The Open Boat Genre

Adventure, Philosophical Literature, Creative Non-Fiction

Crane managed to kill several birds with one stone in "The Open Boat." This story is one part thrilling tale of courage, danger, and heroism; one part fervent discussion of the biggest metaphysical questions about life and the universe; and one part factually based on the author's own personal experience. We'd place it in the Philosophical-Adventure-Semi-Fiction section of our bookshelf.