The Blue Hotel

By: Stephen Crane

Narrated by: Jack Benson

Stephen Crane's fascinating story "The Blue Hotel" is seen by many as a study of fear. Crane used the stereotypical 1890's American West as his setting, and the story uses a card game to show how fear feeds upon itself. There are both inner fears and fears existing in reality, and the ways that they interact with each other make for a fascinating tale.©1977 Jimcin Recordings (P)1977 Jimcin Recordings

Critic reviews

"The best of Crane's Western stories and one of his handful of fictional masterworks." (Stanley Wertheim, A Stephen Crane Encyclopedia)

BORING AND CONFUSING

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

BETTER NARRARATER

What was most disappointing about Stephen Crane’s story?

IT WAS CONFUSING AND I THINK THERE WAS TO MUCH SETTING DESCRIPTIONS.

Would you be willing to try another one of Jack Benson’s performances?

NOT REALLY

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Blue Hotel?

I WOULD CUT OUT SOME OF THE SCENE DESCRIPTIONS. THE SCENES WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER TO KEEP UP WITH IF THEY WOULD HAVE WROTE MORE ABOUT THE SCENE AND LESS ABOUT THE SURROUNDINGS AND SETTING.

Any additional comments?

I AM NOT A AVID READER TO THESE TYPES OF STORIES SO MAYBE I MISSED THE LESSON THAT THE TEACHER WANTED US TO LEARN BUT THIS WAS JUST A BORING STORY AND CONFUSED US.