true colours.–Editor