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A review by em_wemily
Arch of Triumph by Erich Maria Remarque
3.0
3.0
I didn't really enjoy the experience of reading this, but it was a powerful book, both politically and emotionally. It was atmospheric, philosophical, and grim. This was a book of passion, with heavy emphasis on its Latin root, meaning 'to suffer.' I both applaud and dislike the romantic passion in this book, since I don't enjoy watching a sinking ship, but I can admire and appreciate its authenticity. People with psychological and emotional wreckage often have a hard time maintaining healthy relationships.
Stylistic comments
This was a poem and a plot combined. The sensory descriptions and extensive poetic voice were nice in the beginning, but it never ended, and at times I grew impatient for the story to continue. Character dialogue was frequently used to insert Remarque's own voice in a rather heavy-handed way. The fact that the main character was constantly drinking didn't make some of his philosophizing at all times any more believable.
Experience of the story
The pacing was slow and meandering, with frequent plot breaks for extensive descriptions. I hated the romance plot and wish this had focused more on the storyline dedicated to getting revenge on Haake, the Gestapo member. However, Remarque's authentic voice on the experience of being a refugee always drew me back in, as did the possibility that Ravic could experience a positive ARC. (Whether he did or not is arguable by the end of this.)
Impressions of the main characters
I both sympathized and empathized with Ravic, but I also found him to be an enormously frustrating ass. Joan was a mess. She reminded me of Jenny from Forest Gump. Ravic and Joan were one of those couples that only works for a split second in time and then spend a crazy amount of time trying to recreate that one special moment they had.
On women (ATTENTION: SPOILER BELOW!!!)
This is a dated book, and it showed through the depiction of women in this story. By the the time Jean died, I wasn't in the least bit surprised. Neither was I surprised by how she died. This book had a weird infatuation with the idea of sterilizing women and hiding critical health information from them. Ravic especially displayed chauvinistic traits in the way he mocked, disparaged, and judged Jean while also enjoying her physical presence. I would argue that he was far more interested in his idea of her than in getting to know who she really was.
As a whole, women in this book were shown as fragile, flighty, and simple-minded objects to be acted upon. At the same time, it also represented them as cunning and base. How very last century.
Now for a Calvados...
I didn't really enjoy the experience of reading this, but it was a powerful book, both politically and emotionally. It was atmospheric, philosophical, and grim. This was a book of passion, with heavy emphasis on its Latin root, meaning 'to suffer.' I both applaud and dislike the romantic passion in this book, since I don't enjoy watching a sinking ship, but I can admire and appreciate its authenticity. People with psychological and emotional wreckage often have a hard time maintaining healthy relationships.
Stylistic comments
This was a poem and a plot combined. The sensory descriptions and extensive poetic voice were nice in the beginning, but it never ended, and at times I grew impatient for the story to continue. Character dialogue was frequently used to insert Remarque's own voice in a rather heavy-handed way. The fact that the main character was constantly drinking didn't make some of his philosophizing at all times any more believable.
Experience of the story
The pacing was slow and meandering, with frequent plot breaks for extensive descriptions. I hated the romance plot and wish this had focused more on the storyline dedicated to getting revenge on Haake, the Gestapo member. However, Remarque's authentic voice on the experience of being a refugee always drew me back in, as did the possibility that Ravic could experience a positive ARC. (Whether he did or not is arguable by the end of this.)
Impressions of the main characters
I both sympathized and empathized with Ravic, but I also found him to be an enormously frustrating ass. Joan was a mess. She reminded me of Jenny from Forest Gump. Ravic and Joan were one of those couples that only works for a split second in time and then spend a crazy amount of time trying to recreate that one special moment they had.
On women (ATTENTION: SPOILER BELOW!!!)
This is a dated book, and it showed through the depiction of women in this story. By the the time Jean died, I wasn't in the least bit surprised. Neither was I surprised by how she died. This book had a weird infatuation with the idea of sterilizing women and hiding critical health information from them. Ravic especially displayed chauvinistic traits in the way he mocked, disparaged, and judged Jean while also enjoying her physical presence. I would argue that he was far more interested in his idea of her than in getting to know who she really was.
As a whole, women in this book were shown as fragile, flighty, and simple-minded objects to be acted upon. At the same time, it also represented them as cunning and base. How very last century.
Now for a Calvados...