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The Blue Hotel Kindle Edition

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 159 ratings

This carefully crafted ebook: “The Blue Hotel” is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents.

"The Blue Hotel" is a short story by American author Stephen Crane. The story first appeared in the 1899 collection entitled The Monster and Other Stories.
It is a story about a man who gets in trouble after a stay at the Palace Hotel.

Stephen Crane (1871-1900) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and poet who is often called the first modern American writer. The Blue Hotel (1899) is considered one of Crane ́s finest short stories.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Short story by Stephen Crane, published serially in Collier's Weekly (Nov. 26-Dec. 3, 1898), and then in the collection The Monster and Other Stories (1899). Combining symbolic imagery with naturalistic detail, it is an existential tale about human vanities and delusions. As the story opens, three visitors find shelter from a blizzard at Pat Scully's hotel in Fort Romper, Neb.: a nervous New Yorker known as the Swede, a rambunctious Westerner named Bill, and a reserved Easterner called Mr. Blanc. The Swede becomes increasingly drunk, defensive, and reckless. He beats Scully's son, Johnnie, in a fight after accusing him of cheating at cards. When the Swede accosts a patron of a bar, he is stabbed and killed. The story ends ambiguously at a point several months later, when timid Mr. Blanc confesses to Bill that he feels somewhat responsible for the Swede's death because he failed to act when he saw that Johnnie was indeed cheating at cards. -- The Merriam-Webster Encylopedia of Literature --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Stephen Crane was an American novelist, poet and journalist, best known for the novel Red Badge of Courage. That work introduced the reading world to Crane's striking prose, a mix of impressionism, naturalism and symbolism. He died at age 28 in Badenweiler, Baden, Germany. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00FS9RN1W
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ e-artnow; 1st edition (October 11, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 11, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 500 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 42 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 159 ratings

About the author

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Stephen Crane
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Stephen Crane (November 1, 1871 – June 5, 1900) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism and Impressionism. He is recognized by modern critics as one of the most innovative writers of his generation.

The ninth surviving child of Protestant Methodist parents, Crane began writing at the age of four and had published several articles by the age of 16. Having little interest in university studies, he left college in 1891 to work as a reporter and writer. Crane's first novel was the 1893 Bowery tale Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, generally considered by critics to be the first work of American literary Naturalism. He won international acclaim in 1895 for his Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage, which he wrote without having any battle experience.

In 1896, Crane endured a highly publicized scandal after appearing as a witness in the trial of a suspected prostitute, an acquaintance named Dora Clark. Late that year he accepted an offer to travel to Cuba as a war correspondent. As he waited in Jacksonville, Florida, for passage, he met Cora Taylor, with whom he began a lasting relationship. En route to Cuba, Crane's vessel the SS Commodore, sank off the coast of Florida, leaving him and others adrift for 30 hours in a dinghy. Crane described the ordeal in "The Open Boat". During the final years of his life, he covered conflicts in Greece (accompanied by Cora, recognized as the first woman war correspondent) and later lived in England with her. He was befriended by writers such as Joseph Conrad and H. G. Wells. Plagued by financial difficulties and ill health, Crane died of tuberculosis in a Black Forest sanatorium in Germany at the age of 28.

At the time of his death, Crane was considered an important figure in American literature. After he was nearly forgotten for two decades, critics revived interest in his life and work. Crane's writing is characterized by vivid intensity, distinctive dialects, and irony. Common themes involve fear, spiritual crises and social isolation. Although recognized primarily for The Red Badge of Courage, which has become an American classic, Crane is also known for his poetry, journalism, and short stories such as "The Open Boat", "The Blue Hotel", "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky", and The Monster. His writing made a deep impression on 20th-century writers, most prominent among them Ernest Hemingway, and is thought to have inspired the Modernists and the Imagists.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by unknown author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
159 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story engaging and thought-provoking. They praise the writing style as light-hearted and descriptive, elucidating the setting, characters, and emotion of the tale. The author's descriptions help readers imagine the setting and feel the characters' emotions.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

14 customers mention "Story quality"12 positive2 negative

Customers find the story engaging and funny. They appreciate the light prose and thought-provoking moral. Many say it's a good read for flights, especially as it provides a moral and ethical value.

"Great short story, very entertaining. The writer is descriptive in setting the scenery, characters, and emotion of the tale...." Read more

"While this appears to be an engrossing short story about a woman's decent into insanity, as seen by entries into her daily journal, it is really a..." Read more

"An excellent short story that exemplifies the romantic time of the opening of the American West. It’s really a perfect time to read this...." Read more

"...Short story with an interesting plot line of paranoia and self fulling prophecy at the end...." Read more

8 customers mention "Writing quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book lighthearted and a good study for writers. They appreciate the descriptive adjectives that help them imagine the setting. The book is described as an engaging American novella that provokes thought.

"The light-hearted prose and the nearly banal dialogue exchanges make this a quick read. But then it's not...." Read more

"A GOOD STUDY FOR WRITERS for style and word use" Read more

"Great short story, very entertaining. The writer is descriptive in setting the scenery, characters, and emotion of the tale...." Read more

"Excellent story. Well written. Americana." Read more

3 customers mention "Emotion level"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's emotional content. They find the characters likable and the setting vivid.

"...The writer is descriptive in setting the scenery, characters, and emotion of the tale. So many lessons wrapped into one little story." Read more

"...adjectives which help us imagine the setting and feel the emotion of his characters." Read more

"in apt personalities..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2017
    The light-hearted prose and the nearly banal dialogue exchanges make this a quick read. But then it's not. By the final paragraph you realize that there are many layers to that story, and that its levity fooled you into thinking the story was shallow. Not so. The twist at the end blew my mind.

    Therefore I reread it from the beginning in order to tie a few knots and try to pinpoint in which moment exactly things went out of control, and when a story about some guys in a hotel became a story about apathy, avoidance of responsibility, prejudices and impulse.
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2024
    Many many years ago I saw The Blue Hotel as a play, I remember being impressed but time had dulled my memory. Basically a short story which, to me, seemed to end in the middle of nowhere. Glad I read it however. Book arrived on time and in excellent shape.
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2016
    A GOOD STUDY FOR WRITERS for style and word use
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2025
    Great short story, very entertaining. The writer is descriptive in setting the scenery, characters, and emotion of the tale. So many lessons wrapped into one little story.
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2014
    While this appears to be an engrossing short story about a woman's decent into insanity, as seen by entries into her daily journal, it is really a story about the plight of women and their treatment by the men in their lives, even the ones that truly love them, in another time. A masterful story, if you can keep straight whether entries are written in her journal or are out of her thoughts, which is the one problem I found with this narrative.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2020
    An excellent short story that exemplifies the romantic time of the opening of the American West. It’s really a perfect time to read this. These are the people so hated by the Woke culture today. They are Gritty and independent and fighting for everything.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2015
    Starting to go back and read some of the "masters" to increase my depth and knowledge of writing styles. Short story with an interesting plot line of paranoia and self fulling prophecy at the end. Highly recommend for a quick read on a flight on an hour or more.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2022
    One of those stories that look quite simple on the outside, just to blow your mind at the end. Strong moral resides here. It seems like prejudices are unavoidable every time several people from different places meet. Well, to be honest, they don't even have to be from other countries - we are doing a fine job with our closest and dearest as it is.

Top reviews from other countries

  • Ja Sainz Vicuna
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 5, 2015
    Good

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