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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Heart-breaking, human, and timeless. Not only is this an excellent account of war on the front lines, but the story is masterfully told. Remarque oscillates between carnage so regular it becomes almost mundane for our protagonist, and the quiet moments where the effects of that carnage on his psyche begin to creep in.
It's the latter that makes this a masterpiece. The sober moments where the narrator tries to contemplate life after the war, and cannot. War has stripped him, and his entire generation, of their ability to participate in life as it is back home, so much so that the prospect of doing so is no longer even a source of hope. What makes this phenomenon all the more unbearable is his inability to explain it to those that came before him, and those that will come after.
One of the highest compliments I can give a book is that it is important, and All Quiet on the Western Front earns that accolade without question.
It's the latter that makes this a masterpiece. The sober moments where the narrator tries to contemplate life after the war, and cannot. War has stripped him, and his entire generation, of their ability to participate in life as it is back home, so much so that the prospect of doing so is no longer even a source of hope. What makes this phenomenon all the more unbearable is his inability to explain it to those that came before him, and those that will come after.
One of the highest compliments I can give a book is that it is important, and All Quiet on the Western Front earns that accolade without question.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i fucking hate war. such a beautifully written, moving piece of literature. feeling very empty after finishing this. cried.
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I’ve just finished reading this book by Erich Maria Remarque, a German writer, writing about the experiences of seven very young German men (boys) who were sent to fight on the Western front line in the First World War.
It’s not just a beautifully written book, it’s also an insight and perspective I hadn’t seen or read about previously - a view of war from the other side.
I grew up and learned about the world wars but always from ‘our’ side. But when you read this, you realise there are no sides, not on the front line, there are just two groups of scared, frightened young men, fighting for something they didn’t understand. They were all just kids who lived, loved, and laughed just like you and me ... but who ultimately sacrificed their lives.
Today we are lucky, yet still we see inequality, unfairness and violence all around us. ‘Im Westen nicht Neues’, written in 1929, is timeless. It’s one of those books that isn’t just beautifully written, it also makes you stop and think just how precious and delicate life is, and how we all need to make the very most of the brief time we have.
If this book tells us anything, it’s that we shouldn’t be fighting anyone else’s wars but our own - to live our lives as honourably and as compassionately as we can.
It’s not just a beautifully written book, it’s also an insight and perspective I hadn’t seen or read about previously - a view of war from the other side.
I grew up and learned about the world wars but always from ‘our’ side. But when you read this, you realise there are no sides, not on the front line, there are just two groups of scared, frightened young men, fighting for something they didn’t understand. They were all just kids who lived, loved, and laughed just like you and me ... but who ultimately sacrificed their lives.
Today we are lucky, yet still we see inequality, unfairness and violence all around us. ‘Im Westen nicht Neues’, written in 1929, is timeless. It’s one of those books that isn’t just beautifully written, it also makes you stop and think just how precious and delicate life is, and how we all need to make the very most of the brief time we have.
If this book tells us anything, it’s that we shouldn’t be fighting anyone else’s wars but our own - to live our lives as honourably and as compassionately as we can.
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No