You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by xermes
Im Westen nichts Neues by Erich Maria Remarque
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Probably one of the best books I’ve ever read - especially when it comes to “classic” books.
As opposed to “Great Gatsby” or “Catcher in the Rye” - profound books, which, however, bear the markings of their time heavily - All Quiet is straight to the point and easy to read. But this doesn’t mean that this book is any less profound or beautifully written.
Really, it is an achievement how universally appealing the prose is, that it can be as readable today as the day it was written.
Beyond that, every page makes a point of portraying the almost absurd horrors of war - how the banal and human is intermingled with the most inhumane, mechanised killing you can imagine.
Death is treated as a constant in this book - it is an everyday occurrence, and no one is spared - no matter how important of a character they might be. It has become arbitrary, almost meaningless in its sheer abundance, which makes life feel equally meaningless in this context.
It puts you in the state of mind of a poor enlisted boy who is witnessing aberrations on a daily basis, and brutally rips your guts out when it is shows you how far gone he is from being relatable or understandable to his civilian family. It’s infuriating to read - probably the best way I’ve ever seen it done.
As opposed to “Great Gatsby” or “Catcher in the Rye” - profound books, which, however, bear the markings of their time heavily - All Quiet is straight to the point and easy to read. But this doesn’t mean that this book is any less profound or beautifully written.
Really, it is an achievement how universally appealing the prose is, that it can be as readable today as the day it was written.
Beyond that, every page makes a point of portraying the almost absurd horrors of war - how the banal and human is intermingled with the most inhumane, mechanised killing you can imagine.
Death is treated as a constant in this book - it is an everyday occurrence, and no one is spared - no matter how important of a character they might be. It has become arbitrary, almost meaningless in its sheer abundance, which makes life feel equally meaningless in this context.
It puts you in the state of mind of a poor enlisted boy who is witnessing aberrations on a daily basis, and brutally rips your guts out when it is shows you how far gone he is from being relatable or understandable to his civilian family. It’s infuriating to read - probably the best way I’ve ever seen it done.