The Red Badge of Courage

Among the classic war novels, THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE ranks with the best. Its setting is the Civil War; its hero of sorts is young recruit ("fresh fish") Henry Fleming; and its plot focuses on the boredom, fear, cowardice, and bravery that Henry faces as best he can, often more instinctively than intellectually. Reader Scott Brick is fine. He has a storyteller's interest in Henry and the other soldiers, particularly the tall soldier and the loud soldier who wield such an influence on Henry. Brick's best at the matter-of-fact leave-taking between the eager to fight Henry and his reluctant mother and, later, in the battle scenes, in which the tempo quickens. Stephen Crane would be pleased with this rendition of his enduring work. T.H. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine


Stephen Crane's novella tells the story of a nineteenth-century youth who casts off his romantic notions as he experiences the Civil War. The impressionistic style of the text, vivid details, and attention to local accents are notable in Crane's style. Scott Brick's narration maintains the tempo of the text perfectly. With a slow pace and purposeful tone, he meanders through Crane's descriptions and picks up speed in the battle scenes. In a book that fluctuates between inner personal struggle and external events, Brick's measured delivery maintains a sense of clarity. He also captures the rugged infantrymen by emphasizing their country drawls and local slang. Brick's reading ably contrasts the beauty of Crane's descriptive language with the coarse depictions of wartime soldiers. D.M.W. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine