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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
I never would have thought I would ever be giving a "war novel" a 5-star rating, but Remarque's account of the horrors of WWI (and war in general) deserves nothing less. Normally, I would never even pick up a book about war. I only read it because it was assigned reading for my teenage son in school. I am so glad I did. Remarque's writing is profoundly beautiful and moving and yes, horrifying. The power of the novel comes from the fact that he is relating his first-hand experience of war through his narrator (Remarque fought in WWI and was injured several times). Combine this with watching the 1930 film and it will be an experience you won't soon forget.
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
What more needs to be said other than this is one of the best books ever written.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Erich Maria Remarque has a masterpiece in this book.
From beginning to end I couldn’t take my eyes off the pages.
I’ve watched both “All Quiet on the Western Front” adaptations and the book somehow paints a more
Vivid picture of what war is like and what it does to the people in it.
I cried about 4 separate times in this short book.
Masterpiece
From beginning to end I couldn’t take my eyes off the pages.
I’ve watched both “All Quiet on the Western Front” adaptations and the book somehow paints a more
Vivid picture of what war is like and what it does to the people in it.
I cried about 4 separate times in this short book.
Masterpiece
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A profoundly moving masterpiece of violence and existentialism. Remarque’s writing is some of the best I’ve ever encountered, the scenes of humanity contrasted with sudden onsets of war capture the paradoxical lifestyles of the soldiers quite well. Everything can change in seconds. And yet, they continually strive to maintain their humanity, even as the protagonist questions whether that humanity is genuine or another fabrication of wartime self-delusion. The notion of national loyalty is quickly dispelled with, so what then drives these men? So much complexity in so few pages, and yet it is completely accessible as an outflow of raw human emotion. The soldiers all feel vibrantly real, even as the war continues to break them.
Highly recommended: this is about as perfect as a novel can get.
Highly recommended: this is about as perfect as a novel can get.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No