Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Becky at Page Turners. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading. If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence.This week, one of the books I am reading is Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage
. Below is the first sentence.The cold passed reluctantly from the earth, and the retiring fogs revealed an army stretched out on the hills, resting.
I first read The Red Badge of Courage as an undergraduate. If I recall correctly I did a paper on it and received a High Distinction - for the life of me, I can't remember the gist of the paper - only the grade and that it was the first time that I had heard of Occam's Razor (I had unknowingly applied it in my critique).
But back to the book.
So after flying through the finish of Emma (which turned out to be quite enjoyable) I decided to get in touch with my masculinity with The Red Badge of Courage. I find that the writing is a nice flowing prose and that in some respects Crane is writing in an impressionistic style, using colour light and symbolism, writing as a painter would, if that makes sense.
It's interesting to note that may veterans of the war found this book to capture the reality of war -despite Crane not having had experienced war when he wrote it.
