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Genre: Classic Literature, War Novel, Historical Fiction, American Literature, Coming-of-Age.
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Book Review:
Stephen Crane's ''The Red Badge of Courage'' is a seminal masterpiece of American literature and one of the most profound war novels ever written. Published in 1895, it tells the story of Henry Fleming, a young Union soldier in the American Civil War, who grapples with fear, cowardice, and an intense desire to prove his manhood by earning his ''red badge''—a wound suffered in battle. Crane's revolutionary, impressionistic prose delves deep into the psychology of a soldier under fire, stripping away romantic notions of glory to expose the raw, chaotic, and deeply human experience of combat. Despite Crane having no personal experience of war at the time of writing, his account is astonishingly authentic. This edition, part of the ''Popular Illustrated Classics'' series, makes this timeless exploration of courage, shame, and redemption accessible to a wide audience with its helpful illustrations, ensuring its power continues to resonate with new generations of readers.