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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
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
I’m still screaming by the end of this book. I finished it and stared at a wall and had an out of body experience.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
(Reread after a great many years. This was my high school copy. It's nice to know that the highlighting holds up).
Re-reading this novel, I found myself thinking how strange it is that this book is the main anti-war book used in American classrooms. Don't get me wrong. It is Literature. But the basic American's knowledge of WWI is that it occurred sometime before WWII and that once America got in it, it was over. Unless you have a good teacher, or take a literature course that focuses on the WWI poets, you don't get much more in depth than that.
There is other powerful anti-war literature out there, so why this book?
It could be the age of the protagonist and his friends. It could be the haunting style that is so blunt but also so powerful. Perhaps the fact it also deals with those who are related to the men? Bullying? Perhaps because it covers all of these.
Thing is, it is also one of those books that holds up.
Re-reading this novel, I found myself thinking how strange it is that this book is the main anti-war book used in American classrooms. Don't get me wrong. It is Literature. But the basic American's knowledge of WWI is that it occurred sometime before WWII and that once America got in it, it was over. Unless you have a good teacher, or take a literature course that focuses on the WWI poets, you don't get much more in depth than that.
There is other powerful anti-war literature out there, so why this book?
It could be the age of the protagonist and his friends. It could be the haunting style that is so blunt but also so powerful. Perhaps the fact it also deals with those who are related to the men? Bullying? Perhaps because it covers all of these.
Thing is, it is also one of those books that holds up.
I have read this book a few times, mainly because I cant stop reading it. Every time I pick it up, I feel as though I am going through the war my self. It physically effects you. One does not read this book for pleasure, they read it for the feeling of dread that claws at your very soul.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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
There is no more poignant anti-war novel. Worthy of its reputation.
"Er fiel im Oktober 1918, an einem Tage, der so ruhig und still war, daß der Heeresbericht sich nur auf den Satz beschränkte, im Westen sei nichts Neues zu melden.
Er war vorübergesunken und lag wie schlafend an der Erde. Als man ihn umdrehte, sah man, daß er sich nicht lange gequält haben konnte; – sein Gesicht hatte einen so gefaßten Ausdruck, als wäre er beinahe zufrieden damit, daß es so gekommen war."
"Er fiel im Oktober 1918, an einem Tage, der so ruhig und still war, daß der Heeresbericht sich nur auf den Satz beschränkte, im Westen sei nichts Neues zu melden.
Er war vorübergesunken und lag wie schlafend an der Erde. Als man ihn umdrehte, sah man, daß er sich nicht lange gequält haben konnte; – sein Gesicht hatte einen so gefaßten Ausdruck, als wäre er beinahe zufrieden damit, daß es so gekommen war."
challenging
dark
reflective
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
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
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix