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All Quiet on the Western Front/The Road Back #1
丿乇 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲
丕乇蹖卮 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇賲丕乇讴貙 丿乇 讴鬲丕亘 *丿乇 噩亘賴賴 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲* 亘丕 賳诏丕賴蹖 禺卮讴 賵 賵丕賯毓 亘蹖賳丕賳賴 亘賴 讴賵趩讴鬲乇蹖賳 賱丨馗丕鬲 賵丨卮鬲 賵 亘蹖丿丕丿诏乇蹖貙 倬賱蹖丿蹖 賵 賮乇賵賲丕蹖诏蹖貙 賵丨卮蹖诏乇蹖 賵 乇賯鬲 賵 鬲乇爻 賵 亘夭乇诏 賲賳卮蹖貙 爻乇诏匕卮鬲 诏乇賵賴蹖 丕夭 爻乇亘丕夭丕賳 噩賵丕賳 賵 爻乇诏乇丿丕賳 丌賱賲丕賳蹖 乇丕 賲蹖 賳賵蹖爻丿 讴賴 丿乇 倬蹖趩 賵 禺賲 诏乇丿丕亘 丌禺乇蹖賳 乇賵夭賴丕蹖 噩賳诏 丕賵賱 噩賴丕賳蹖 貙 賳賵賲蹖丿丕賳賴 噩賳诏蹖丿賳丿 賵 乇賳噩 讴卮蹖丿賳丿.鈥�
*丿乇 噩亘賴賴 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲* 賳賵卮鬲賴 丕乇蹖卮 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇賲丕乇讴貙 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 卮讴賵賴賲賳丿鬲乇蹖賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏й屰� 丕爻鬲 讴賴 丿乇 乇丕亘胤賴 亘丕 噩賳诏 噩賴丕賳蹖 丕賵賱 賳賵卮鬲賴 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲 賵 賮蹖賱賲蹖 讴賴 丕夭 乇賵蹖 丌賳 爻丕禺鬲賴 卮丿 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 賲賵賮賯 鬲乇蹖賳 賮蹖賱賲 賴丕蹖 鬲丕乇蹖禺 爻蹖賳賲丕蹖 噩賴丕賳 丕爻鬲. 丕蹖賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賲爻鬲賯蹖賲丕 亘賴 賳爻賱蹖 丕夭 賲乇丿賲 丌賱賲丕賳 丕卮丕乇賴 丿丕乇丿 讴賴 夭賳丿诏蹖卮丕賳 乇丕 亘乇丕蹖 噩賳诏 賮賳丕 讴乇丿賳丿. 丕賳爻丕賳賴丕蹖蹖 讴賴 丿乇 丕賵噩 丕賲蹖丿 賵 卮賵乇 噩賵丕賳蹖 亘賴 噩亘賴賴 賴丕蹖 噩賳诏 賮乇丕 禺賵丕賳丿賴 卮丿賳丿 賵 丕賲蹖丿卮丕賳 亘賴 賳丕丕賲蹖丿蹖 賵 卮賵乇 賵 丕卮鬲蹖丕賯 卮丕賳 亘賴 睾賲 賵 丕賮爻乇丿诏蹖 賵 鬲乇爻 丕夭 賲乇诏 鬲亘丿蹖賱 卮丿. 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 賲賴賲鬲乇蹖賳 賳讴丕鬲蹖 讴賴 丿乇 讴鬲丕亘 亘蹖丕賳 卮丿賴 賮賱丕讴鬲 丌賳 賳爻賱 丕夭 跇乇賲賳 賴丕爻鬲貙 讴賴 賳賴 賳爻賱 亘毓丿 丕夭 丌賳賴丕 賵 賳賴 賳爻賱 賯亘賱 丕夭 丌賳賴丕 卮乇丕蹖胤卮丕賳 乇丕 丿乇讴 賳賲蹖 讴賳賳丿.鈥�
*丿乇 噩亘賴賴 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲* 賳賵卮鬲賴 丕乇蹖卮 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇賲丕乇讴貙 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 卮讴賵賴賲賳丿鬲乇蹖賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏й屰� 丕爻鬲 讴賴 丿乇 乇丕亘胤賴 亘丕 噩賳诏 噩賴丕賳蹖 丕賵賱 賳賵卮鬲賴 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲 賵 賮蹖賱賲蹖 讴賴 丕夭 乇賵蹖 丌賳 爻丕禺鬲賴 卮丿 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 賲賵賮賯 鬲乇蹖賳 賮蹖賱賲 賴丕蹖 鬲丕乇蹖禺 爻蹖賳賲丕蹖 噩賴丕賳 丕爻鬲. 丕蹖賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賲爻鬲賯蹖賲丕 亘賴 賳爻賱蹖 丕夭 賲乇丿賲 丌賱賲丕賳 丕卮丕乇賴 丿丕乇丿 讴賴 夭賳丿诏蹖卮丕賳 乇丕 亘乇丕蹖 噩賳诏 賮賳丕 讴乇丿賳丿. 丕賳爻丕賳賴丕蹖蹖 讴賴 丿乇 丕賵噩 丕賲蹖丿 賵 卮賵乇 噩賵丕賳蹖 亘賴 噩亘賴賴 賴丕蹖 噩賳诏 賮乇丕 禺賵丕賳丿賴 卮丿賳丿 賵 丕賲蹖丿卮丕賳 亘賴 賳丕丕賲蹖丿蹖 賵 卮賵乇 賵 丕卮鬲蹖丕賯 卮丕賳 亘賴 睾賲 賵 丕賮爻乇丿诏蹖 賵 鬲乇爻 丕夭 賲乇诏 鬲亘丿蹖賱 卮丿. 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 賲賴賲鬲乇蹖賳 賳讴丕鬲蹖 讴賴 丿乇 讴鬲丕亘 亘蹖丕賳 卮丿賴 賮賱丕讴鬲 丌賳 賳爻賱 丕夭 跇乇賲賳 賴丕爻鬲貙 讴賴 賳賴 賳爻賱 亘毓丿 丕夭 丌賳賴丕 賵 賳賴 賳爻賱 賯亘賱 丕夭 丌賳賴丕 卮乇丕蹖胤卮丕賳 乇丕 丿乇讴 賳賲蹖 讴賳賳丿.鈥�
255 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1928
13k people are currently reading
347k people want to read
About the author
Erich Maria Remarque
202听books5,785听followersErich Maria Remarque was a German novelist best known for All Quiet on the Western Front (1929), a landmark anti-war novel based on his experiences in World War I. The book became an international bestseller, defining a new genre of veterans鈥� literature and inspiring multiple film adaptations. Its strong anti-war themes led to condemnation by the Nazi regime, which banned and burned his works.
Born Erich Paul Remark in 1898, he adopted the surname Remarque to honor his French ancestry. He served on the Western Front during World War I, where he was wounded, and later pursued various jobs, including teaching, editing, and technical writing. After the massive success of All Quiet on the Western Front, he wrote several other novels addressing war and exile, such as The Road Back, Three Comrades, and Arch of Triumph. His outspoken opposition to the Nazi regime forced him into exile in Switzerland and later the United States, where he became a naturalized citizen in 1947.
Remarque鈥檚 personal life included high-profile relationships with actresses Marlene Dietrich and Paulette Goddard, the latter of whom he married in 1958. In 1943, his youngest sister, Elfriede, was executed by the Nazis for anti-regime remarks, an event that deeply affected him. He spent his later years in Switzerland, where he continued writing. His final completed novel, The Night in Lisbon (1962), was another bestseller.
He died in 1970 at the age of 72, leaving behind a literary legacy that continues to shape discussions on war and its consequences.
AKA:
协褉懈褏 袦邪褉懈褟 袪械屑邪褉泻 (Russian)
Born Erich Paul Remark in 1898, he adopted the surname Remarque to honor his French ancestry. He served on the Western Front during World War I, where he was wounded, and later pursued various jobs, including teaching, editing, and technical writing. After the massive success of All Quiet on the Western Front, he wrote several other novels addressing war and exile, such as The Road Back, Three Comrades, and Arch of Triumph. His outspoken opposition to the Nazi regime forced him into exile in Switzerland and later the United States, where he became a naturalized citizen in 1947.
Remarque鈥檚 personal life included high-profile relationships with actresses Marlene Dietrich and Paulette Goddard, the latter of whom he married in 1958. In 1943, his youngest sister, Elfriede, was executed by the Nazis for anti-regime remarks, an event that deeply affected him. He spent his later years in Switzerland, where he continued writing. His final completed novel, The Night in Lisbon (1962), was another bestseller.
He died in 1970 at the age of 72, leaving behind a literary legacy that continues to shape discussions on war and its consequences.
AKA:
协褉懈褏 袦邪褉懈褟 袪械屑邪褉泻 (Russian)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 20,984 reviews
July 18, 2014
Man, I need a break. I've been reading about the First World War solidly since December and I've had enough now. There's only so many times you can go through the same shit, whether they're English, French, German, Russian 鈥� oh look, another group of pals from school, eagerly jogging down to the war office to sign up. Brilliant. Now it's just a matter of guessing which horrible death will be assigned to them: shrapnel to the stomach, bleeding to death in no-man's-land, drowning in mud, succumbing to dysentery, shot for deserting, bayonetted at close range, vaporised by a whizz-bang, victim of Spanish flu. It's like the most depressing drinking game ever.
I wish, after spending many months reading around this subject, that I could pick out some obscure classic to recommend (and perhaps I will still find some, because I intend to keep reading about 1914鈥�18 throughout 2014鈥�18), but I have to say that this novel, famously one of the greatest war novels, is in fact genuinely excellent and left quite an impression on me, despite my trench fatigue. Remarque has the same elements as everyone else 鈥� because pretty much everyone in this war went through the same godawful mind-numbingly exhausting terror 鈥� but he describes it all with such conviction and such clarity that I was sucker-punched by the full horror of it all over again.
The story is studded with remarkable incidents that linger in the mind: roasting a stolen goose in the middle of a barrage, for instance, or stabbing a Frenchman to death in a fit of panic while sheltering in the same shell-hole. The arrangements made to allow a hospital inmate to enjoy a marital visit with his wife, while the rest of the patients in the room concentrate on 鈥榓 noisy game of cards鈥�. I loved the moment where our narrator and his friends swim across a river to have a drink with some local French girls, arriving naked because they couldn't risk getting their uniforms wet. And back in the trenches, an infestation of huge rats, 鈥榳ith evil-looking, naked faces鈥�, is described with more than Biblical loathing:
They seem to be really hungry. They have had a go at practically everybody's bread. Kropp has wrapped his in tarpaulin and put it under his head, but he can't sleep because they run across his face to try and get at it. Detering tried to outwit them; he fixed a thin wire to the ceiling and hooked the bundle with his bread on to it. During the night he puts on his flashlight and sees the wire swinging backwards and forwards. Riding on his bread there is a great fat rat.
There is also a fair bit of philosophising. While guarding a group of Russian prisoners-of-war, our narrator is overcome by the arbitrariness of the whole situation:
An order has turned these silent figures into our enemies; an order could turn them into friends again. On some table, a document is signed by some people that none of us knows, and for years our main aim in life is the one thing that usually draws the condemnation of the whole world and incurs its severest punishment in law. How can anyone make distinctions like that looking at these silent men, with their faces like children and their beards like apostles? Any drill-corporal is a worse enemy to the recruits, any schoolmaster a worse enemy to his pupils than they are to us. [鈥 I don't want to lose those thoughts altogether, I'll preserve them, keep them locked away until the war is over. [鈥 Is this the task we must dedicate ourselves to after the war, so that all the years of horror will have been worthwhile?
I found this quote and this resolution very moving, because Germany's post-war history rendered it so utterly futile. When the Nazis came to power in 1933 鈥� just four years after this was published 鈥� they set about burning the book, which tended to be their first response to any problem. While Ernst J眉nger's vision of a German people purified and hardened by the war was venerated (poor guy), Remarque's text was denounced as an 鈥榠nsult to the German soldier鈥�. He took the hint, and sailed to the US in 1939. The German state, in what amounted to a fit of pique, cut his sister's head off instead and then billed what was left of his family for wear and tear to the blade.
So 鈥� as can't be said enough 鈥� fuck them. The insights that Remarque and Barbusse and Sassoon and Genevoix and Manning found in extremis 鈥� of the essential commonality of human beings 鈥� are, we like to think, now accepted by society over the alternatives, despite what we sometimes have to infer from the content of our newspapers.
With all of that said, this is a novel. It is not a memoir. Remarque only spent a month on the front lines (whereas J眉nger, who apparently had the time of his life, was there for years).
This 1994 translation from Brian Murdoch is excellent and reads entirely naturally; he also contributes a thoughtful and unassuming essay which 鈥� finally, a publisher that gets it! 鈥� is helpfully placed as an Afterword so as not to spoil the novel itself. All in all a very powerful and moving piece of writing: if I had to recommend just one contemporary novel from the First World War, so far this is probably it.
May 15, 2022
There are already thousands of reviews for this deeply moving and heartbreaking book here on 欧宝娱乐, and I don't know that I could add anything new. It simply broke my heart. However I do feel really strongly that I should describe the vivid imagery that I'm left with.
Bright red poppies in bloodied fields
Where death stalked its victims.
It cared not for age, creed, or nationality
What would they have achieved in life,
These young men, with so much yet to experience,
So many dreams to fulfil
If duty hadn't called, and they hadn't answered
When the sun set for one final time
It set on the lives they never lived
Bright red poppies in bloodied fields
Where death stalked its victims.
It cared not for age, creed, or nationality
What would they have achieved in life,
These young men, with so much yet to experience,
So many dreams to fulfil
If duty hadn't called, and they hadn't answered
When the sun set for one final time
It set on the lives they never lived
August 29, 2024
I don't know why it took me so long to get to "All Quiet on the Western Front," but I'm glad I finally read it and am grateful to my friend Rose for recommending it. The book, first published in the late 1920s, is an absolutely heartbreaking, wonderfully written novel about the permanent damage done to those who fight in wars. Few anti-war novels written since have matched Erich Maria Remarque's unsettling book, and I doubt any have surpassed it.
Given how famous "All Quiet" is, there's little need for me to say much about it here. (Plus, it's so much easier to write negative reviews than positive ones, and I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this book.) There are several heart-rending passages that I expect will stick with me for a long time, though, and that I feel the need to mention: Paul B盲umer's leave, during which he finds it nearly impossible to relate normally to his family after his experiences on the front; Paul's time in a shell hole with French soldier G茅rard Duval; the brief interlude Paul and his comrades spend with a group of French girls, and how the gal with whom he'd been paired treats him in the end; and, of course, the scene near the book's end involving Stanislaus Katczinsky, easily "All Quiet"'s most interesting character. (I won't say anything about the scene with Kat so as not to spoil it for those who haven't read the book yet.)
One final thought, which I bring up because of Logan's comment that he didn't like "All Quiet," which he last read in high school. I've talked about this before, most recently in my review of "The Sea Wolf," and I feel the need to bring it up again: Many American readers, it seems, have bad memories of great works of literature they were made to read in school. That they were forced to read the books is, of course, part of the problem, but I also think schoolchildren often are assigned books they're not yet ready for. I don't mean that they're not smart enough to read and understand the books, but rather that they're not mature enough to have the books resonate properly with them. This would definitely be true of "All Quiet." It would be the most unusual of high school students -- one in a hundred, perhaps, if that many -- who could truly appreciate the issues raised in this book.
I would encourage anyone who hasn't read "All Quiet" yet to check it out. And for those who read it in school and were left with a bad taste in their mouths, it's probably time to revisit the book. That means you, Logan.
Given how famous "All Quiet" is, there's little need for me to say much about it here. (Plus, it's so much easier to write negative reviews than positive ones, and I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this book.) There are several heart-rending passages that I expect will stick with me for a long time, though, and that I feel the need to mention: Paul B盲umer's leave, during which he finds it nearly impossible to relate normally to his family after his experiences on the front; Paul's time in a shell hole with French soldier G茅rard Duval; the brief interlude Paul and his comrades spend with a group of French girls, and how the gal with whom he'd been paired treats him in the end; and, of course, the scene near the book's end involving Stanislaus Katczinsky, easily "All Quiet"'s most interesting character. (I won't say anything about the scene with Kat so as not to spoil it for those who haven't read the book yet.)
One final thought, which I bring up because of Logan's comment that he didn't like "All Quiet," which he last read in high school. I've talked about this before, most recently in my review of "The Sea Wolf," and I feel the need to bring it up again: Many American readers, it seems, have bad memories of great works of literature they were made to read in school. That they were forced to read the books is, of course, part of the problem, but I also think schoolchildren often are assigned books they're not yet ready for. I don't mean that they're not smart enough to read and understand the books, but rather that they're not mature enough to have the books resonate properly with them. This would definitely be true of "All Quiet." It would be the most unusual of high school students -- one in a hundred, perhaps, if that many -- who could truly appreciate the issues raised in this book.
I would encourage anyone who hasn't read "All Quiet" yet to check it out. And for those who read it in school and were left with a bad taste in their mouths, it's probably time to revisit the book. That means you, Logan.
August 23, 2024
Futile!
I was just beginning to reach the age when you become critical of the world around you, when I first read this book.
You know, a teenager on her high-horse.
But re-reading this book still makes me feel the same. The futility of war. The utter waste of life. What a shame.
Why can鈥檛 the generals go down into the trenches? Let them fight it out!
Would not be a lot of wars.
Five stars. 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
I was just beginning to reach the age when you become critical of the world around you, when I first read this book.
You know, a teenager on her high-horse.
But re-reading this book still makes me feel the same. The futility of war. The utter waste of life. What a shame.
Why can鈥檛 the generals go down into the trenches? Let them fight it out!
Would not be a lot of wars.
Five stars. 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
October 18, 2020
They were young. They were twenty-year-old. The war has stolen their youth.
The war has changed the values and priorities in man鈥檚 life 鈥� instead of learning the art of love and living one had to learn the skill of staying alive for however a short while longer.
Erich Maria Remarque was a humanist who could vividly portray the atrocity of war in all its terrors.
The rich, for whom it鈥檚 All Quiet on the Western Front, get filthily richer while the young and innocent and able pay with their lives for the riches of those who wield power.
To me the front is a mysterious whirlpool. Though I am in still water far away from its centre, I feel the whirl of the vortex sucking me slowly, irresistibly, inescapable into itself.
From the earth, from the air, sustaining forces pour into us鈥攎ostly from the earth. To no man does the earth mean so much as to the soldier. When he presses himself down upon her long and powerfully, when he buries his face and his limbs deep in her from the fear of death by shell-fire, then she is his only friend, his brother, his mother; he stifles his terror and his cries in her silence and her security; she shelters him and releases him for ten seconds to live, to run, ten seconds of life; receives him again and often for ever.
The war has changed the values and priorities in man鈥檚 life 鈥� instead of learning the art of love and living one had to learn the skill of staying alive for however a short while longer.
Erich Maria Remarque was a humanist who could vividly portray the atrocity of war in all its terrors.
I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another. I see that the keenest brains of the world invent weapons and words to make it yet more refined and enduring. And all men of my age, here and over there, throughout the whole world see these things; all my generation is experiencing these things with me. What would our fathers do if we suddenly stood up and came before them and proffered our account? What do they expect of us if a time ever comes when the war is over? Through the years our business has been killing;鈥攊t was our first calling in life. Our knowledge of life is limited to death. What will happen afterwards? And what shall come out of us?
The rich, for whom it鈥檚 All Quiet on the Western Front, get filthily richer while the young and innocent and able pay with their lives for the riches of those who wield power.
August 18, 2024
All Quiet on the Western Front is a book about a 20-year-old German boy named Paul. He is serving in World War I 鈥� this is hand-to-hand combat, trench warfare, barbed wire, bayonets, and gas.
All Quiet on the Western Front is about the devastation of war, and that no one survives even if the soldier returns from war.
Personally, this book is okay. It is very character driven (not plot driven), and I don鈥檛 usually enjoy character driven books. The narrator is a bit detached, but maybe that is supposed to show that to survive the soldier has to become desensitized.
All Quiet on the Western Front is a relatively short book, 160 pages, and it does raise some good points. Paul鈥檚 schoolteacher encouraged his classmates to enlist. While the schoolteacher is patting himself on the back, most of the new recruits have perished.
On his journey, Paul runs into someone while on leave. This is a person who has not served in the military (let alone the front lines); however, this person has big opinions and doesn鈥檛 mind sharing them (no matter how improbable or unrealistic his plans).
All Quiet on the Western Front reminded me a great deal of Nick by Michael Farris Smith where Nick also serves in World War I and has a very similar detached narrator vibe.
2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal
Connect With Me!
All Quiet on the Western Front is about the devastation of war, and that no one survives even if the soldier returns from war.
Personally, this book is okay. It is very character driven (not plot driven), and I don鈥檛 usually enjoy character driven books. The narrator is a bit detached, but maybe that is supposed to show that to survive the soldier has to become desensitized.
All Quiet on the Western Front is a relatively short book, 160 pages, and it does raise some good points. Paul鈥檚 schoolteacher encouraged his classmates to enlist. While the schoolteacher is patting himself on the back, most of the new recruits have perished.
On his journey, Paul runs into someone while on leave. This is a person who has not served in the military (let alone the front lines); however, this person has big opinions and doesn鈥檛 mind sharing them (no matter how improbable or unrealistic his plans).
All Quiet on the Western Front reminded me a great deal of Nick by Michael Farris Smith where Nick also serves in World War I and has a very similar detached narrator vibe.
2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal
Connect With Me!
December 20, 2018
The greatest war novel?
Maybe.
This was one of the first books that made me think that even though I wanted to be a writer someday, maybe I did not have what it takes.
This was a sharp, swift kick in the gut; a none too subtle reminder that there are somber, very real and poignant moments captured in literature that escape petty categorization and cynicism, there are real moments that cannot be trivialized and placed on a genre specific bookshelf.
Powerful.
** 2018 - This book, as a war novel, is cautionary. No doubt there are those novels that glorify and even romanticize battles, and there are others whose goal it is to revel in the martial experience. Remarque, though, has crafted a simple story that focuses instead on the individual and how this ugly time affects his life. In doing so Remarque declares the value of that individual life, in all life, and shines a discerning, damning light on war.
Maybe.
This was one of the first books that made me think that even though I wanted to be a writer someday, maybe I did not have what it takes.
This was a sharp, swift kick in the gut; a none too subtle reminder that there are somber, very real and poignant moments captured in literature that escape petty categorization and cynicism, there are real moments that cannot be trivialized and placed on a genre specific bookshelf.
Powerful.
** 2018 - This book, as a war novel, is cautionary. No doubt there are those novels that glorify and even romanticize battles, and there are others whose goal it is to revel in the martial experience. Remarque, though, has crafted a simple story that focuses instead on the individual and how this ugly time affects his life. In doing so Remarque declares the value of that individual life, in all life, and shines a discerning, damning light on war.
November 12, 2022
It鈥檚 been over a century since Remarque鈥檚 Paul B盲umer went through the meatgrinder of the senseless brutal war, and not a single fragging thing has changed except for better weapons.
It鈥檚 still the perceived offense of one country over whatever seems so important to those idiots in charge - the ones who are safe and whose families are safe no matter what happens, and who will benefit from the senseless slaughter - that sends a bunch of regular people to slaughter other regular people, the violence begets violence, and the wheel turns grinding everyone under its relentless trudge.
Kropp had it right:
鈥淜ropp on the other hand is a thinker. He proposes that a declaration of war should be a kind of popular festival with entrance-tickets and bands, like a bull fight. Then in the arena the ministers and generals of the two countries, dressed in bathing-drawers and armed with clubs, can have it out among themselves. Whoever survives, his country wins. That would be much simpler and more just than this arrangement, where the wrong people do the fighting.鈥�
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌�
Simple but poignant, without a shred of overwriting and overwroughtness, without descending into misery porn, without moralizing, without dropping anvil messages, in compact couple of hundred pages Remarque does what is not easy to achieve. He gets his point through in the way that is so effectively unsettling that those final two paragraphs - just four short lines - make the world sway for just a minute. And that鈥檚 more than I can say about 99% of literature out there.
The youth spent on satisfying others鈥� need for violence. Survival and camaraderie borne of that. The intersection of cynicism and idealism. The clear-headed realism too tired to be angry.
Remarque鈥檚 book is the work of genius.
5 stars.
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌�
Buddy read with Dennis.
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌�
(Review courtesy of a very delayed plane flight).
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌�
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺€斺€�
Also posted on .
It鈥檚 still the perceived offense of one country over whatever seems so important to those idiots in charge - the ones who are safe and whose families are safe no matter what happens, and who will benefit from the senseless slaughter - that sends a bunch of regular people to slaughter other regular people, the violence begets violence, and the wheel turns grinding everyone under its relentless trudge.
Kropp had it right:
鈥淜ropp on the other hand is a thinker. He proposes that a declaration of war should be a kind of popular festival with entrance-tickets and bands, like a bull fight. Then in the arena the ministers and generals of the two countries, dressed in bathing-drawers and armed with clubs, can have it out among themselves. Whoever survives, his country wins. That would be much simpler and more just than this arrangement, where the wrong people do the fighting.鈥�
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌�
鈥淗ow long has it been? Weeks鈥攎onths鈥攜ears? Only days. We see time pass in the colourless faces of the dying, we cram food into us, we run, we throw, we shoot, we kill, we lie about, we are feeble and spent, and nothing supports us but the knowledge that there are still feebler, still more spent, still more helpless ones there who, with staring eyes, look upon us as gods that escape death many times.鈥�
Simple but poignant, without a shred of overwriting and overwroughtness, without descending into misery porn, without moralizing, without dropping anvil messages, in compact couple of hundred pages Remarque does what is not easy to achieve. He gets his point through in the way that is so effectively unsettling that those final two paragraphs - just four short lines - make the world sway for just a minute. And that鈥檚 more than I can say about 99% of literature out there.
鈥淎t once a new warmth flows through me. These voices, these quiet words, these footsteps in the trench behind me recall me at a bound from the terrible loneliness and fear of death by which I had been almost destroyed. They are more to me than life, these voices, they are more than motherliness and more than fear; they are the strongest, most comforting thing there is anywhere: they are the voices of my comrades.
I am no longer a shuddering speck of existence, alone in the darkness;鈥擨 belong to them and they to me; we all share the same fear and the same life, we are nearer than lovers, in a simpler, a harder way; I could bury my face in them, in these voices, these words that have saved me and will stand by me.鈥�
The youth spent on satisfying others鈥� need for violence. Survival and camaraderie borne of that. The intersection of cynicism and idealism. The clear-headed realism too tired to be angry.
鈥淭jaden reappears. He is still quite excited and again joins the conversation, wondering just how a war gets started.
鈥淢ostly by one country badly offending another,鈥� answers Albert with a slight air of superiority.
Then Tjaden pretends to be obtuse. 鈥淎 country? I don鈥檛 follow. A mountain in Germany cannot offend a mountain in France. Or a river, or a wood, or a field of wheat.鈥�
鈥淎re you really as stupid as that, or are you just pulling my leg?鈥� growls Kropp, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 mean that at all. One people offends the other鈥斺€�
鈥淭hen I haven鈥檛 any business here at all,鈥� replies Tjaden, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 feel myself offended.鈥�
Remarque鈥檚 book is the work of genius.
5 stars.
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌�
Buddy read with Dennis.
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌�
(Review courtesy of a very delayed plane flight).
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌�
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺€斺€�
Also posted on .
October 23, 2022
Pa藕dziernik 2022:
Uda艂o mi si臋. Po trzech podej艣ciach sko艅czy艂am. Przes艂ucha艂am audiobooka w wykonaniu Krzysztofa Goszty艂y i nie mog艂abym wyobrazi膰 sobie lepszego lektora. Praktycznie do ko艅ca my艣la艂am, 偶e obni偶臋 ocen臋, bo jednak nie mog艂am przej艣膰 przez jej pocz膮tek, ale ostatnie zdanie, kt贸re tak naprawd臋 t艂umaczy sens tytu艂u doprowadzi艂o mnie do p艂aczu. Zostawiam 5 gwiazdek i mocno polecam.
Pocz膮tek 2022:
40% DNF
Mia艂am do niej ju偶 podej艣cie w 2021, ale po roku musz臋 j膮 ponownie od艂o偶y膰. To nie jest na ni膮 czas.
Uda艂o mi si臋. Po trzech podej艣ciach sko艅czy艂am. Przes艂ucha艂am audiobooka w wykonaniu Krzysztofa Goszty艂y i nie mog艂abym wyobrazi膰 sobie lepszego lektora. Praktycznie do ko艅ca my艣la艂am, 偶e obni偶臋 ocen臋, bo jednak nie mog艂am przej艣膰 przez jej pocz膮tek, ale ostatnie zdanie, kt贸re tak naprawd臋 t艂umaczy sens tytu艂u doprowadzi艂o mnie do p艂aczu. Zostawiam 5 gwiazdek i mocno polecam.
Pocz膮tek 2022:
40% DNF
Mia艂am do niej ju偶 podej艣cie w 2021, ale po roku musz臋 j膮 ponownie od艂o偶y膰. To nie jest na ni膮 czas.
January 8, 2019
"It鈥檚 unendurable. It is the moaning of the world, it is the martyred creation, wild with anguish, filled with terror, and groaning."
This slim novel about the horror of the World War I trenches and the senselessness of war was published in 1929. If you open this book up today, it is absolutely just as relevant now as it was decades ago. It is powerful and breathtaking. I finished my second reading of this last month and barely a day goes by without me thinking about it. I had read 鈥淎ll Quiet鈥� for the first time ages ago and the haunting feeling I had then has stayed with me all these years. If you have not ever read this book, you must do so. It is that meaningful.
"Shells, gas clouds, and flotillas of tanks 鈥� shattering, corroding, death. Dysentery, influenza, typhus 鈥� scalding, choking, death. Trenches, hospitals, the common grave 鈥� there are no other possibilities."
This is a story of a German soldier, Paul B盲umer, and his comrades. Since the book is so widely known and reviewed here on 欧宝娱乐, I won鈥檛 go into plot details. But I want to make note of some portions that affected me quite deeply. For instance, Remarque so clearly reflects the feeling of camaraderie that these men, most of them not even twenty years old, experienced in the field and on the front. These were some of the most moving passages of the novel.
"These voices, these quiet words, these footsteps in the trench behind me recall me at a bound from the terrible loneliness and fear of death by which I had been almost destroyed. They are more to me than life, these voices, they are more than motherliness and more than fear; they are the strongest, most comforting thing there is anywhere; they are the voices of my comrades."
I鈥檝e never read such stirring words about the soldier鈥檚 intimacy with not a woman, but rather with the very earth itself. The writing is truly remarkable.
"To no man does the earth mean so much as to the soldier. When he presses himself down upon her long and powerfully, when he buries his face and his limbs deep in her from the fear of death by shell-fire, then she is his only friend, his brother, his mother; he stifles his terror and his cries in her silence and her security; she shelters him and releases him for ten seconds to live, to run, ten seconds of life; receives him again and often forever."
When Paul goes home on leave, he finds that the life he once knew and loved no longer has the same meaning. His books, his case of butterflies and his piano no longer bring him the joy they once had. He cannot speak of what he has seen; he feels that those that have not been on the front and mired in the trenches can truly understand him. He feels alone. I was heartbroken when he cried out for his lost childhood.
"Ah! Mother, Mother! You still think I am a child 鈥� why can I not put my head in your lap and weep? Why have I always to be strong and self-controlled? I would like to weep and be comforted too, indeed I am little more than a child; in the wardrobe still hang short, boy鈥檚 trousers 鈥� it is such a little time ago, why is it over?"
I don鈥檛 know if a book exists that so effectively conveys the meaninglessness of war. If there is another, I have yet to read it. I suspect that Remarque had a marked influence on many authors writing about the topic since, but I don鈥檛 think this one can be beat in its simple yet passionate and well-expressed message. There were moments of fleeting pleasures and true companionship that allowed me to intermittently rejoice along with Paul and dream of a future when the war would be ended. But I also keenly felt his moments of hopelessness and despair. I nodded my head when he recognized in the enemy a man much like himself. His sense of humanity truly shined at these times. Something as basic as the sharing of cigarettes with the Russian prisoners was very telling.
"I take out my cigarettes, break each one in half and give them to the Russians. They bow to me and then light the cigarettes. Now red points glow in every face. They comfort me; it looks as though there were little windows in dark village cottages saying that behind them are rooms full of peace."
Ah, if only this book could be read everywhere by everyone. Perhaps then we could all see the reflection of ourselves, our mothers, our fathers, our brothers and sisters, and our lovers in the face of another human being. Could we then avoid the devastation of war? This book deserves a place on your bookshelf. Grab a copy if you haven鈥檛 already. Mine is sitting on my all-time favorites shelf.
"I think it is more of a kind of fever. No one in particular wants it, and then all at once there it is. We didn鈥檛 want the war, the others say the same thing 鈥� and yet half the world is in it all the same."
This slim novel about the horror of the World War I trenches and the senselessness of war was published in 1929. If you open this book up today, it is absolutely just as relevant now as it was decades ago. It is powerful and breathtaking. I finished my second reading of this last month and barely a day goes by without me thinking about it. I had read 鈥淎ll Quiet鈥� for the first time ages ago and the haunting feeling I had then has stayed with me all these years. If you have not ever read this book, you must do so. It is that meaningful.
"Shells, gas clouds, and flotillas of tanks 鈥� shattering, corroding, death. Dysentery, influenza, typhus 鈥� scalding, choking, death. Trenches, hospitals, the common grave 鈥� there are no other possibilities."
This is a story of a German soldier, Paul B盲umer, and his comrades. Since the book is so widely known and reviewed here on 欧宝娱乐, I won鈥檛 go into plot details. But I want to make note of some portions that affected me quite deeply. For instance, Remarque so clearly reflects the feeling of camaraderie that these men, most of them not even twenty years old, experienced in the field and on the front. These were some of the most moving passages of the novel.
"These voices, these quiet words, these footsteps in the trench behind me recall me at a bound from the terrible loneliness and fear of death by which I had been almost destroyed. They are more to me than life, these voices, they are more than motherliness and more than fear; they are the strongest, most comforting thing there is anywhere; they are the voices of my comrades."
I鈥檝e never read such stirring words about the soldier鈥檚 intimacy with not a woman, but rather with the very earth itself. The writing is truly remarkable.
"To no man does the earth mean so much as to the soldier. When he presses himself down upon her long and powerfully, when he buries his face and his limbs deep in her from the fear of death by shell-fire, then she is his only friend, his brother, his mother; he stifles his terror and his cries in her silence and her security; she shelters him and releases him for ten seconds to live, to run, ten seconds of life; receives him again and often forever."
When Paul goes home on leave, he finds that the life he once knew and loved no longer has the same meaning. His books, his case of butterflies and his piano no longer bring him the joy they once had. He cannot speak of what he has seen; he feels that those that have not been on the front and mired in the trenches can truly understand him. He feels alone. I was heartbroken when he cried out for his lost childhood.
"Ah! Mother, Mother! You still think I am a child 鈥� why can I not put my head in your lap and weep? Why have I always to be strong and self-controlled? I would like to weep and be comforted too, indeed I am little more than a child; in the wardrobe still hang short, boy鈥檚 trousers 鈥� it is such a little time ago, why is it over?"
I don鈥檛 know if a book exists that so effectively conveys the meaninglessness of war. If there is another, I have yet to read it. I suspect that Remarque had a marked influence on many authors writing about the topic since, but I don鈥檛 think this one can be beat in its simple yet passionate and well-expressed message. There were moments of fleeting pleasures and true companionship that allowed me to intermittently rejoice along with Paul and dream of a future when the war would be ended. But I also keenly felt his moments of hopelessness and despair. I nodded my head when he recognized in the enemy a man much like himself. His sense of humanity truly shined at these times. Something as basic as the sharing of cigarettes with the Russian prisoners was very telling.
"I take out my cigarettes, break each one in half and give them to the Russians. They bow to me and then light the cigarettes. Now red points glow in every face. They comfort me; it looks as though there were little windows in dark village cottages saying that behind them are rooms full of peace."
Ah, if only this book could be read everywhere by everyone. Perhaps then we could all see the reflection of ourselves, our mothers, our fathers, our brothers and sisters, and our lovers in the face of another human being. Could we then avoid the devastation of war? This book deserves a place on your bookshelf. Grab a copy if you haven鈥檛 already. Mine is sitting on my all-time favorites shelf.
"I think it is more of a kind of fever. No one in particular wants it, and then all at once there it is. We didn鈥檛 want the war, the others say the same thing 鈥� and yet half the world is in it all the same."
August 31, 2021
(Book 667 From 1001 Books) - 鈥€嶪m Westen nichts Neues = A l'ouest rien de novreau = All Quiet on The Western Front = In the West Nothing New, Erich Maria Remarque
All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I. The book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental stress during the war, and the detachment from civilian life felt by many of these soldiers upon returning home from the front.
毓賳賵丕賳賴丕蹖 趩丕倬 卮丿賴 丿乇 丕蹖乇丕賳: 芦丿乇 噩亘賴賴 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲禄貨 芦丿乇 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲禄貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 丕乇蹖卮 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇蹖賲丕乇讴貨 鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮 乇賵夭 丿賴賲 賲丕賴 丌賵乇蹖賱 爻丕賱 1972賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 丿乇 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 丕乇蹖卮 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇賲丕乇讴貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賴丕丿蹖 爻蹖丕丨 爻倬丕賳賱賵貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 讴鬲丕亘禺丕賳賴 丕亘賳 爻蹖賳丕貨 1309貨 丿乇 220氐貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 爻丕賱1334貨 丿乇 192氐貨 賲賵囟賵毓: 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 賵 蹖丕丿賲丕賳賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 丌賱賲丕賳 - 禺丕胤乇丕鬲 噩賳诏 噩賴丕賳诏蹖乇 賳禺爻鬲 - 爻丿賴 20賲
毓賳賵丕賳: 丿乇 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 丕乇蹖卮 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇賲丕乇讴貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 爻蹖乇賵爻 鬲丕噩亘禺卮貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賮禺乇 乇丕夭蹖: 賲賵爻爻賴 丕賳鬲卮丕乇丕鬲 賮乇丕賳讴賱蹖賳貙 1346貙 丿乇324氐貨
賳蹖夭 亘丕 賴賲蹖賳 毓賳賵丕賳 鬲乇噩賲賴 噩賳丕亘 丌賯丕蹖 倬乇賵蹖夭 卮賴丿蹖貙 氐丿丕蹖 賲毓丕氐乇貙 1392貨
毓賳賵丕賳 丿蹖诏乇: 丿乇 噩亘賴賴 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲貨 鬲乇噩賲賴 丕夭 賲鬲賳 丕賳诏賱蹖爻蹖: 乇囟丕 噩賵賱丕蹖蹖貙 1385貙 丿乇 254氐
丿乇 噩亘賴賴 蹖 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲貨 乇賲丕賳蹖 亘丕 賲賵囟賵毓 噩賳诏貙 丕孬乇 芦丕乇蹖卮 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇賲丕乇讴禄貙 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 蹖 芦丌賱賲丕賳蹖禄貙 讴賴 丿乇 爻丕賱 1929賲蹖賱丕丿蹖 賲賳鬲卮乇 卮丿賴貙 賵 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 丌孬丕乇 賲卮賴賵乇 丕丿亘蹖 噩賴丕賳 丕爻鬲貨 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 亘賴 氐賵乇鬲 丕賵賱 卮禺氐貙 丕夭 夭亘丕賳 卮禺氐蹖鬲 丕氐賱蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 (爻乇亘丕夭) 賳賯賱 賲蹖鈥屫促堌� 亘賴 噩夭 禺胤 丌禺乇 讴鬲丕亘 讴賴 禺亘乇 丕夭 讴卮鬲賴 卮丿賳 卮禺氐 乇丕賵蹖 賲蹖鈥屫囏� 丿乇 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 爻毓蹖 卮丿賴貙 鬲丕 亘賴 賲毓賳丕蹖 賵丕賯毓蹖 噩賳诏貙 賵 倬蹖丕賲丿賴丕蹖 亘賱賳丿 賲丿鬲 丌賳貙 丕卮丕乇賴 卮賵丿
賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳: (爻乇亘丕夭賴丕蹖 賲爻賳鈥屫� 亘賴 夭賳丿诏蹖鈥屬囏й� 诏匕卮鬲賴鈥屫簇з� 賵丕亘爻鬲诏蹖 丿丕乇賳丿貨 丌賳鈥屬囏� 夭賳 丿丕乇賳丿貙 亘趩賴 丿丕乇賳丿貙 禺丕賳賴 賵 夭賳丿诏蹖 賵 讴爻亘 賵 讴丕乇 丿丕乇賳丿貙 丿賱亘爻鬲诏蹖 賵 賵丕亘爻鬲诏蹖 丌賳鈥屬囏� 亘賴 夭賳丿诏蹖 诏匕卮鬲賴鈥屫簇з� 丌賳鈥屬傌� 賯乇氐 賵 賲丨讴賲 丕爻鬲貙 讴賴 噩賳诏 賴賲 賳賲蹖鈥屫堌з嗀� 丌賳 乇丕 倬丕乇賴 讴賳丿貨 丕賲丕 亘乇毓讴爻 賲丕 亘蹖爻鬲 爻丕賱賴鈥屬囏� 噩夭 倬丿乇 賵 賲丕丿乇 賵 丕丨蹖丕賳丕 蹖讴 乇賮蹖賯賴 趩蹖夭 丿蹖诏乇蹖 賳丿丕乇蹖賲 讴賴 丌賳 賴賲 賯丕亘賱 賳蹖爻鬲貨 趩賵賳 丿乇 丕蹖賳 丿賵乇賴 賵 夭賲丕賳賴 賳賮賵匕 倬丿乇 賵 賲丕丿乇 乇賵蹖 亘趩賴鈥屬囏� 鬲賯乇蹖亘丕 賴蹖趩 卮丿賴 賵 丿禺鬲乇賴丕 賴賲 讴賴 賴賳賵夭 丿爻鬲鈥屫簇з� 亘賴 乇蹖卮 賲丕 亘賳丿 賳蹖爻鬲貨 丕夭 丕蹖賳 蹖讴蹖 丿賵 趩蹖夭 讴賴 亘诏匕乇蹖賲 丿蹖诏乇 趩蹖夭 趩卮賲鈥屭屫臂� 倬蹖丿丕 賳賲蹖鈥屫促堌� 讴賴 亘賴 丌賳 賮讴乇 讴賳蹖賲 噩夭 趩賳丿 禺丕胤乇賴 禺賵卮 賵 趩賳丿 鬲丕 爻乇诏乇賲蹖 賵 ...锟斤拷 賲丨蹖胤 賲丿乇爻賴貨 賴賲蹖賳 賵 亘爻貨 賵 丕賲乇賵夭 丕夭 賴賲蹖賳鈥屬囏� 賴賲 丕孬乇蹖 賳賲丕賳丿賴 丕爻鬲貨 芦讴丕賳鬲賵乇讴禄 賲蹖鈥屭佖� 讴賴 賲丕 亘賴 丌爻鬲丕賳賴 蹖 夭賳丿诏蹖 乇爻蹖丿賴鈥� 丕蹖賲貨 賵 丕賳诏丕乇 丨乇賮卮 丨爻丕亘蹖 亘賵丿貨 賴賳賵夭 賳賴丕賱 夭賳丿诏蹖 賲丕 乇蹖卮賴 賳丿賵丕賳丿賴 亘賵丿貙 讴賴 爻蹖賱 噩賳诏 丌賳 乇丕 丕夭 噩丕 讴賳丿 賵 亘乇丿貨 亘乇丕蹖 丌賳鈥屬囏� 讴賴 賲爻賳鈥屫辟嗀� 噩賳诏 丨讴賲 賲乇禺氐蹖 乇丕 丿丕乇丿貨 丌賳鈥屬囏� 亘乇丕蹖 夭賳丿诏蹖 亘毓丿 丕夭 噩賳诏 賳賯卮賴鈥屬囏� 賲蹖鈥屭┴促嗀� 丿乇 丨丕賱蹖讴賴 賲丕 亘丕 丌賳讴賴 丿乇 诏蹖乇賵丿丕乇卮 賴爻鬲蹖賲貙 賳賲蹖鈥屫з嗃屬� 讴丕乇賲丕賳 亘賴 讴噩丕 禺賵丕賴丿 讴卮蹖丿貨 賮賯胤 賲蹖鈥屫з嗃屬� 讴賴 丌丿賲鈥屬囏й� 亘蹖禺賵丿 賵 亘蹖鈥屬呚地辟佦� 卮丿賴鈥� 丕蹖賲貨 丿蹖诏乇 丨鬲蹖 賲鬲丕孬乇 賴賲 賳賲蹖鈥屫促堐屬呚� 丿賱鈥屬呚з� 亘賴 丨丕賱 禺賵丿賲丕賳 賴賲 賳賲蹖鈥屫迟堌藏� 賵 丕蹖賳 毓噩蹖亘 賵 睾賲鈥屫з嗂屫� 丕爻鬲.)貨 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賯賱
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 20/07/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 07/06/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I. The book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental stress during the war, and the detachment from civilian life felt by many of these soldiers upon returning home from the front.
毓賳賵丕賳賴丕蹖 趩丕倬 卮丿賴 丿乇 丕蹖乇丕賳: 芦丿乇 噩亘賴賴 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲禄貨 芦丿乇 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲禄貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 丕乇蹖卮 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇蹖賲丕乇讴貨 鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮 乇賵夭 丿賴賲 賲丕賴 丌賵乇蹖賱 爻丕賱 1972賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 丿乇 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 丕乇蹖卮 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇賲丕乇讴貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賴丕丿蹖 爻蹖丕丨 爻倬丕賳賱賵貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 讴鬲丕亘禺丕賳賴 丕亘賳 爻蹖賳丕貨 1309貨 丿乇 220氐貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 爻丕賱1334貨 丿乇 192氐貨 賲賵囟賵毓: 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 賵 蹖丕丿賲丕賳賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 丌賱賲丕賳 - 禺丕胤乇丕鬲 噩賳诏 噩賴丕賳诏蹖乇 賳禺爻鬲 - 爻丿賴 20賲
毓賳賵丕賳: 丿乇 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 丕乇蹖卮 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇賲丕乇讴貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 爻蹖乇賵爻 鬲丕噩亘禺卮貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賮禺乇 乇丕夭蹖: 賲賵爻爻賴 丕賳鬲卮丕乇丕鬲 賮乇丕賳讴賱蹖賳貙 1346貙 丿乇324氐貨
賳蹖夭 亘丕 賴賲蹖賳 毓賳賵丕賳 鬲乇噩賲賴 噩賳丕亘 丌賯丕蹖 倬乇賵蹖夭 卮賴丿蹖貙 氐丿丕蹖 賲毓丕氐乇貙 1392貨
毓賳賵丕賳 丿蹖诏乇: 丿乇 噩亘賴賴 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲貨 鬲乇噩賲賴 丕夭 賲鬲賳 丕賳诏賱蹖爻蹖: 乇囟丕 噩賵賱丕蹖蹖貙 1385貙 丿乇 254氐
丿乇 噩亘賴賴 蹖 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲貨 乇賲丕賳蹖 亘丕 賲賵囟賵毓 噩賳诏貙 丕孬乇 芦丕乇蹖卮 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇賲丕乇讴禄貙 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 蹖 芦丌賱賲丕賳蹖禄貙 讴賴 丿乇 爻丕賱 1929賲蹖賱丕丿蹖 賲賳鬲卮乇 卮丿賴貙 賵 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 丌孬丕乇 賲卮賴賵乇 丕丿亘蹖 噩賴丕賳 丕爻鬲貨 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 亘賴 氐賵乇鬲 丕賵賱 卮禺氐貙 丕夭 夭亘丕賳 卮禺氐蹖鬲 丕氐賱蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 (爻乇亘丕夭) 賳賯賱 賲蹖鈥屫促堌� 亘賴 噩夭 禺胤 丌禺乇 讴鬲丕亘 讴賴 禺亘乇 丕夭 讴卮鬲賴 卮丿賳 卮禺氐 乇丕賵蹖 賲蹖鈥屫囏� 丿乇 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 爻毓蹖 卮丿賴貙 鬲丕 亘賴 賲毓賳丕蹖 賵丕賯毓蹖 噩賳诏貙 賵 倬蹖丕賲丿賴丕蹖 亘賱賳丿 賲丿鬲 丌賳貙 丕卮丕乇賴 卮賵丿
賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳: (爻乇亘丕夭賴丕蹖 賲爻賳鈥屫� 亘賴 夭賳丿诏蹖鈥屬囏й� 诏匕卮鬲賴鈥屫簇з� 賵丕亘爻鬲诏蹖 丿丕乇賳丿貨 丌賳鈥屬囏� 夭賳 丿丕乇賳丿貙 亘趩賴 丿丕乇賳丿貙 禺丕賳賴 賵 夭賳丿诏蹖 賵 讴爻亘 賵 讴丕乇 丿丕乇賳丿貙 丿賱亘爻鬲诏蹖 賵 賵丕亘爻鬲诏蹖 丌賳鈥屬囏� 亘賴 夭賳丿诏蹖 诏匕卮鬲賴鈥屫簇з� 丌賳鈥屬傌� 賯乇氐 賵 賲丨讴賲 丕爻鬲貙 讴賴 噩賳诏 賴賲 賳賲蹖鈥屫堌з嗀� 丌賳 乇丕 倬丕乇賴 讴賳丿貨 丕賲丕 亘乇毓讴爻 賲丕 亘蹖爻鬲 爻丕賱賴鈥屬囏� 噩夭 倬丿乇 賵 賲丕丿乇 賵 丕丨蹖丕賳丕 蹖讴 乇賮蹖賯賴 趩蹖夭 丿蹖诏乇蹖 賳丿丕乇蹖賲 讴賴 丌賳 賴賲 賯丕亘賱 賳蹖爻鬲貨 趩賵賳 丿乇 丕蹖賳 丿賵乇賴 賵 夭賲丕賳賴 賳賮賵匕 倬丿乇 賵 賲丕丿乇 乇賵蹖 亘趩賴鈥屬囏� 鬲賯乇蹖亘丕 賴蹖趩 卮丿賴 賵 丿禺鬲乇賴丕 賴賲 讴賴 賴賳賵夭 丿爻鬲鈥屫簇з� 亘賴 乇蹖卮 賲丕 亘賳丿 賳蹖爻鬲貨 丕夭 丕蹖賳 蹖讴蹖 丿賵 趩蹖夭 讴賴 亘诏匕乇蹖賲 丿蹖诏乇 趩蹖夭 趩卮賲鈥屭屫臂� 倬蹖丿丕 賳賲蹖鈥屫促堌� 讴賴 亘賴 丌賳 賮讴乇 讴賳蹖賲 噩夭 趩賳丿 禺丕胤乇賴 禺賵卮 賵 趩賳丿 鬲丕 爻乇诏乇賲蹖 賵 ...锟斤拷 賲丨蹖胤 賲丿乇爻賴貨 賴賲蹖賳 賵 亘爻貨 賵 丕賲乇賵夭 丕夭 賴賲蹖賳鈥屬囏� 賴賲 丕孬乇蹖 賳賲丕賳丿賴 丕爻鬲貨 芦讴丕賳鬲賵乇讴禄 賲蹖鈥屭佖� 讴賴 賲丕 亘賴 丌爻鬲丕賳賴 蹖 夭賳丿诏蹖 乇爻蹖丿賴鈥� 丕蹖賲貨 賵 丕賳诏丕乇 丨乇賮卮 丨爻丕亘蹖 亘賵丿貨 賴賳賵夭 賳賴丕賱 夭賳丿诏蹖 賲丕 乇蹖卮賴 賳丿賵丕賳丿賴 亘賵丿貙 讴賴 爻蹖賱 噩賳诏 丌賳 乇丕 丕夭 噩丕 讴賳丿 賵 亘乇丿貨 亘乇丕蹖 丌賳鈥屬囏� 讴賴 賲爻賳鈥屫辟嗀� 噩賳诏 丨讴賲 賲乇禺氐蹖 乇丕 丿丕乇丿貨 丌賳鈥屬囏� 亘乇丕蹖 夭賳丿诏蹖 亘毓丿 丕夭 噩賳诏 賳賯卮賴鈥屬囏� 賲蹖鈥屭┴促嗀� 丿乇 丨丕賱蹖讴賴 賲丕 亘丕 丌賳讴賴 丿乇 诏蹖乇賵丿丕乇卮 賴爻鬲蹖賲貙 賳賲蹖鈥屫з嗃屬� 讴丕乇賲丕賳 亘賴 讴噩丕 禺賵丕賴丿 讴卮蹖丿貨 賮賯胤 賲蹖鈥屫з嗃屬� 讴賴 丌丿賲鈥屬囏й� 亘蹖禺賵丿 賵 亘蹖鈥屬呚地辟佦� 卮丿賴鈥� 丕蹖賲貨 丿蹖诏乇 丨鬲蹖 賲鬲丕孬乇 賴賲 賳賲蹖鈥屫促堐屬呚� 丿賱鈥屬呚з� 亘賴 丨丕賱 禺賵丿賲丕賳 賴賲 賳賲蹖鈥屫迟堌藏� 賵 丕蹖賳 毓噩蹖亘 賵 睾賲鈥屫з嗂屫� 丕爻鬲.)貨 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賯賱
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 20/07/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 07/06/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
March 27, 2023
A man cannot realize that above such shattered bodies there are still human faces in which life goes its daily round. And this is only one hospital, a single station; there are hundreds of thousands in Germany, hundreds of thousands in France, hundreds of thousands in Russia. How senseless is everything that can ever be written, done, or thought, when such things are possible. It must be all lies and of no account when the culture of a thousand years could not prevent this stream of blood being poured out, these torture chambers in their hundreds of thousands. A hospital alone shows what war is.
February 20, 2023
鈥淚 am young, I am twenty years of age; but I know nothing of life except despair, death, fear, and the combination of completely mindless superficiality with an abyss of suffering. I see people being driven against one another, and silently, uncomprehendingly, foolishly, obediently and innocently killing one another. I see the best brains in the world inventing weapons and words to make the whole process that much more sophisticated and long-lasting..鈥�
All wars create heroes, all heroes have they own stories, and all brilliant stories have words that illicit powerful emotions, inspire future generations, and in the process, immortalise those who gave so much. Yet the needless loss of life is best explored in this daring book, where freedom was dispensed with for force and the costly effect of war is told through the eyes of one German soldier and his young army friends.
The plot unfortunately feels very real and grim, but the messaging and characterisation was outstanding. The irony of the story exists in the lives of four young na茂ve soldiers who went to war with a sense of adventure only to find there was no glory in war, only death, anger, and despondency. Best expressed in a quote that is so powerful and heart wrenching.
鈥淭his book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war.鈥�
Although the characterisation in the book was superb, one of the most unlikely heroes in this story was not a book character but the author himself for writing this novel that no doubt will continue to take its rightful place in literary history. Considering the period, this book was brave, but it was also dangerous for the author to have written such an anti-war story. The messages are universal and provides an opportunity to reflect on the many lives lost through the ambitions of small men who learn nothing from history.
I have read so many war time stories both fictional and non-fictional but this one got to me, and the tears flowed, perhaps heightened because of the needless deaths in our world today, and perhaps because it was so affecting to have heard the trauma that most young lads (everyone really) would have faced in the trenches, regardless of which side they were on. Yet for me it was the writing style that cannot be overlooked because this was persuasive writing at its best and when it mattered. To have had these glimpses into the thoughts, memories, and emotions of the people on the front line was dramatic and overwhelming at times when they talk about the 鈥渙nslaught of oblivion鈥�, 鈥渁byss of isolation鈥�, 鈥淚 am so alone and so devoid of any hope that I cannot confront them without fear鈥�.
Incredibly emotional, sobering, and effective. Also raw, authentic, and terrifying with the lens on the vulnerable and largely innocent people who if given the opportunity would have chosen not to go to war. My thoughts go to the innocent lives lost in the world wars and to the people of Ukraine, including the innocent people on all sides who have been forced into war against their will.
And for the people that know something of fighting in pointless wars鈥�.
鈥淲hile they went on writing and making speeches, we saw field hospitals and men dying: while they preached the service of the state as the greatest thing, we already knew that the fear of death is even greater.鈥濃€� 鈥淥nly a military hospital can show you what war is鈥�
These vintage classic novels are proving a great find. This is one of many I have been collecting and enjoying because they are unique, works of art, evocative, and timeless. Incidentally many were originally banned but censored is probably a more fitting description. I will start to list these because they are less well known but certainly do deserve to be up there on the podium with other literary giants.
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Other 'Vintage Classics' titles worthy of a 5 star rating
Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys
Ballad of Sad Cafe by Carson McCullers
The Heart's a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
For Esme鈥擶ith Love and Squalor, by Salinger
The End of the Affair by Graham Greene (4 Stars)
All wars create heroes, all heroes have they own stories, and all brilliant stories have words that illicit powerful emotions, inspire future generations, and in the process, immortalise those who gave so much. Yet the needless loss of life is best explored in this daring book, where freedom was dispensed with for force and the costly effect of war is told through the eyes of one German soldier and his young army friends.
The plot unfortunately feels very real and grim, but the messaging and characterisation was outstanding. The irony of the story exists in the lives of four young na茂ve soldiers who went to war with a sense of adventure only to find there was no glory in war, only death, anger, and despondency. Best expressed in a quote that is so powerful and heart wrenching.
鈥淭his book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war.鈥�
Although the characterisation in the book was superb, one of the most unlikely heroes in this story was not a book character but the author himself for writing this novel that no doubt will continue to take its rightful place in literary history. Considering the period, this book was brave, but it was also dangerous for the author to have written such an anti-war story. The messages are universal and provides an opportunity to reflect on the many lives lost through the ambitions of small men who learn nothing from history.
I have read so many war time stories both fictional and non-fictional but this one got to me, and the tears flowed, perhaps heightened because of the needless deaths in our world today, and perhaps because it was so affecting to have heard the trauma that most young lads (everyone really) would have faced in the trenches, regardless of which side they were on. Yet for me it was the writing style that cannot be overlooked because this was persuasive writing at its best and when it mattered. To have had these glimpses into the thoughts, memories, and emotions of the people on the front line was dramatic and overwhelming at times when they talk about the 鈥渙nslaught of oblivion鈥�, 鈥渁byss of isolation鈥�, 鈥淚 am so alone and so devoid of any hope that I cannot confront them without fear鈥�.
Incredibly emotional, sobering, and effective. Also raw, authentic, and terrifying with the lens on the vulnerable and largely innocent people who if given the opportunity would have chosen not to go to war. My thoughts go to the innocent lives lost in the world wars and to the people of Ukraine, including the innocent people on all sides who have been forced into war against their will.
And for the people that know something of fighting in pointless wars鈥�.
鈥淲hile they went on writing and making speeches, we saw field hospitals and men dying: while they preached the service of the state as the greatest thing, we already knew that the fear of death is even greater.鈥濃€� 鈥淥nly a military hospital can show you what war is鈥�
These vintage classic novels are proving a great find. This is one of many I have been collecting and enjoying because they are unique, works of art, evocative, and timeless. Incidentally many were originally banned but censored is probably a more fitting description. I will start to list these because they are less well known but certainly do deserve to be up there on the podium with other literary giants.
_______________________________
Other 'Vintage Classics' titles worthy of a 5 star rating
Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys
Ballad of Sad Cafe by Carson McCullers
The Heart's a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
For Esme鈥擶ith Love and Squalor, by Salinger
The End of the Affair by Graham Greene (4 Stars)
February 8, 2023
This truly is a masterpiece. The author draws on his frontline experiences during World War 1 to bring the honest brutality and inhumane face of war to light and at what cost war is fought. The book follows Paul B盲umer, where after a few years in the trenches he has become a hardened veteran and has lost all his enthusiasm for fighting, but also does not know what he will do without it. He is surrounded by his comrades from many battles where they have become like a family, and then he starts losing them which leaves him with strange emotions as he deals with everything around him, from going on leave, killing an enemy face-to-face to being wounded. The ending is apt for the book as it shows how a generation was lost, for all humankind, not just the Allies or Central Powers.
Written in the 1920's, it shows what the horrors of the trenches was like for the young soldiers that had to do the fighting, and what horrendous wounds they suffered and all they had to give up of their lives. The book was banned by the Nazis in the 1930's and you can see why. Great book and highly recommended reading to all.
Written in the 1920's, it shows what the horrors of the trenches was like for the young soldiers that had to do the fighting, and what horrendous wounds they suffered and all they had to give up of their lives. The book was banned by the Nazis in the 1930's and you can see why. Great book and highly recommended reading to all.
May 5, 2022
鈥淚 am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow.鈥�
From its opening in the trenches with the German Army in WWI to an end replete with utter hopelessness, Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front presents a devastating picture of a soldier at war. What's clear is that our protagonist, Paul, could be a soldier of any country; his concerns and emotions could be those of a soldier of this century rather than the beginning of the 20th century. In fact, despite the images we associate with WWI (such as the gas attacks and brutal conditions in the trenches), there is something very modern about All Quiet on the Western Front. It may well have to do with Remarque's attitude toward war. From the outset, we are warned that this is not an adventure; even those who manage to escape the war unscathed are damaged. In effect, a generation is destroyed by the war.
In trying to make sense of the war, Remarque explores the powerlessness of soldiers on the front lines. From a belief in their government's rationale in going to war, soldiers increasingly focus on their own deliverance. The end is utterly bleak. All the promise of youth is destroyed by disease, starvation and ultimately death. Those who come back from this war are still damaged; there is no way they can go through the horrors of war without the scars.
From its opening in the trenches with the German Army in WWI to an end replete with utter hopelessness, Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front presents a devastating picture of a soldier at war. What's clear is that our protagonist, Paul, could be a soldier of any country; his concerns and emotions could be those of a soldier of this century rather than the beginning of the 20th century. In fact, despite the images we associate with WWI (such as the gas attacks and brutal conditions in the trenches), there is something very modern about All Quiet on the Western Front. It may well have to do with Remarque's attitude toward war. From the outset, we are warned that this is not an adventure; even those who manage to escape the war unscathed are damaged. In effect, a generation is destroyed by the war.
In trying to make sense of the war, Remarque explores the powerlessness of soldiers on the front lines. From a belief in their government's rationale in going to war, soldiers increasingly focus on their own deliverance. The end is utterly bleak. All the promise of youth is destroyed by disease, starvation and ultimately death. Those who come back from this war are still damaged; there is no way they can go through the horrors of war without the scars.
January 5, 2020
This is the best war novel I've ever read! I'm not sure how much that's saying about me or the book, since I haven't exactly read a great many war novels.
I've been on a World War I jag lately, which should not be misinterpreted as READING a great many books about WW I. Rather, I have been BUYING a great many books about World War I. All Quiet on the Western Front is a book I've owned about 25 years and this was actually my second try at reading it. The only reason I know this is that I noticed upon reading that it had passages underlined ending on page 64. I remembered nothing of what I'd read couldn't recall ever trying to read the novel. Senescence is a cruel affliction!
Why was this the best war novel I've ever read? Well, the book told the truth. It was the truth of the author but, I suspect, it is a truth shared by many infantry soldiers who've been engaged in trench warfare or any close combat. There are exceptions to this. Ernst Junger fought in the trenches much longer than Erich Remarque and was wounded nine times--yet he wrote an account of The Great War very different, in some ways, than Remarque's. Remarque survived the war, but came away with a damaged psyche and horrific memories that, fortunately, he was able to rise above to become a successful novelist. I think his writing actually helped exorcise his demons from the war.
Junger saw the war as a patriotic struggle and a test of his mettle. That is, he saw (or created) a purpose for the war, with the ultimate purpose being victory for Germany and personal victory which required that he stay alive. Interestingly, Adolph Hitler was another who apparently enjoyed the perils of fighting in The Great War. This is not an indication, though, that Junger and Hitler were similar men. Junger despised Hitler from all accounts I have read.
Remarque has courage even while admitting to being scared, as anyone would be while being fired upon by artillery, shells, mustard gas and aerial bombardments. But his view of The Great War is far different. He views the war as pointless and futile and the work of a group of old men who won't have to fight who decide based on shaky or spurious pretexts that, suddenly, this nationality is our enemy, another is our friend. Remarque's thinking was more in line with the Bob Dylan song, "Only a Pawn in their Game." Soldiers were cannon fodder, and when they died, as they frequently did, other recruits were brought in as more cannon fodder--young boys of 19, many who enlisted at the urging of their schoolmasters--men who would not have to sleep standing up in a trench as bombs dropped around them and lice ate them and rats battled for their bread. When/if the war ended, it was because these same gray eminences met again in some far-off city and signed pieces of paper saying that, despite all the carnage, the nations were once again friends.
Human instinct propelled survival and experience in battle and taught one the skills to survive; though in Remarque's world, even survival skills were often trumped by sheer luck. Old heads could talk of duty to the "Fatherland" but all war really meant to the combatants was a fight for reasons they could not understand, created by powerful men in faraway rooms who signed documents allowing men to commit atrocities that under normal circumstances would have led them to the gallows or the firing squad.
I'm a bit torn over whether Remarque's war experiences are universal or whether they reflect his particular personality or the particular war he was fighting? WW I was a gruesome, protracted conflict. It probably could have been fought at the negotiation table, as internecine European squabbles are settled nowadays. No doubt it was easy for the common foot soldier on all sides to forget that the war started because an heir apparent to the throne of a dying empire was shot by a Bosnian youth who wanted his country free from the yoke of this decaying empire. Ironically, he killed a man and his wife who were sympathetic to his cause.
Perhaps, as General Sherman said, "War is hell" and is hell under any conditions but especially hell for a soldier on the front lines in a ground war. I have heard interviews with fighter pilots and Navy SEALS, among other elite forces, where the retired soldiers said they missed the war and there was never a time when they felt more alive than when fighting in battle. It appears that some revel in the conflicts and get a thrill from combat, though I'm guessing that a great many more, upon reflection, might hold a view closer to Remarque's, and a great many, if you got them under the hot lights, might allow that war has its downsides, too.
Perhaps in wars like WW II, where soldiers on the allied side had a real sense of purpose, such dissonance as Remarque felt was far less common? Perhaps if soldiers can be convinced of the necessity of the war then doubts a combatant might harbor can be dispelled. I suspect, though, that combatants in most wars are battling demons, with varying degrees of success, after experiencing the horrors of war.
I've been on a World War I jag lately, which should not be misinterpreted as READING a great many books about WW I. Rather, I have been BUYING a great many books about World War I. All Quiet on the Western Front is a book I've owned about 25 years and this was actually my second try at reading it. The only reason I know this is that I noticed upon reading that it had passages underlined ending on page 64. I remembered nothing of what I'd read couldn't recall ever trying to read the novel. Senescence is a cruel affliction!
Why was this the best war novel I've ever read? Well, the book told the truth. It was the truth of the author but, I suspect, it is a truth shared by many infantry soldiers who've been engaged in trench warfare or any close combat. There are exceptions to this. Ernst Junger fought in the trenches much longer than Erich Remarque and was wounded nine times--yet he wrote an account of The Great War very different, in some ways, than Remarque's. Remarque survived the war, but came away with a damaged psyche and horrific memories that, fortunately, he was able to rise above to become a successful novelist. I think his writing actually helped exorcise his demons from the war.
Junger saw the war as a patriotic struggle and a test of his mettle. That is, he saw (or created) a purpose for the war, with the ultimate purpose being victory for Germany and personal victory which required that he stay alive. Interestingly, Adolph Hitler was another who apparently enjoyed the perils of fighting in The Great War. This is not an indication, though, that Junger and Hitler were similar men. Junger despised Hitler from all accounts I have read.
Remarque has courage even while admitting to being scared, as anyone would be while being fired upon by artillery, shells, mustard gas and aerial bombardments. But his view of The Great War is far different. He views the war as pointless and futile and the work of a group of old men who won't have to fight who decide based on shaky or spurious pretexts that, suddenly, this nationality is our enemy, another is our friend. Remarque's thinking was more in line with the Bob Dylan song, "Only a Pawn in their Game." Soldiers were cannon fodder, and when they died, as they frequently did, other recruits were brought in as more cannon fodder--young boys of 19, many who enlisted at the urging of their schoolmasters--men who would not have to sleep standing up in a trench as bombs dropped around them and lice ate them and rats battled for their bread. When/if the war ended, it was because these same gray eminences met again in some far-off city and signed pieces of paper saying that, despite all the carnage, the nations were once again friends.
Human instinct propelled survival and experience in battle and taught one the skills to survive; though in Remarque's world, even survival skills were often trumped by sheer luck. Old heads could talk of duty to the "Fatherland" but all war really meant to the combatants was a fight for reasons they could not understand, created by powerful men in faraway rooms who signed documents allowing men to commit atrocities that under normal circumstances would have led them to the gallows or the firing squad.
I'm a bit torn over whether Remarque's war experiences are universal or whether they reflect his particular personality or the particular war he was fighting? WW I was a gruesome, protracted conflict. It probably could have been fought at the negotiation table, as internecine European squabbles are settled nowadays. No doubt it was easy for the common foot soldier on all sides to forget that the war started because an heir apparent to the throne of a dying empire was shot by a Bosnian youth who wanted his country free from the yoke of this decaying empire. Ironically, he killed a man and his wife who were sympathetic to his cause.
Perhaps, as General Sherman said, "War is hell" and is hell under any conditions but especially hell for a soldier on the front lines in a ground war. I have heard interviews with fighter pilots and Navy SEALS, among other elite forces, where the retired soldiers said they missed the war and there was never a time when they felt more alive than when fighting in battle. It appears that some revel in the conflicts and get a thrill from combat, though I'm guessing that a great many more, upon reflection, might hold a view closer to Remarque's, and a great many, if you got them under the hot lights, might allow that war has its downsides, too.
Perhaps in wars like WW II, where soldiers on the allied side had a real sense of purpose, such dissonance as Remarque felt was far less common? Perhaps if soldiers can be convinced of the necessity of the war then doubts a combatant might harbor can be dispelled. I suspect, though, that combatants in most wars are battling demons, with varying degrees of success, after experiencing the horrors of war.
August 27, 2021
禺亘 禺亘 禺亘
丨丕賱丕 讴賴 禺賵賳丿賳 丕蹖賳 丕孬乇 乇賵 鬲賲賵賲 讴乇丿賲貙 丿賵爻鬲 丿丕乇賲 蹖讴 讴蹖爻賴 倬賱丕爻鬲蹖讴蹖 亘乇丿丕乇賲 賵 賴乇 讴鬲丕亘蹖 讴賴 丿乇 賲賵乇丿 噩賳诏 噩賴丕賳蹖 丕賵賱 賵 丿賵賲 禺賵賳丿賲 乇賵 亘乇蹖夭賲 鬲賵卮 賵 丕夭 倬賳噩乇賴 倬乇鬲 讴賳賲 亘蹖乇賵賳貙 丕賱亘鬲賴 亘賴 噩夭 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘! :))
丿乇 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲貙 讴鬲丕亘蹖賴 讴賴 趩賵賳 丿乇 賲賵乇丿 噩賳诏 噩賴丕賳蹖 丕賵賱賴貙 賲丿鬲蹖 鬲賵蹖 讴鬲丕亘禺賵賳賴鈥屫з� 禺丕讴 禺賵乇丿 鬲丕 丕蹖賳讴賴 亘毓丿 丕夭 禺賵賳丿賳 讴鬲丕亘 丕鬲丕賯 丕賮爻乇丕賳貙 鬲氐賲蹖賲 诏乇賮鬲賲 丕夭 噩賳诏 噩賴丕賳蹖 丕賵賱 亘蹖卮鬲乇 讴鬲丕亘 亘禺賵賳賲... 倬爻 亘乇丿丕卮鬲賲卮!
賵 丿乇 賴賲賵賳 賮氐賱 丕賵賱 賵 氐賮丨丕鬲 丕賵賱 亘賴 禺賵丿賲 诏賮鬲賲 讴賴 丕蹖 丿賱 睾丕賮賱貙 賲賳 趩乇丕 丕賳賯丿乇 丿蹖乇 爻乇丕睾 丕蹖賳 卮丕賴讴丕乇 丕賵賲丿賲..!
賳賯丿賴丕 賵 鬲毓丕乇蹖賮 夭蹖丕丿蹖 丿乇 爻鬲丕蹖卮 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 賳賵卮鬲賴 卮丿賴 讴賴 賲賳 丨賯蹖乇 卮丕蹖丿 賳鬲賵賳賲 亘賴 夭蹖亘丕蹖蹖 丕賵賳鈥屬囏ж� 丿乇 賲賵乇丿卮 丨乇賮 亘夭賳賲.
賮賯胤 丕蹖賳 乇賵 亘诏賲 讴賴 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 蹖讴 賳讴鬲賴鈥屰� 噩丕賱亘 丿丕卮鬲 讴賴 賲賳 丿乇 賴蹖趩 丕孬乇 囟丿 噩賳诏 丿蹖诏賴鈥屰� 賳丿蹖丿賴 亘賵丿賲. 賵 丕賵賳 賳讴鬲賴 丕蹖賳賴 讴賴 丿乇 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘貙 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 賳賲蹖鈥屫堌ж� 噩賳诏 乇賵 蹖讴 丨賲丕爻賴 賳卮賵賳 亘丿賴! 賳賲蹖鈥屫堌ж� 禺賵丕賳賳丿賴 亘丕 禺賵賳丿賳 讴鬲丕亘卮 丕丨爻丕爻 讴賳賴 讴賴 噩賳诏 丕夭 蹖讴 丌丿賲 賲毓賲賵賱蹖貙 賯賴乇賲丕賳 賲蹖鈥屫池ж操�! 丕鬲賮丕賯丕 亘乇毓讴爻! 賯賴乇賲丕賳丕賳 夭賳丿诏蹖 毓丕丿蹖 丿乇 夭賲丕賳鈥屬囏й� 賯亘賱 丕夭 噩賳诏 賴賲貙 丿乇 胤賵賱 丿賵乇丕賳 噩賳诏 鬲亘丿蹖賱 亘賴 鬲乇爻賵鬲乇蹖賳 賵 亘夭丿賱鈥屫臂屬� 丌丿賲鈥屬囏� 賲蹖卮賳!
賲毓賱賲丕賳蹖 讴賴 亘丕 趩乇亘鈥屫藏ㄙ堎嗃屫� 丿爻鬲賴 丿爻鬲賴 丿丕賳卮鈥屫①呝堌� 賲蹖鈥屬佖必池� 亘賴 賲蹖丿丕賳鈥屬囏й� 賳亘乇丿 賵 賵賯鬲蹖 禺賵丿卮賵賳 丕毓夭丕賲 賲蹖卮賳貙 賲丿丕賲 丿乇 噩亘賴賴 丿賳亘丕賱 爻賵乇丕禺 賲賵卮 賲蹖鈥屭必�!
丿乇 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘貙 爻乇亘丕夭丕賳 賲賵噩賵丿丕鬲蹖 賮賳丕賳丕倬匕蹖乇 賵 賯賵蹖 賳蹖爻鬲賳! 賲乇丿丕賳 爻賱丨卮賵乇 賳蹖爻鬲賳! 亘賱讴賴 噩賵丕賳丕賳 賳賵夭丿賴 爻丕賱賴鈥屫й� 賴爻鬲賳 讴賴 亘賴 卮丿鬲 丿賱鬲賳诏 禺丕賳賵丕丿賴鈥屫з嗀� 卮讴賳賳丿賴鈥屫з嗀� 賵 賳丕丕賲蹖丿貙 賵 丿乇 丨爻乇鬲 亘丕夭诏卮鬲 亘賴 夭賳丿诏蹖鈥屬囏й� 毓丕丿蹖 禺賵丿卮賵賳賳!
讴賴 丕賱亘鬲賴 賴賲蹖賳 噩賵丕賳丕賳蹖 讴賴 丕賵丕蹖賱 噩賳诏 亘賴 賮讴乇 亘乇诏卮鬲賳 亘賴 夭賳丿诏蹖 毓丕丿蹖 賵 爻丕禺鬲賳 乇賵蹖丕賴丕 賵 毓丕卮賯 卮丿賳 賵 賮鬲丨 丿賳蹖丕 賴爻鬲賳貙 亘賴 賲乇賵夭 夭賲丕賳貙 丕夭 丿乇賵賳 倬賵爻蹖丿賴 賵 倬蹖乇 賲蹖卮賳! 亘丕 诏匕卮鬲 乇賵夭賴丕 賵 賲丕賴鈥屬囏� 丿乇 噩亘賴賴鈥屰� 噩賳诏貙 丿蹖诏賴 丌乇夭賵蹖蹖 賳丿丕乇賳!
丕賳賯丿乇 丿乇 噩亘賴賴鈥屬囏� 賲蹖鈥屬呝堎嗁� 讴賴 丨鬲蹖 丿乇 丕蹖丕賲 賲乇禺氐蹖 賴賲 丨賵氐賱賴鈥屰� 禺丕賳賵丕丿賴 賵 賲丕丿乇 禺賵丿卮賵賳 乇賵 賳丿丕乇賳!
噩賵丕賳丕賳蹖 讴賴 丕賵丕蹖賱 噩賳诏 丕夭 賴乇 丕鬲賮丕賯 讴賵趩蹖讴蹖 亘乇丕蹖 禺賵丿卮賵賳 爻乇诏乇賲蹖 丿乇爻鬲 賲蹖鈥屭┴必�!
噩賵丕賳丕賳蹖 讴賴 丿乇 丕賵噩 亘賲亘丕乇丕賳鈥屬囏� 亘賴 賮讴乇 蹖讴 丌鬲蹖卮 诏乇賲 賵 蹖讴 賵毓丿賴 睾匕丕蹖 趩乇亘 賵 禺賵卮賲夭賴 亘賵丿賳!
噩賵丕賳丕賳蹖 讴賴 丿乇 丕賵噩 噩賳诏貙 丿乇 蹖讴 讴卮賵乇 睾乇蹖亘貙 亘乇丕蹖 丿賯丕蹖賯蹖 讴丕賲 诏乇賮鬲賳 丕夭 丿禺鬲乇丕賳蹖 讴賴 丨鬲蹖 夭亘丕賳 賴賲丿蹖诏賴 乇賵 賴賲 賳賲蹖鈥屬佡囐呝嗀� 亘氐賵乇鬲 卮亘丕賳賴 賵 丿乇 爻乇賲丕貙 亘丕 賵噩賵丿 賳蹖乇賵賴丕蹖 诏卮鬲蹖 賵 賳诏賴亘丕賳丕賳 賲鬲毓丿丿貙 丿賱 亘賴 丿乇蹖丕 夭丿賴 賵 毓乇囟 乇賵丿禺丕賳賴鈥屫й� 爻乇丿 乇賵 卮賳丕 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁�!
丿乇 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲貙 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 夭賵丕賱 乇賵丨蹖 爻乇亘丕夭丕賳蹖賴 讴賴 丿乇 丕賲鬲丿丕丿 噩賳诏 禺乇丿 賲蹖卮賳貙 賲蹖卮讴賳賳 賵 乇賵丨卮賵賳 丕夭 亘蹖賳 賲蹖乇賴!
賴賲賵賳 噩賵丕賳丕賳蹖 讴賴 賵賯鬲蹖 禺亘乇 倬丕蹖丕賳 噩賳诏 乇賵 賲蹖鈥屫促嗁堎嗀� 亘噩丕蹖 卮丕丿蹖貙 賳丕乇丕丨鬲 賲蹖鈥屫促�! 趩乇丕 讴賴 賴賵蹖鬲 丕賵賳賴丕 丿乇 噩亘賴賴 賲毓賳丕 倬蹖丿丕 讴乇丿賴 賵 禺丕乇噩 丕夭 丕蹖賳 噩賳诏 賵 丿乇 夭賳丿诏蹖 毓丕丿蹖 賴蹖趩蹖 賳蹖爻鬲賳! 賳賴 丕賵賳賯丿乇 倬蹖乇 賴爻鬲賳 讴賴 亘賴 诏賵卮賴鈥屫й� 倬賳丕賴 亘乇丿賴 賵 賲賳鬲馗乇 賲乇诏蹖 丌乇丕賲 亘丕卮賳 賵 賳賴 丕賵賳賯丿乇 乇賵丨蹖賴 賵 噩賵丕賳蹖 丿丕乇賳 讴賴 亘禺賵丕賳 丕夭 丕賵賱 卮乇賵毓 讴賳賳! 噩賵丕賳 賴爻鬲賳 賵賱蹖 丿乇 噩賵丕賳蹖 賲乇丿賴鈥屫з�!
丿乇 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲貙 讴鬲丕亘 鬲賱禺蹖賴貙 夭蹖亘丕爻鬲貙 丕賲丕 鬲賱禺賴.
丕诏乇 丿賳亘丕賱 蹖讴 卮丕賴讴丕乇 亘賴 鬲賲丕賲 賲毓賳丕 丿乇 賯賮爻賴鈥屰� 讴鬲丕亘鈥屬囏й� 囟丿 噩賳诏 賲蹖 诏乇丿蹖賳貙 鬲乇丿蹖丿 賳讴賳蹖賳 賵 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 乇賵 亘禺賵賳蹖賳!
亘蹖 亘乇賵 亘乇诏乇丿 亘賴鬲乇蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘蹖 亘賵丿 讴賴 丕夭 噩賳诏 賴丕蹖 噩賴丕賳蹖 禺賵賳丿賲! 倬賳噩 爻鬲丕乇賴 讴丕賲賱貙 賵爻賱丕賲...
丨丕賱丕 讴賴 禺賵賳丿賳 丕蹖賳 丕孬乇 乇賵 鬲賲賵賲 讴乇丿賲貙 丿賵爻鬲 丿丕乇賲 蹖讴 讴蹖爻賴 倬賱丕爻鬲蹖讴蹖 亘乇丿丕乇賲 賵 賴乇 讴鬲丕亘蹖 讴賴 丿乇 賲賵乇丿 噩賳诏 噩賴丕賳蹖 丕賵賱 賵 丿賵賲 禺賵賳丿賲 乇賵 亘乇蹖夭賲 鬲賵卮 賵 丕夭 倬賳噩乇賴 倬乇鬲 讴賳賲 亘蹖乇賵賳貙 丕賱亘鬲賴 亘賴 噩夭 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘! :))
丿乇 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲貙 讴鬲丕亘蹖賴 讴賴 趩賵賳 丿乇 賲賵乇丿 噩賳诏 噩賴丕賳蹖 丕賵賱賴貙 賲丿鬲蹖 鬲賵蹖 讴鬲丕亘禺賵賳賴鈥屫з� 禺丕讴 禺賵乇丿 鬲丕 丕蹖賳讴賴 亘毓丿 丕夭 禺賵賳丿賳 讴鬲丕亘 丕鬲丕賯 丕賮爻乇丕賳貙 鬲氐賲蹖賲 诏乇賮鬲賲 丕夭 噩賳诏 噩賴丕賳蹖 丕賵賱 亘蹖卮鬲乇 讴鬲丕亘 亘禺賵賳賲... 倬爻 亘乇丿丕卮鬲賲卮!
賵 丿乇 賴賲賵賳 賮氐賱 丕賵賱 賵 氐賮丨丕鬲 丕賵賱 亘賴 禺賵丿賲 诏賮鬲賲 讴賴 丕蹖 丿賱 睾丕賮賱貙 賲賳 趩乇丕 丕賳賯丿乇 丿蹖乇 爻乇丕睾 丕蹖賳 卮丕賴讴丕乇 丕賵賲丿賲..!
賳賯丿賴丕 賵 鬲毓丕乇蹖賮 夭蹖丕丿蹖 丿乇 爻鬲丕蹖卮 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 賳賵卮鬲賴 卮丿賴 讴賴 賲賳 丨賯蹖乇 卮丕蹖丿 賳鬲賵賳賲 亘賴 夭蹖亘丕蹖蹖 丕賵賳鈥屬囏ж� 丿乇 賲賵乇丿卮 丨乇賮 亘夭賳賲.
賮賯胤 丕蹖賳 乇賵 亘诏賲 讴賴 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 蹖讴 賳讴鬲賴鈥屰� 噩丕賱亘 丿丕卮鬲 讴賴 賲賳 丿乇 賴蹖趩 丕孬乇 囟丿 噩賳诏 丿蹖诏賴鈥屰� 賳丿蹖丿賴 亘賵丿賲. 賵 丕賵賳 賳讴鬲賴 丕蹖賳賴 讴賴 丿乇 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘貙 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 賳賲蹖鈥屫堌ж� 噩賳诏 乇賵 蹖讴 丨賲丕爻賴 賳卮賵賳 亘丿賴! 賳賲蹖鈥屫堌ж� 禺賵丕賳賳丿賴 亘丕 禺賵賳丿賳 讴鬲丕亘卮 丕丨爻丕爻 讴賳賴 讴賴 噩賳诏 丕夭 蹖讴 丌丿賲 賲毓賲賵賱蹖貙 賯賴乇賲丕賳 賲蹖鈥屫池ж操�! 丕鬲賮丕賯丕 亘乇毓讴爻! 賯賴乇賲丕賳丕賳 夭賳丿诏蹖 毓丕丿蹖 丿乇 夭賲丕賳鈥屬囏й� 賯亘賱 丕夭 噩賳诏 賴賲貙 丿乇 胤賵賱 丿賵乇丕賳 噩賳诏 鬲亘丿蹖賱 亘賴 鬲乇爻賵鬲乇蹖賳 賵 亘夭丿賱鈥屫臂屬� 丌丿賲鈥屬囏� 賲蹖卮賳!
賲毓賱賲丕賳蹖 讴賴 亘丕 趩乇亘鈥屫藏ㄙ堎嗃屫� 丿爻鬲賴 丿爻鬲賴 丿丕賳卮鈥屫①呝堌� 賲蹖鈥屬佖必池� 亘賴 賲蹖丿丕賳鈥屬囏й� 賳亘乇丿 賵 賵賯鬲蹖 禺賵丿卮賵賳 丕毓夭丕賲 賲蹖卮賳貙 賲丿丕賲 丿乇 噩亘賴賴 丿賳亘丕賱 爻賵乇丕禺 賲賵卮 賲蹖鈥屭必�!
丿乇 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘貙 爻乇亘丕夭丕賳 賲賵噩賵丿丕鬲蹖 賮賳丕賳丕倬匕蹖乇 賵 賯賵蹖 賳蹖爻鬲賳! 賲乇丿丕賳 爻賱丨卮賵乇 賳蹖爻鬲賳! 亘賱讴賴 噩賵丕賳丕賳 賳賵夭丿賴 爻丕賱賴鈥屫й� 賴爻鬲賳 讴賴 亘賴 卮丿鬲 丿賱鬲賳诏 禺丕賳賵丕丿賴鈥屫з嗀� 卮讴賳賳丿賴鈥屫з嗀� 賵 賳丕丕賲蹖丿貙 賵 丿乇 丨爻乇鬲 亘丕夭诏卮鬲 亘賴 夭賳丿诏蹖鈥屬囏й� 毓丕丿蹖 禺賵丿卮賵賳賳!
讴賴 丕賱亘鬲賴 賴賲蹖賳 噩賵丕賳丕賳蹖 讴賴 丕賵丕蹖賱 噩賳诏 亘賴 賮讴乇 亘乇诏卮鬲賳 亘賴 夭賳丿诏蹖 毓丕丿蹖 賵 爻丕禺鬲賳 乇賵蹖丕賴丕 賵 毓丕卮賯 卮丿賳 賵 賮鬲丨 丿賳蹖丕 賴爻鬲賳貙 亘賴 賲乇賵夭 夭賲丕賳貙 丕夭 丿乇賵賳 倬賵爻蹖丿賴 賵 倬蹖乇 賲蹖卮賳! 亘丕 诏匕卮鬲 乇賵夭賴丕 賵 賲丕賴鈥屬囏� 丿乇 噩亘賴賴鈥屰� 噩賳诏貙 丿蹖诏賴 丌乇夭賵蹖蹖 賳丿丕乇賳!
丕賳賯丿乇 丿乇 噩亘賴賴鈥屬囏� 賲蹖鈥屬呝堎嗁� 讴賴 丨鬲蹖 丿乇 丕蹖丕賲 賲乇禺氐蹖 賴賲 丨賵氐賱賴鈥屰� 禺丕賳賵丕丿賴 賵 賲丕丿乇 禺賵丿卮賵賳 乇賵 賳丿丕乇賳!
噩賵丕賳丕賳蹖 讴賴 丕賵丕蹖賱 噩賳诏 丕夭 賴乇 丕鬲賮丕賯 讴賵趩蹖讴蹖 亘乇丕蹖 禺賵丿卮賵賳 爻乇诏乇賲蹖 丿乇爻鬲 賲蹖鈥屭┴必�!
噩賵丕賳丕賳蹖 讴賴 丿乇 丕賵噩 亘賲亘丕乇丕賳鈥屬囏� 亘賴 賮讴乇 蹖讴 丌鬲蹖卮 诏乇賲 賵 蹖讴 賵毓丿賴 睾匕丕蹖 趩乇亘 賵 禺賵卮賲夭賴 亘賵丿賳!
噩賵丕賳丕賳蹖 讴賴 丿乇 丕賵噩 噩賳诏貙 丿乇 蹖讴 讴卮賵乇 睾乇蹖亘貙 亘乇丕蹖 丿賯丕蹖賯蹖 讴丕賲 诏乇賮鬲賳 丕夭 丿禺鬲乇丕賳蹖 讴賴 丨鬲蹖 夭亘丕賳 賴賲丿蹖诏賴 乇賵 賴賲 賳賲蹖鈥屬佡囐呝嗀� 亘氐賵乇鬲 卮亘丕賳賴 賵 丿乇 爻乇賲丕貙 亘丕 賵噩賵丿 賳蹖乇賵賴丕蹖 诏卮鬲蹖 賵 賳诏賴亘丕賳丕賳 賲鬲毓丿丿貙 丿賱 亘賴 丿乇蹖丕 夭丿賴 賵 毓乇囟 乇賵丿禺丕賳賴鈥屫й� 爻乇丿 乇賵 卮賳丕 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁�!
丿乇 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲貙 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 夭賵丕賱 乇賵丨蹖 爻乇亘丕夭丕賳蹖賴 讴賴 丿乇 丕賲鬲丿丕丿 噩賳诏 禺乇丿 賲蹖卮賳貙 賲蹖卮讴賳賳 賵 乇賵丨卮賵賳 丕夭 亘蹖賳 賲蹖乇賴!
賴賲賵賳 噩賵丕賳丕賳蹖 讴賴 賵賯鬲蹖 禺亘乇 倬丕蹖丕賳 噩賳诏 乇賵 賲蹖鈥屫促嗁堎嗀� 亘噩丕蹖 卮丕丿蹖貙 賳丕乇丕丨鬲 賲蹖鈥屫促�! 趩乇丕 讴賴 賴賵蹖鬲 丕賵賳賴丕 丿乇 噩亘賴賴 賲毓賳丕 倬蹖丿丕 讴乇丿賴 賵 禺丕乇噩 丕夭 丕蹖賳 噩賳诏 賵 丿乇 夭賳丿诏蹖 毓丕丿蹖 賴蹖趩蹖 賳蹖爻鬲賳! 賳賴 丕賵賳賯丿乇 倬蹖乇 賴爻鬲賳 讴賴 亘賴 诏賵卮賴鈥屫й� 倬賳丕賴 亘乇丿賴 賵 賲賳鬲馗乇 賲乇诏蹖 丌乇丕賲 亘丕卮賳 賵 賳賴 丕賵賳賯丿乇 乇賵丨蹖賴 賵 噩賵丕賳蹖 丿丕乇賳 讴賴 亘禺賵丕賳 丕夭 丕賵賱 卮乇賵毓 讴賳賳! 噩賵丕賳 賴爻鬲賳 賵賱蹖 丿乇 噩賵丕賳蹖 賲乇丿賴鈥屫з�!
丿乇 睾乇亘 禺亘乇蹖 賳蹖爻鬲貙 讴鬲丕亘 鬲賱禺蹖賴貙 夭蹖亘丕爻鬲貙 丕賲丕 鬲賱禺賴.
丕诏乇 丿賳亘丕賱 蹖讴 卮丕賴讴丕乇 亘賴 鬲賲丕賲 賲毓賳丕 丿乇 賯賮爻賴鈥屰� 讴鬲丕亘鈥屬囏й� 囟丿 噩賳诏 賲蹖 诏乇丿蹖賳貙 鬲乇丿蹖丿 賳讴賳蹖賳 賵 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 乇賵 亘禺賵賳蹖賳!
亘蹖 亘乇賵 亘乇诏乇丿 亘賴鬲乇蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘蹖 亘賵丿 讴賴 丕夭 噩賳诏 賴丕蹖 噩賴丕賳蹖 禺賵賳丿賲! 倬賳噩 爻鬲丕乇賴 讴丕賲賱貙 賵爻賱丕賲...
September 10, 2024
Dehumanization, comradely behavior under enormous pressure, spells of incredible dullness and terrible, faceless bombardments. An artificial numbness, a degeneration of humanity to survive the madness is rendered in a terrifying way
Let the months and year come, they can take nothing from me, they can take nothing more. I am so alone and so without hope I can confront them without fear.
A deeply humbling and powerful read, and a still incredible relevant call against the idiocy of war and the cost it bears to normal people. In 19/20 year olds dying is a normal occurrence and Paul, the main character is subject to enormous pressures amidst periods of extreme boredom. One especially visceral scene is of Paul lying to comfort people, teenage comrades, dying. In these circumstances discipline and social conditioning act as a bandage to keep people relatively sane. However of 20 of the class, 7 are dead, 4 wounded and 1 mad during the course of the book.
How can a man take all that stuff serious once he has once been out here? Paul asks himself while dealing with rats that eat up his bread.
The drudgery and permanent adrenaline rush act as a dampener: I soon found out this much: terror can be endured so long as a man simply ducks, but it kills if a men thinks about it.
In all this there is some enjoying oneself with French women across the river who exchange sex for rations. In general the civilian population is definitely the worst off, with almost no food. The strangeness of civilian life behind the frontlines is heightened by the observation of Russian prisoners of wars: I am frightened I dare think this way no more, this way lies the abyss
And with any respite from the front the doom of the return is there as well:
But every gasp lays my heart bare
Back in the trenches After all war is war people risk their lives for pancakes, running between artillery shots, while cigars, cigarettes and other food or alcohol serve as bribes to be send back home. The best one can hope for is to be discharged with a reasonably non-fatal injury.
A hospital alone shows what war is however, and amputations and sickness are rampant.
Paul dives deeper and deeper into this shadowy world, stripped of his agency or choice, which has profound repercussions: An artificial numbness, a degeneration of humanity to survive the madness. The occasional court marshalling of deserters make nearly no impact: We will be superfluous, even to ourselves
wrote a remarkable book, bleak and full of horrors that resonate as much today as nearly a century ago at publication.
An impressive book that deserves reading and contemplation.
Let the months and year come, they can take nothing from me, they can take nothing more. I am so alone and so without hope I can confront them without fear.
A deeply humbling and powerful read, and a still incredible relevant call against the idiocy of war and the cost it bears to normal people. In 19/20 year olds dying is a normal occurrence and Paul, the main character is subject to enormous pressures amidst periods of extreme boredom. One especially visceral scene is of Paul lying to comfort people, teenage comrades, dying. In these circumstances discipline and social conditioning act as a bandage to keep people relatively sane. However of 20 of the class, 7 are dead, 4 wounded and 1 mad during the course of the book.
How can a man take all that stuff serious once he has once been out here? Paul asks himself while dealing with rats that eat up his bread.
The drudgery and permanent adrenaline rush act as a dampener: I soon found out this much: terror can be endured so long as a man simply ducks, but it kills if a men thinks about it.
In all this there is some enjoying oneself with French women across the river who exchange sex for rations. In general the civilian population is definitely the worst off, with almost no food. The strangeness of civilian life behind the frontlines is heightened by the observation of Russian prisoners of wars: I am frightened I dare think this way no more, this way lies the abyss
And with any respite from the front the doom of the return is there as well:
But every gasp lays my heart bare
Back in the trenches After all war is war people risk their lives for pancakes, running between artillery shots, while cigars, cigarettes and other food or alcohol serve as bribes to be send back home. The best one can hope for is to be discharged with a reasonably non-fatal injury.
A hospital alone shows what war is however, and amputations and sickness are rampant.
Paul dives deeper and deeper into this shadowy world, stripped of his agency or choice, which has profound repercussions: An artificial numbness, a degeneration of humanity to survive the madness. The occasional court marshalling of deserters make nearly no impact: We will be superfluous, even to ourselves
wrote a remarkable book, bleak and full of horrors that resonate as much today as nearly a century ago at publication.
An impressive book that deserves reading and contemplation.
November 5, 2022
Update 30/October/2022:
Finished watching the new German-language adaptation of the book on Netflix with the fianc茅, a non-book reader, and it was crushing. I hate the Entente, I hate the Alliance, and I hate every single one of the powers that be for dragging us all into the stupidest of stupid wars, wasting millions of young, healthy, and handsome men's lives who will never father beautiful babies, find a cure for cancer, and make the world better than it is today. Props to Herr Remarque for this stupendous novel that is still so relevant over a century later.
The fianc茅's review? Oh, he said: "Alright, so from what I鈥檝e heard about the book that probably wasn鈥檛 the greatest adaptation (weren鈥檛 there a couple at-home scenes that were extremely impactful that this just鈥idn鈥檛 have?), and I wasn鈥檛 a huge fan of the soundtrack (although, except the one specific track, it wasn鈥檛 too abrasive).
That said, independent of its source material, I think it was a fantastic WW1 movie. I prefer when military movies have a bit more character focus/development than this did, but it communicated the brutality and hopelessness, so it鈥檚 good for the war and good for the purpose of the original book."
I gotta get him the book as a Christmas present, he can't go one more year without reading this masterpiece. The rest of you should read this book, too.
_________________________________
This is one of those famous classics I've always seen, heard about & read quotes from everywhere since forever, but always missed picking it up. No conscious effort to avoid it, simply no push towards it through circumstances or interest.
Until I happened to see this poignant by dahlieka whilst getting my daily dose of art gorgeousness some four years back:
That made me acquire my own copy of the book and take a mental note to read it soon. Funnily, I again missed reading it for years, until yesterday. It was the centennial of WWI, and I figured I'd read something related and so I opened this book after a pair of also WWI-themed lighter reads. It's heartwrenching, very brutal at times, not a read for late in the night and when you're not in the best of moods. Paul, the protagonist, will drag you through the trenches, and leave you sad for the youths and angry at all the fools in power who wasted so many millions of lives in the stupidest of wars. And the ending . . . well, suffice to say I definitely shouldn't have read the whole book in the wee hours of the night.
Not that I'm lamenting reading it, no. It was worth the read, it's an excellent book that I'll probably reread someday, at least the passages I liked for the beauty of Remarque's description of the brutality in the trenches. And also, I finally know the scene dahlieka's drawing illustrates: it's in Chapter IX and is Paul's first kill.
Finished watching the new German-language adaptation of the book on Netflix with the fianc茅, a non-book reader, and it was crushing. I hate the Entente, I hate the Alliance, and I hate every single one of the powers that be for dragging us all into the stupidest of stupid wars, wasting millions of young, healthy, and handsome men's lives who will never father beautiful babies, find a cure for cancer, and make the world better than it is today. Props to Herr Remarque for this stupendous novel that is still so relevant over a century later.
The fianc茅's review? Oh, he said: "Alright, so from what I鈥檝e heard about the book that probably wasn鈥檛 the greatest adaptation (weren鈥檛 there a couple at-home scenes that were extremely impactful that this just鈥idn鈥檛 have?), and I wasn鈥檛 a huge fan of the soundtrack (although, except the one specific track, it wasn鈥檛 too abrasive).
That said, independent of its source material, I think it was a fantastic WW1 movie. I prefer when military movies have a bit more character focus/development than this did, but it communicated the brutality and hopelessness, so it鈥檚 good for the war and good for the purpose of the original book."
I gotta get him the book as a Christmas present, he can't go one more year without reading this masterpiece. The rest of you should read this book, too.
_________________________________
This is one of those famous classics I've always seen, heard about & read quotes from everywhere since forever, but always missed picking it up. No conscious effort to avoid it, simply no push towards it through circumstances or interest.
Until I happened to see this poignant by dahlieka whilst getting my daily dose of art gorgeousness some four years back:
That made me acquire my own copy of the book and take a mental note to read it soon. Funnily, I again missed reading it for years, until yesterday. It was the centennial of WWI, and I figured I'd read something related and so I opened this book after a pair of also WWI-themed lighter reads. It's heartwrenching, very brutal at times, not a read for late in the night and when you're not in the best of moods. Paul, the protagonist, will drag you through the trenches, and leave you sad for the youths and angry at all the fools in power who wasted so many millions of lives in the stupidest of wars. And the ending . . . well, suffice to say I definitely shouldn't have read the whole book in the wee hours of the night.
Not that I'm lamenting reading it, no. It was worth the read, it's an excellent book that I'll probably reread someday, at least the passages I liked for the beauty of Remarque's description of the brutality in the trenches. And also, I finally know the scene dahlieka's drawing illustrates: it's in Chapter IX and is Paul's first kill.
January 20, 2025
鈾狅笍 The book is really a long tragic poem or series of poems. Remarque is a poet-novelist and writes about the war by placing long dark brush strokes of charcoal over our hearts. He talks with simplicity, restraint and grace: 鈥淚t rains in our hearts.鈥� It does. The reader is broken by the end just as the young men are broken.
The Nazis burned the book. The book bannings and burnings began right after they took power in 1931. They burned the book Bambi too, anything by Einstein, anything by Helen Keller, along with hundreds of other titles. Burned Hemingway too.
All Quiet was anti-war and too realistic about war. The Nazis did not want anti-war because they were planning war. And they did not want realism because they wanted the young German men growing into manhood in the 1930s to be unaware of what war was really like. They just wanted them to go and fight and die for the Fatherland as the generation before them had done 1914-1918.
The novel will break your heart. Not just because of what it says but how it says it. It鈥檚 one of the most important books ever written.
He fell in October, 1918, on a day that was so quiet and still on the whole front, that the army report confined itself to the single sentence: All quiet on the Western Front.
He had fallen forward and lay on the earth as though sleeping. Turning him over one saw that he could not have suffered long; his face had an expression of calm, as though almost glad the end had come 鈥︹€�..
鈥︹€� in the very first film version, which was rendered in black and white, Paul Baumer is reaching with childlike joy for a butterfly 馃 circling about him. Then there is a gunshot and he falls 鈥︹€︹€�
The Nazis burned the book. The book bannings and burnings began right after they took power in 1931. They burned the book Bambi too, anything by Einstein, anything by Helen Keller, along with hundreds of other titles. Burned Hemingway too.
All Quiet was anti-war and too realistic about war. The Nazis did not want anti-war because they were planning war. And they did not want realism because they wanted the young German men growing into manhood in the 1930s to be unaware of what war was really like. They just wanted them to go and fight and die for the Fatherland as the generation before them had done 1914-1918.
The novel will break your heart. Not just because of what it says but how it says it. It鈥檚 one of the most important books ever written.
He fell in October, 1918, on a day that was so quiet and still on the whole front, that the army report confined itself to the single sentence: All quiet on the Western Front.
He had fallen forward and lay on the earth as though sleeping. Turning him over one saw that he could not have suffered long; his face had an expression of calm, as though almost glad the end had come 鈥︹€�..
鈥︹€� in the very first film version, which was rendered in black and white, Paul Baumer is reaching with childlike joy for a butterfly 馃 circling about him. Then there is a gunshot and he falls 鈥︹€︹€�
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2018
It has to be the defining novel of World War I, told from the point of view of a German soldier fighting in the trenches of France. This is not a novel of romance, intrigue, and adventure; it is a stark and frightingly realistic description of what it must have been like trying to survive from one day to the next, and almost always failing. Difficult and disturbing to read, it nevertheless is a narrative of how war is horrible, and hopefully why the telling of it may help deter future wars.
July 19, 2017
I was finishing a phase of reading and teaching facets of the First World War, and it would not be complete without this fictitious, but realistic portrait of a soldier's life in the trenches on the Western front...
I was reading excerpts from "All Quiet On The Western Front" in class, with students staring at me, some of them understanding for the first time what it really meant to be a soldier in the trenches, sent out to die under the banner of nationalism - which was an entirely positive word back then. They had read the facts in their textbooks, and also checked additional sources, such as small parts of Churchill's brilliant or the highly informative . They had even familiarised themselves with quite graphic photographs and documentaries. But nothing prepared them for the voice of the young soldier in the novel that took them directly into the situation, and made the numbers from the history books become real people with feelings and worries.
All of a sudden, the information that 20,000 English soldiers died on the first day of a specific attack was no longer just statistical data to be memorised. It meant 20,000 letters sent home to parents, siblings, wives and girlfriends, all with the same sad news ...
"Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori", that old lie, which made soldiers die by the millions, or suffer life-altering mutilations, forever remembered through , is put into brutal contrast with the reality of a soldier on the German side. The soldier could just as well have been English or French, as the experience was the same on both sides of No Man's Land, with the exception that German soldiers recognised they were lucky to conduct the war outside their home country, seeing the destruction of the whole countryside around them:
"The feeling of nationalism that the ordinary soldier has are expressed in the fact that he is out here. But it doesn't go any further: all his other judgements are practical ones and made from his point of view."
The sense of idiocy, conspiracy, or irrationality behind the suffering is omnipresent. Soldiers discuss how they ended up in a situation that presumably nobody wanted but that everyone is now involved in. They read the papers, see the propaganda machines, know the lies. They are young, were recruited from school, and trained quickly to lose all previous ideals, to be prematurely old in their minds:
"We had joined up with enthusiasm and with good will; but they did everything to knock that out of us. After three weeks, it no longer struck us as odd that an ex-postman with a couple of stripes should have more power over us than our parents ever had, or our teachers, or the whole course of civilization, from Plato to Goethe. With our young, wide-open eyes we saw that the classical notion of patriotism we had heard from our teachers meant, in practical terms at that moment, surrendering our individual personalities more completely than we would ever have believed possible even in the most obsequious errand boy. Saluting, eyes front, marching, presenting arms, right and left about, snapping to attention, insults and a thousand varieties of bloody-mindedness - we had imagined that our task would be rather different from all this, but we discovered that we were being trained to be heroes the way they train circus horses, and we quickly got used to it."
The bitterness of the situation is expected by any reader familiar with the First World War. The hard conditions, the dying, mutilation and boredom are not new. What got under my skin rereading this novel for probably the fourth time now, were the details showing what was left of those individual characteristics the young men were asked to surrender to the cause. The compassion and understanding they are able to feel for Russian prisoners. The joy they experience on an adventure involving girls. The passionate happiness when they receive the slightest comfort, or the unspeakable sadness when they visit their families and realise they have lost touch with them and can't share their knowledge. The complete loneliness when a mother asks how it really is, and the teenage son has to protect her from a truth that she won't be able to digest.
"There is my mother, there is my sister, there is the glass case with my butterflies, there is the mahogany piano - but I am not quite there myself yet. There is a veil..."
The protagonist fell in October 1918, just before the armistice, during the very last weeks of the war, just like Wilfred Owen in real life. He fell on a day that was so unspectacular that the newspaper reported all was quiet, nothing new on the western front. That is the most heartbreaking part of the novel, that this individual, intelligent young man, forced out to die for an ideal he did not believe in, was not even considered noteworthy in the news. Heroism of the quiet death, which is neither sweet nor appropriate.
Reading a novel like this puts the big drama of the facts into perspective, turning the attention to the human beings and their lives again, away from the leadership on both sides fighting for causes the soldiers did not understand or benefit from in the least.
"All Quiet On The Western Front" is as important now as it was when it was written: it yells out in capital letters that we are playing with humans, not resources!
It yells out a warning against blind patriotism, nationalism and weak, egocentric leadership. It yells out against carelessness and pride, and the lopsidedness of the suffering.
My students read poetry along with the excerpt from this novel, and at one point the question came up how many of the decision makers were blinded, mutilated, amputated? How many of them died in the trenches? "None!" was the answer.
"Then how dare they force those young men out there!" yelled my students. And I was quiet.
In the hope that the hubris of power will never again rise to those monstrous proportions, I keep teaching, adding Remarque, B枚ll, Owen and others to Plato and Goethe and the rest of the course of civilisation.
I was reading excerpts from "All Quiet On The Western Front" in class, with students staring at me, some of them understanding for the first time what it really meant to be a soldier in the trenches, sent out to die under the banner of nationalism - which was an entirely positive word back then. They had read the facts in their textbooks, and also checked additional sources, such as small parts of Churchill's brilliant or the highly informative . They had even familiarised themselves with quite graphic photographs and documentaries. But nothing prepared them for the voice of the young soldier in the novel that took them directly into the situation, and made the numbers from the history books become real people with feelings and worries.
All of a sudden, the information that 20,000 English soldiers died on the first day of a specific attack was no longer just statistical data to be memorised. It meant 20,000 letters sent home to parents, siblings, wives and girlfriends, all with the same sad news ...
"Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori", that old lie, which made soldiers die by the millions, or suffer life-altering mutilations, forever remembered through , is put into brutal contrast with the reality of a soldier on the German side. The soldier could just as well have been English or French, as the experience was the same on both sides of No Man's Land, with the exception that German soldiers recognised they were lucky to conduct the war outside their home country, seeing the destruction of the whole countryside around them:
"The feeling of nationalism that the ordinary soldier has are expressed in the fact that he is out here. But it doesn't go any further: all his other judgements are practical ones and made from his point of view."
The sense of idiocy, conspiracy, or irrationality behind the suffering is omnipresent. Soldiers discuss how they ended up in a situation that presumably nobody wanted but that everyone is now involved in. They read the papers, see the propaganda machines, know the lies. They are young, were recruited from school, and trained quickly to lose all previous ideals, to be prematurely old in their minds:
"We had joined up with enthusiasm and with good will; but they did everything to knock that out of us. After three weeks, it no longer struck us as odd that an ex-postman with a couple of stripes should have more power over us than our parents ever had, or our teachers, or the whole course of civilization, from Plato to Goethe. With our young, wide-open eyes we saw that the classical notion of patriotism we had heard from our teachers meant, in practical terms at that moment, surrendering our individual personalities more completely than we would ever have believed possible even in the most obsequious errand boy. Saluting, eyes front, marching, presenting arms, right and left about, snapping to attention, insults and a thousand varieties of bloody-mindedness - we had imagined that our task would be rather different from all this, but we discovered that we were being trained to be heroes the way they train circus horses, and we quickly got used to it."
The bitterness of the situation is expected by any reader familiar with the First World War. The hard conditions, the dying, mutilation and boredom are not new. What got under my skin rereading this novel for probably the fourth time now, were the details showing what was left of those individual characteristics the young men were asked to surrender to the cause. The compassion and understanding they are able to feel for Russian prisoners. The joy they experience on an adventure involving girls. The passionate happiness when they receive the slightest comfort, or the unspeakable sadness when they visit their families and realise they have lost touch with them and can't share their knowledge. The complete loneliness when a mother asks how it really is, and the teenage son has to protect her from a truth that she won't be able to digest.
"There is my mother, there is my sister, there is the glass case with my butterflies, there is the mahogany piano - but I am not quite there myself yet. There is a veil..."
The protagonist fell in October 1918, just before the armistice, during the very last weeks of the war, just like Wilfred Owen in real life. He fell on a day that was so unspectacular that the newspaper reported all was quiet, nothing new on the western front. That is the most heartbreaking part of the novel, that this individual, intelligent young man, forced out to die for an ideal he did not believe in, was not even considered noteworthy in the news. Heroism of the quiet death, which is neither sweet nor appropriate.
Reading a novel like this puts the big drama of the facts into perspective, turning the attention to the human beings and their lives again, away from the leadership on both sides fighting for causes the soldiers did not understand or benefit from in the least.
"All Quiet On The Western Front" is as important now as it was when it was written: it yells out in capital letters that we are playing with humans, not resources!
It yells out a warning against blind patriotism, nationalism and weak, egocentric leadership. It yells out against carelessness and pride, and the lopsidedness of the suffering.
My students read poetry along with the excerpt from this novel, and at one point the question came up how many of the decision makers were blinded, mutilated, amputated? How many of them died in the trenches? "None!" was the answer.
"Then how dare they force those young men out there!" yelled my students. And I was quiet.
In the hope that the hubris of power will never again rise to those monstrous proportions, I keep teaching, adding Remarque, B枚ll, Owen and others to Plato and Goethe and the rest of the course of civilisation.
June 25, 2020
鈥淓n aquella 茅poca incluso nuestros padres ten铆an presta la palabra 芦cobarde禄 para ech谩rnosla al rostro.鈥�驴Por qu茅 leer otra novela de guerra? Total, seguro que ya est谩n convencidos del horror que es toda guerra, de que la mayor铆a de ellas solo sirven a los intereses de unos pocos, esos que en tiempo de paz joden a los que morir谩n por ellos y los mismos que seguir谩n jodiendo a los que queden con vida despu茅s. Entonces, 驴qu茅 puede aportar otra novela sobre los desastres de la guerra?
Nada m谩s y nada menos que una lectura estremecedora, vibrante y brillante. Una novela que les arrojar谩 en medio del fregado, directo a las trincheras. Estar谩n ante un relato que se lee con la misma rapidez con la que les gustar铆a salir de all铆, nada se interpone en la carrera con la que los ojos recorren con ansiedad sus frases cortas, directas, sujeto, verbo y predicado, pocos adjetivos, di谩logos concisos y precisos, mucha acci贸n, una acci贸n que les dejar谩 con el coraz贸n encogido.
鈥淭en铆amos dieciocho a帽os y empez谩bamos a amar el mundo y la existencia; pero hemos tenido que disparar contra esto. La explosi贸n de la primera granada nos destroz贸 el coraz贸n. Estamos al margen de la actividad, del esfuerzo, del progreso鈥� Ya no creemos en nada; s贸lo en la guerra.鈥�Yo, que he tenido la desgracia de hacer la mili, me siento absolutamente identificado con todo lo que cuenta el soldado Paul Ba眉mer sobre sus jornadas de instrucci贸n previas a su marcha al frente. La impotencia que se siente ante el abuso de poder que es norma en los que ostentan el mando, mayor cu谩nto menor es su graduaci贸n (鈥測 cu谩nto m谩s cagones eran en la vida civil, m谩s 铆nfulas tienen aqu铆鈥�), sus bromas soeces, su ensa帽amiento con los m谩s d茅biles delante de toda la compa帽铆a (con los homosexuales no, esos ten铆an su tratamiento en privado, no quiero ni imaginar c贸mo). Yo he vivido la humillaci贸n del corte de pelo al cero, la aparente estupidez que es tener que fregar un suelo diez veces para que el cabo vuelva a ensuciarlo intencionadamente y fregarlo por und茅cima vez, el trato vejatorio, indiscriminado y gratuito, los castigos generales ante infracciones individuales鈥� Todo es as铆 durante la instrucci贸n, una forma de negarnos la individualidad, s铆, en efecto, de convertirnos en soldados. Aunque etimol贸gicamente la palabra 鈥渟oldado鈥� se refiera a la persona que recibe un sueldo, no deja de ser una maravillosa coincidencia que en castellano sea tambi茅n un sin贸nimo de pegados, ligados, los que se mueven a una, todos juntos, a la vez, solo obedeciendo 贸rdenes, sin pensar nunca por s铆 mismo ni en s铆 mismo pues no eres m谩s que un media mierda que no pinta nada si no es formando parte del grupo (鈥測a no son hombres, son una columna鈥�).
Afortunadamente no he vivido ninguna guerra, por lo que no he podido sentir la importancia que tiene la tierra para un soldado cuando, pegado a ella, hundida en ella su rostro, oye el estruendo del fuego enemigo sobre su cabeza. Tampoco he sufrido el c贸lico del frente en mi bautismo de fuego ni un ataque de delirio en medio de una avanzada, ni como la oscuridad enloquece, tiembla y se enfurece, o la angustia hasta comprobar que efectivamente la m谩scara antig谩s estaba bien cerrada. No he tenido que cargar con un soldado herido sabiendo que solo estoy retrasando su muerte unos d铆as en los que sufrir谩 terribles dolores, ni he tenido que enfrentarme a su madre para darle la noticia de su muerte, ni nunca me ha importado saber que el vientre es el mejor lugar para clavar la bayoneta porque no se encalla como en las costillas o que es mejor tener el est贸mago vac铆o en el caso de recibir justo ah铆 una bala. Jam谩s he tenido que intercambiar comida por cigarrillos, ni lanzar una granada hacia la zona donde dos ojos me miran fijamente. No he tenido que odiar a otros hombres hasta querer matarlos ni he sentido el odio de otros hombres que quer铆an darme muerte, no he confiado mi vida a unos camaradas, ni ellos la suya a m铆. No me he atormentado pensando en la mujer del hombre al que acabo de asestarle tres pu帽aladas, ni he sentido con terror como el azar se impone como dios de mi destino. Nunca he visto a nadie seguir corriendo aunque ya no tenga cabeza, o sin pies, destroz谩ndose los mu帽ones buscando refugio, a nadie sujet谩ndose los intestinos que le cuelgan, a cuerpos sanguinolentos enganchados en las ramas de un 谩rbol, a hombres sin boca, sin rostro, nunca he sido herido en el vientre, en la columna vertebral ni me han tenido que amputar brazos o piernas, no me han destrozado los maxilares ni hecho desaparecer mi nariz ni cegado mis ojos, no he sufrido heridas en los pulmones, en la pelvis, en las articulaciones, en los ri帽ones o en los test铆culos鈥� En fin, nunca he sentido, como Paul Ba眉mer, que nunca podr茅 volver a tomarme en serio la vida, que me repugna su insignificancia, que todo lo escrito, hecho o pensado hasta ahora por cualquier ser humano ha sido in煤til si todo esto sigue siendo posible, y todo porque nunca he estado en el frente.
鈥淢ientras ellos segu铆an escribiendo y discurseando, nosotros ve铆amos ambulancias y moribundos; mientras ellos proclamaban como sublime el servicio al Estado, nosotros sab铆amos que el miedo a la muerte es mucho m谩s intenso. Con todo no fuimos rebeldes, ni desertores, ni cobardes; am谩bamos a nuestra patria tanto como ellos y al llegar el momento del ataque, nos lanz谩bamos a 茅l con coraje. Pero ahora distingu铆amos. Ahora hab铆amos aprendido a mirar las cosas cara a cara y nos d谩bamos cuenta que, en su mundo, nada se sosten铆a. Nos sentimos solos de pronto, terriblemente solos; y solos tambi茅n deb铆amos encontrar la salida.鈥�
May 13, 2016
Five heartbreaking stars for this classic novel about World War I.
I first read All Quiet on the Western Front my freshman year of college, thanks to Dr. K's humanities course. During this re-read, I paused not only in appreciation of what soldiers and their families suffer during war, but also for all the great teachers who spend their days trying to inspire students to have Perspective and Big Ideas and to Think Critically. I remember how meaningful it was to read this book when I was 19, and it helped shape how I think about history and conflict and war. I was reminded of this quote from Pat Conroy: "If there is more important work than teaching, I hope to learn about it before I die."
I've been thinking a lot about my freshman humanities course because All Quiet on the Western Front was recently chosen as a Common Read for the college campus where I work, and I'm helping to plan the program that will hopefully inspire hundreds of other students to read this book. It's giving me a contented circle-of-life feeling.
Back to the novel itself, which follows German soldier Paul B盲umer and his fellow classmates who enlisted in the war. We see their stoicism and also their mental and physical stress. We suffer with them when they are hungry, and we rejoice when they are fed. We spend an anxious night with Paul when he is stuck in No Man's Land during an attack, and witness his anguish when he kills another man for the first time. We follow him as he goes home on leave to visit his sick mother, and we understand why he can't answer his family's questions about the front. He lies and says it's fine, the stories are exaggerated, the soldiers are treated well. But nothing will ever be fine again, and we all know it.
While reading this book, I used countless post-its to mark quotes. This is a classic that is both easy to read and astonishingly beautiful in its clarity of writing. Highly recommended.
And finally, three cheers to you, Dr. K. Thank you for everything you've done to inspire students.
Favorite Quotes
"The soldier is on friendlier terms than other men with his stomach and intestines. Three-quarters of his vocabulary is derived from these regions, and they give an intimate flavor to expressions of his greatest joy as well as of his deepest indignation. It is impossible to express oneself in any other way so clearly and pithily. Our families and our teachers will be shocked when we go home, but here it is the universal language."
"For a moment we fall silent. There is in each of us a feeling of constraint. We are all sensible of it; it needs no words to communicate it. It might easily have happened that we should not be sitting here on our boxes to-day; it came damn near to that. And so everything is new and brave, red poppies and good food, cigarettes and summer breeze."
"While they taught that duty to one's country is the greatest thing, we already knew that death-throes are stronger ... We loved our country as much as they; we went courageously into every action; but also we distinguished the false from the true, we had suddenly learned to see. And we saw that there was nothing of their world left. We were all at once terribly alone; and alone we must see it through.
"The war has ruined us for everything."
"We have become wild beasts. We do not fight, we defend ourselves against annihilation. It is not against men that we fling our bombs, what do we know of men in this moment when Death is hunting us down..."
"Modern trench-warfare demands knowledge and experience; a man must have a feeling for the countours of the ground, an ear for the sound and character of the shells, must be able to decide beforehand where they will drop, how they will burst, and how to shelter from them."
"Bombardment, barrage, curtain-fire, mines, gas, tanks, machine-guns, hand-grenades 鈥� words, words, but they hold the horror of the world."
"Thus momentarily we have the two things a soldier needs for contentment: good food and rest. That's not much when one comes to think of it. A few years ago we would have despised ourselves terribly. But now we are almost happy. It is all a matter of habit 鈥� even the front-line."
"Terror can be endured so long as a man simply ducks; 鈥� but it kills, if a man thinks about it."
"But our comrades are dead, we cannot help them, they have their rest 鈥� and who knows what is waiting for us? We will make ourselves comfortable and sleep, and eat as much as we can stuff into our bellies, and drink and smoke so that hours are not wasted. Life is short."
"We were never very demonstrative in our family; poor folk who toil and are full of cares are not so. It is not their way to protest what they already know. When my mother says to me 'dear boy,' it means much more than when another uses it."
"I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another. I see that the keenest brains of the world invent weapons and words to make it yet more refined and enduring. And all men of my age, here and over there, throughout the whole world see these things; all my generation is experiencing these things with me."
"And men will not understand us 鈥� for the generation that grew up before us, though it has passed these years with us already had a home and a calling; now it will return to its old occupations, and the war will be forgotten 鈥� and the generation that has grown up after us will be strange to us and push us aside. We will be superfluous even to ourselves, we will grow older, a few will adapt themselves, some others will merely submit, and most will be bewildered; 鈥� the years will pass by and in the end we shall fall into ruin."
I first read All Quiet on the Western Front my freshman year of college, thanks to Dr. K's humanities course. During this re-read, I paused not only in appreciation of what soldiers and their families suffer during war, but also for all the great teachers who spend their days trying to inspire students to have Perspective and Big Ideas and to Think Critically. I remember how meaningful it was to read this book when I was 19, and it helped shape how I think about history and conflict and war. I was reminded of this quote from Pat Conroy: "If there is more important work than teaching, I hope to learn about it before I die."
I've been thinking a lot about my freshman humanities course because All Quiet on the Western Front was recently chosen as a Common Read for the college campus where I work, and I'm helping to plan the program that will hopefully inspire hundreds of other students to read this book. It's giving me a contented circle-of-life feeling.
Back to the novel itself, which follows German soldier Paul B盲umer and his fellow classmates who enlisted in the war. We see their stoicism and also their mental and physical stress. We suffer with them when they are hungry, and we rejoice when they are fed. We spend an anxious night with Paul when he is stuck in No Man's Land during an attack, and witness his anguish when he kills another man for the first time. We follow him as he goes home on leave to visit his sick mother, and we understand why he can't answer his family's questions about the front. He lies and says it's fine, the stories are exaggerated, the soldiers are treated well. But nothing will ever be fine again, and we all know it.
While reading this book, I used countless post-its to mark quotes. This is a classic that is both easy to read and astonishingly beautiful in its clarity of writing. Highly recommended.
And finally, three cheers to you, Dr. K. Thank you for everything you've done to inspire students.
Favorite Quotes
"The soldier is on friendlier terms than other men with his stomach and intestines. Three-quarters of his vocabulary is derived from these regions, and they give an intimate flavor to expressions of his greatest joy as well as of his deepest indignation. It is impossible to express oneself in any other way so clearly and pithily. Our families and our teachers will be shocked when we go home, but here it is the universal language."
"For a moment we fall silent. There is in each of us a feeling of constraint. We are all sensible of it; it needs no words to communicate it. It might easily have happened that we should not be sitting here on our boxes to-day; it came damn near to that. And so everything is new and brave, red poppies and good food, cigarettes and summer breeze."
"While they taught that duty to one's country is the greatest thing, we already knew that death-throes are stronger ... We loved our country as much as they; we went courageously into every action; but also we distinguished the false from the true, we had suddenly learned to see. And we saw that there was nothing of their world left. We were all at once terribly alone; and alone we must see it through.
"The war has ruined us for everything."
"We have become wild beasts. We do not fight, we defend ourselves against annihilation. It is not against men that we fling our bombs, what do we know of men in this moment when Death is hunting us down..."
"Modern trench-warfare demands knowledge and experience; a man must have a feeling for the countours of the ground, an ear for the sound and character of the shells, must be able to decide beforehand where they will drop, how they will burst, and how to shelter from them."
"Bombardment, barrage, curtain-fire, mines, gas, tanks, machine-guns, hand-grenades 鈥� words, words, but they hold the horror of the world."
"Thus momentarily we have the two things a soldier needs for contentment: good food and rest. That's not much when one comes to think of it. A few years ago we would have despised ourselves terribly. But now we are almost happy. It is all a matter of habit 鈥� even the front-line."
"Terror can be endured so long as a man simply ducks; 鈥� but it kills, if a man thinks about it."
"But our comrades are dead, we cannot help them, they have their rest 鈥� and who knows what is waiting for us? We will make ourselves comfortable and sleep, and eat as much as we can stuff into our bellies, and drink and smoke so that hours are not wasted. Life is short."
"We were never very demonstrative in our family; poor folk who toil and are full of cares are not so. It is not their way to protest what they already know. When my mother says to me 'dear boy,' it means much more than when another uses it."
"I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another. I see that the keenest brains of the world invent weapons and words to make it yet more refined and enduring. And all men of my age, here and over there, throughout the whole world see these things; all my generation is experiencing these things with me."
"And men will not understand us 鈥� for the generation that grew up before us, though it has passed these years with us already had a home and a calling; now it will return to its old occupations, and the war will be forgotten 鈥� and the generation that has grown up after us will be strange to us and push us aside. We will be superfluous even to ourselves, we will grow older, a few will adapt themselves, some others will merely submit, and most will be bewildered; 鈥� the years will pass by and in the end we shall fall into ruin."
March 15, 2025
"This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, at least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure for those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war."
In All Quiet on the Western Front, it is what Remarque has done exactly - to tell of a generation of men who were forever scarred by the war. This harrowing account of the Frist World War, written from the point of view of a soldier, brings to life the destruction that is caused to those who are the first-hand victims - the soldiers. Perhaps, some may disagree with my calling them "victims", but wouldn't it be the near truth? Aren't they the first people who have sacrificed their lives, ambitions, hopes, and above all, their youth? If they are not the victims of war, what are they? "I'm young, I'm twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow." When they step on to the battlefield, all is lost to them forever. They may physically survive the war, but never emotionally. The scars, the ghosts will haunt them forever.
Remarque gives a nightmarish account of both the physical and mental traumas the soldiers go through. It is both horrifying and heartbreaking. I also had a very disturbing sleep overnight. Imagine, if a nearly truthful account of war can disturb one thus, how disturbing it might be to those who have faced it, every day? How hopeless they might feel life would be for them, even if they be lucky enough to live through it? " We are not youth any longer. We don't want to take the world by storm. We are fleeing. We fly from ourselves. From our lives. We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to shoot it to pieces." And for what have they sacrificed their lives, hopes, dreams, and youth? There lies the unanswerable question? The most likely answer to be given would be through patriotism. If both factions of the war act out of patriotism, who is in the right? "We are here to protect our fatherland. And the French are over there to protect their fatherland. Now who's in the right?" Who is in the right? The answer will always be subjective, but it can never be objective.
Remarque's account of the gruesomeness of war, written about the First World War nearly a century ago, speaks true for all subsequent wars, be it world war or civil wars. The horrors of it and the subsequent mental destruction they caused on those directly connected with it are all factual certainties. If we are to avoid history being repeated, these factual certainties must be accepted. I think this is what Remarque wanted to tell the world, especially its rulers. But did they listen to him? Is anyone listening even now?
More of my reviews can be found at
In All Quiet on the Western Front, it is what Remarque has done exactly - to tell of a generation of men who were forever scarred by the war. This harrowing account of the Frist World War, written from the point of view of a soldier, brings to life the destruction that is caused to those who are the first-hand victims - the soldiers. Perhaps, some may disagree with my calling them "victims", but wouldn't it be the near truth? Aren't they the first people who have sacrificed their lives, ambitions, hopes, and above all, their youth? If they are not the victims of war, what are they? "I'm young, I'm twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow." When they step on to the battlefield, all is lost to them forever. They may physically survive the war, but never emotionally. The scars, the ghosts will haunt them forever.
Remarque gives a nightmarish account of both the physical and mental traumas the soldiers go through. It is both horrifying and heartbreaking. I also had a very disturbing sleep overnight. Imagine, if a nearly truthful account of war can disturb one thus, how disturbing it might be to those who have faced it, every day? How hopeless they might feel life would be for them, even if they be lucky enough to live through it? " We are not youth any longer. We don't want to take the world by storm. We are fleeing. We fly from ourselves. From our lives. We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to shoot it to pieces." And for what have they sacrificed their lives, hopes, dreams, and youth? There lies the unanswerable question? The most likely answer to be given would be through patriotism. If both factions of the war act out of patriotism, who is in the right? "We are here to protect our fatherland. And the French are over there to protect their fatherland. Now who's in the right?" Who is in the right? The answer will always be subjective, but it can never be objective.
Remarque's account of the gruesomeness of war, written about the First World War nearly a century ago, speaks true for all subsequent wars, be it world war or civil wars. The horrors of it and the subsequent mental destruction they caused on those directly connected with it are all factual certainties. If we are to avoid history being repeated, these factual certainties must be accepted. I think this is what Remarque wanted to tell the world, especially its rulers. But did they listen to him? Is anyone listening even now?
More of my reviews can be found at
November 11, 2024
Please enjoy the review after my annual re-read of this classic for this time of year!
LEST WE FORGET
This enthralling novel by Erich Maria Remarque provides the reader with a stellar look at a soldier鈥檚 life during the Great War. Told through the eyes of a young German soldier, the story pulls the reader in and personalises events in such a way that it almost seems palatable, without justifying or downplaying the atrocities at any point. All Quiet on the Western Front is sure to stir up emotion in those readers who have an interest in military discussions, as well as those who love war-time history.
This is the story of Paul B盲umer, a nineteen year-old fighting for the German Fatherland in France during the middle of the Great War. Having signed up voluntarily alongside a number of his classmates, B盲umer hoped things would be as exciting as they sounded. All that was dashed after the weeks of basic training, in which the young men are broken down and put through their paces before being tossed on the front lines, where the beauty of nationalism is replaced by the horrors of death. Now, these young men live in constant physical terror as explosions rock their every night.
The story explores the trials and tribulations the war brings to those who witness it first-hand. B盲umerl finds himself fighting to justify his presence in France and tries to survive on poor rations, barely enough for survival. He also witnesses how decimating the war can be, when only a handful of his training class survive after a short stint on the front.
B盲umer is also forced to sober up to the realities of life, which turns sensitivity on its head and permits pragmatism to surface. After a soldier dies in front of them, the fight is on for his supplies, something the surviving soldiers need more than the corpse. This creates a refreshing look at life and the lessons that come with it, leaving manners back in Germany when every day could be your last.
There are moments of harrowing action, as B盲umer accompanies the others to lay barbed wire and finds himself trapped under artillery fire. Scared and pinned down, the men talk about their own thoughts about how the war could be more effectively fought, as well as what might have changed the minds of the politicians who are sitting in their ivory towers, far away from the bloodshed.
When a bloody battle with enemy leads to men being blown apart with severed limbs and torsos, B盲umer sees the most gruesome part of the war, something that he was not told about when first he agreed to serve. Rats feast on the dead and B盲umer expresses a sense of being animalistic, trusting his instincts alone to save him. The casualty list is high and B盲umer tries to erase what he鈥檚 seen when he is given leave and encounters a few French girls, eager to help him forget.
B盲umer takes some extended leave to return home for a family visit. He feels like an outsider, unable to discuss his trauma with anyone. His mother is dying of cancer and she hopes that he can be proud of what he is doing, but wants him to come home as soon as possible. This surely pulls on his heartstrings and B盲umer is left to wonder what the fighting will really do, as he cannot be with family when they need him most.
After witnessing the horrors of a prisoner-of-war camp, B盲umer is determined to help bring the war to an end, vowing never to be captured or enslaved by the enemy. The months push onwards and the German army begins to lose control of its fate. B盲umer watches his friends die in combat, eventually leaving him as the only one left from his original class. By the fall of 1918, Paul B盲umer can see the end is in sight and hears much talk about an armistice, which would bring the bloody war to an end, something he鈥檚 wanted ever since arriving at the Western Front.
Erich Maria Remarque does a masterful job painting the image of war and how it truly gets into the pores of those who are fighting on the front lines. It is less about strategy and troop advancement than the blood and gore faced by those young men who were pulled from their schools in order to fight for their country. While many in the West see the Germans as the evildoers (in both World Wars), Remarque offers this wonderful look at the war through the eyes of one man, to show that there was nothing but pure fear within him. No matter whose sides was right, young men perished without knowing what they were trying to do. Their task, kill or be killed. Their horror, to be maimed or brutally injured. All this comes to the surface throughout this piece, which will surely shock the attentive reader.
There are many characters whose lives progress throughout the book, though I will not list them. Remarque seeks more to tell a story of the war through their experiences than to inject a deeper plot with the Great War as a backdrop. The horrors of war spill out from every page, as well as the senselessness of men who could barely shave being the pawns of an international political disagreement. This theme is echoed throughout, in twelve strong chapters. While many will likely turn away from the book because they disagree with war or have 鈥榬ead too much about it鈥�, I would encourage everyone to give it a try to see just how deeply it affects you. Especially with November 11th just around the corner!
Kudos, Mr. Remarque, for this sensational piece that had me enthralled throughout. It has stirred up some real emotions within me.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
- Canadian Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: /group/show/...
LEST WE FORGET
This enthralling novel by Erich Maria Remarque provides the reader with a stellar look at a soldier鈥檚 life during the Great War. Told through the eyes of a young German soldier, the story pulls the reader in and personalises events in such a way that it almost seems palatable, without justifying or downplaying the atrocities at any point. All Quiet on the Western Front is sure to stir up emotion in those readers who have an interest in military discussions, as well as those who love war-time history.
This is the story of Paul B盲umer, a nineteen year-old fighting for the German Fatherland in France during the middle of the Great War. Having signed up voluntarily alongside a number of his classmates, B盲umer hoped things would be as exciting as they sounded. All that was dashed after the weeks of basic training, in which the young men are broken down and put through their paces before being tossed on the front lines, where the beauty of nationalism is replaced by the horrors of death. Now, these young men live in constant physical terror as explosions rock their every night.
The story explores the trials and tribulations the war brings to those who witness it first-hand. B盲umerl finds himself fighting to justify his presence in France and tries to survive on poor rations, barely enough for survival. He also witnesses how decimating the war can be, when only a handful of his training class survive after a short stint on the front.
B盲umer is also forced to sober up to the realities of life, which turns sensitivity on its head and permits pragmatism to surface. After a soldier dies in front of them, the fight is on for his supplies, something the surviving soldiers need more than the corpse. This creates a refreshing look at life and the lessons that come with it, leaving manners back in Germany when every day could be your last.
There are moments of harrowing action, as B盲umer accompanies the others to lay barbed wire and finds himself trapped under artillery fire. Scared and pinned down, the men talk about their own thoughts about how the war could be more effectively fought, as well as what might have changed the minds of the politicians who are sitting in their ivory towers, far away from the bloodshed.
When a bloody battle with enemy leads to men being blown apart with severed limbs and torsos, B盲umer sees the most gruesome part of the war, something that he was not told about when first he agreed to serve. Rats feast on the dead and B盲umer expresses a sense of being animalistic, trusting his instincts alone to save him. The casualty list is high and B盲umer tries to erase what he鈥檚 seen when he is given leave and encounters a few French girls, eager to help him forget.
B盲umer takes some extended leave to return home for a family visit. He feels like an outsider, unable to discuss his trauma with anyone. His mother is dying of cancer and she hopes that he can be proud of what he is doing, but wants him to come home as soon as possible. This surely pulls on his heartstrings and B盲umer is left to wonder what the fighting will really do, as he cannot be with family when they need him most.
After witnessing the horrors of a prisoner-of-war camp, B盲umer is determined to help bring the war to an end, vowing never to be captured or enslaved by the enemy. The months push onwards and the German army begins to lose control of its fate. B盲umer watches his friends die in combat, eventually leaving him as the only one left from his original class. By the fall of 1918, Paul B盲umer can see the end is in sight and hears much talk about an armistice, which would bring the bloody war to an end, something he鈥檚 wanted ever since arriving at the Western Front.
Erich Maria Remarque does a masterful job painting the image of war and how it truly gets into the pores of those who are fighting on the front lines. It is less about strategy and troop advancement than the blood and gore faced by those young men who were pulled from their schools in order to fight for their country. While many in the West see the Germans as the evildoers (in both World Wars), Remarque offers this wonderful look at the war through the eyes of one man, to show that there was nothing but pure fear within him. No matter whose sides was right, young men perished without knowing what they were trying to do. Their task, kill or be killed. Their horror, to be maimed or brutally injured. All this comes to the surface throughout this piece, which will surely shock the attentive reader.
There are many characters whose lives progress throughout the book, though I will not list them. Remarque seeks more to tell a story of the war through their experiences than to inject a deeper plot with the Great War as a backdrop. The horrors of war spill out from every page, as well as the senselessness of men who could barely shave being the pawns of an international political disagreement. This theme is echoed throughout, in twelve strong chapters. While many will likely turn away from the book because they disagree with war or have 鈥榬ead too much about it鈥�, I would encourage everyone to give it a try to see just how deeply it affects you. Especially with November 11th just around the corner!
Kudos, Mr. Remarque, for this sensational piece that had me enthralled throughout. It has stirred up some real emotions within me.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
- Canadian Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: /group/show/...
January 20, 2025
孝邪蟹懈 泻薪懈谐邪, 泻邪泻褌芯 懈 锌褉芯写褗谢卸械薪懈械褌芯 褲 "袨斜褉邪褌薪懈褟褌 锌褗褌", 褋邪 薪邪泄-邪薪褌懈胁芯械薪薪懈褌械 泻薪懈谐懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 褋褗屑 褔械谢!
袠 褌芯 锌芯 薪褟泻芯谢泻芯 锌褗褌懈, 芯褖械 锌褉械写懈 写邪 斜褗写邪 薪邪褋懈谢邪 蟹邪褔懈褋谢械薪 胁 褉械写芯胁械褌械 薪邪 袘袗, 泻芯褟褌芯 褋懈 斜械褕械 胁褋械 芯褖械 械写薪邪 褔懈褋褌邪 邪褉屑懈褟 薪邪 袧袪袘 - 褋 薪械泻邪写褗褉薪懈, 薪械芯斜褉邪蟹芯胁邪薪懈 懈 屑邪谢芯褍屑薪懈 芯褎懈褑械褉懈 懈 褋褌邪褉褕懈薪懈, 屑懈蟹械褉懈褟, 斜械蟹褍屑薪懈 蟹邪锌芯胁械写懈 懈 锌芯褉褟写褗泻.
袘褟褏 写褗谢斜芯泻芯 芯褌胁褉邪褌械薪 芯褌 褌邪蟹懈 18 屑械褋械褔薪邪 褉械邪谢薪芯褋褌, 泻芯褟褌芯 芯斜邪褔械 屑械 蟹邪泻邪谢懈 懈 屑械 薪邪褍褔懈, 褔械 薪邪 锌褉芯褋褌芯褌懈褟褌邪 褋械 芯褌胁褉褗褖邪 褋 锌械褋薪懈泻 胁 写褉褗谐谢懈胁邪褌邪 屑褍褑褍薪邪, 邪 褌芯胁邪 褋懈 械 褑械薪械薪 褍褉芯泻, 屑邪泻邪褉 懈 写邪 薪褟屑邪褕械 薪褍卸写邪 写邪 谐芯 褍褔邪 褌芯谢泻芯胁邪 写褗谢谐芯, 邪蟹 褋褗屑 褋懈 褋褏胁邪褌谢懈胁. :)
袣邪褌芯 锌褉械蟹 褑褟谢芯褌芯 胁褉械屑械 褋械 薪邪写褟胁邪褏, 褔械 锌芯卸邪褉褗褌 泻芯泄褌芯 斜褍褕褍胁邪褕械 胁 褋褗褋械写薪邪 挟谐芯褋谢邪胁懈褟 薪褟屑邪 写邪 褍褋锌械械 写邪 锌褉械褋泻芯褔懈 懈 芯褌胁褗写 薪邪褕邪褌邪 谐褉邪薪懈褑邪...
效械褌械褌械 袪械屑邪褉泻 屑谢邪写懈, 屑薪芯谐芯 褖械 胁懈 写邪写械 懈 褖械 胁懈 薪邪褍褔懈 薪邪 斜械蟹褑械薪薪懈 屑芯褉邪谢薪懈 薪芯褉屑懈 懈 褍褋褌芯懈!
袥懈褔薪芯褋褌 泻邪褌芯 袪械屑邪褉泻, 泻芯褟褌芯 懈 谐芯写懈薪懈 褋谢械写 泻芯薪褔懈薪邪褌邪 褋懈 锌褉邪胁懈 褋胁械褌邪 锌芯-写芯斜褗褉 懈 锌芯-褔芯胁械褔械薪 械 邪斜褋芯谢褞褌械薪 锌褉懈屑械褉 蟹邪 锌芯写褉邪卸邪薪懈械.
袠 褌芯 锌芯 薪褟泻芯谢泻芯 锌褗褌懈, 芯褖械 锌褉械写懈 写邪 斜褗写邪 薪邪褋懈谢邪 蟹邪褔懈褋谢械薪 胁 褉械写芯胁械褌械 薪邪 袘袗, 泻芯褟褌芯 褋懈 斜械褕械 胁褋械 芯褖械 械写薪邪 褔懈褋褌邪 邪褉屑懈褟 薪邪 袧袪袘 - 褋 薪械泻邪写褗褉薪懈, 薪械芯斜褉邪蟹芯胁邪薪懈 懈 屑邪谢芯褍屑薪懈 芯褎懈褑械褉懈 懈 褋褌邪褉褕懈薪懈, 屑懈蟹械褉懈褟, 斜械蟹褍屑薪懈 蟹邪锌芯胁械写懈 懈 锌芯褉褟写褗泻.
袘褟褏 写褗谢斜芯泻芯 芯褌胁褉邪褌械薪 芯褌 褌邪蟹懈 18 屑械褋械褔薪邪 褉械邪谢薪芯褋褌, 泻芯褟褌芯 芯斜邪褔械 屑械 蟹邪泻邪谢懈 懈 屑械 薪邪褍褔懈, 褔械 薪邪 锌褉芯褋褌芯褌懈褟褌邪 褋械 芯褌胁褉褗褖邪 褋 锌械褋薪懈泻 胁 写褉褗谐谢懈胁邪褌邪 屑褍褑褍薪邪, 邪 褌芯胁邪 褋懈 械 褑械薪械薪 褍褉芯泻, 屑邪泻邪褉 懈 写邪 薪褟屑邪褕械 薪褍卸写邪 写邪 谐芯 褍褔邪 褌芯谢泻芯胁邪 写褗谢谐芯, 邪蟹 褋褗屑 褋懈 褋褏胁邪褌谢懈胁. :)
袣邪褌芯 锌褉械蟹 褑褟谢芯褌芯 胁褉械屑械 褋械 薪邪写褟胁邪褏, 褔械 锌芯卸邪褉褗褌 泻芯泄褌芯 斜褍褕褍胁邪褕械 胁 褋褗褋械写薪邪 挟谐芯褋谢邪胁懈褟 薪褟屑邪 写邪 褍褋锌械械 写邪 锌褉械褋泻芯褔懈 懈 芯褌胁褗写 薪邪褕邪褌邪 谐褉邪薪懈褑邪...
效械褌械褌械 袪械屑邪褉泻 屑谢邪写懈, 屑薪芯谐芯 褖械 胁懈 写邪写械 懈 褖械 胁懈 薪邪褍褔懈 薪邪 斜械蟹褑械薪薪懈 屑芯褉邪谢薪懈 薪芯褉屑懈 懈 褍褋褌芯懈!
袥懈褔薪芯褋褌 泻邪褌芯 袪械屑邪褉泻, 泻芯褟褌芯 懈 谐芯写懈薪懈 褋谢械写 泻芯薪褔懈薪邪褌邪 褋懈 锌褉邪胁懈 褋胁械褌邪 锌芯-写芯斜褗褉 懈 锌芯-褔芯胁械褔械薪 械 邪斜褋芯谢褞褌械薪 锌褉懈屑械褉 蟹邪 锌芯写褉邪卸邪薪懈械.
October 5, 2021
This is one of my favourite books, a very open, authentic account of WWI from the perspective of a German soldier. The images can really stick in your head.
October 16, 2010
My copy of this was a paperback that I had picked up somewhere in my high school years. It was printed in the 鈥�50s and cost 60 cents per the cover price. The pages were yellowed and an old dog of mine (dead 20 years now) chewed on a corner of it at one point, and his teeth marks are still on it. But I held onto that copy over the years through multiple changes of residence and numerous paperback dumps to used book stores and library donations. When I was trying to organize some of my stuff packed away in the basement, I found my battered old copy and felt the immediate need to read it again.
But I also decided to invest in a better edition. Frankly, I was scared the old one would fall apart, but I鈥檝e carefully packed away that copy again. I鈥檓 thinking about putting it in my will that I should be buried with it. That gives you an idea of how highly I regard this book.
My new copy says on the cover that it鈥檚 the greatest war novel of all time. I鈥檓 not going to argue about that statement. I鈥檝e often thought that this book should be required reading for any politician with the power to declare war. Only a madman or Dick Cheney could send troops into combat after reading this.
Paul is a 19 year old German soldier in World War I. Living though artillery shellings, gas attacks, trench warfare and seeing a generation of men blown to bits has made Paul old before his time. He has a soldier鈥檚 profound weariness and cynicism. Some of the more heartbreaking parts of this are when Paul and his fellow soldiers realize that they鈥檝e been changed far too much to ever care about anything but survival again. Paul and the other soldiers try to find small comforts where they can since there鈥檚 almost no chance they鈥檒l survive the war unscathed.
On the very short list of books that I think everyone should read at least once.
Trivial Side Note or No, I Don鈥檛 Work for the Kansas City Tourism Board
The National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial is something I recommend to anybody who likes this book, or has any interest at all in these types of things. (My wife is usually not interested in war stories or memorabilia at all, but she found this museum fascinating.) It鈥檚 got tons of actual equipment from the war, interactive multi-media displays, and some truly eye-opening exhibits.
For example, there鈥檚 one room you walk into that is a recreation of what it looked like when a large shell hit a French farm house from the basement perspective. So you walk in and it feels like you鈥檙e in a giant crater with house debris above you. There are also recreations of the trenches and one battlefield set done below a wide screen documentary playing that gives a vivid and eerie feeling of what a hellish landscape was created by the war.
Check it out here:
But I also decided to invest in a better edition. Frankly, I was scared the old one would fall apart, but I鈥檝e carefully packed away that copy again. I鈥檓 thinking about putting it in my will that I should be buried with it. That gives you an idea of how highly I regard this book.
My new copy says on the cover that it鈥檚 the greatest war novel of all time. I鈥檓 not going to argue about that statement. I鈥檝e often thought that this book should be required reading for any politician with the power to declare war. Only a madman or Dick Cheney could send troops into combat after reading this.
Paul is a 19 year old German soldier in World War I. Living though artillery shellings, gas attacks, trench warfare and seeing a generation of men blown to bits has made Paul old before his time. He has a soldier鈥檚 profound weariness and cynicism. Some of the more heartbreaking parts of this are when Paul and his fellow soldiers realize that they鈥檝e been changed far too much to ever care about anything but survival again. Paul and the other soldiers try to find small comforts where they can since there鈥檚 almost no chance they鈥檒l survive the war unscathed.
On the very short list of books that I think everyone should read at least once.
Trivial Side Note or No, I Don鈥檛 Work for the Kansas City Tourism Board
The National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial is something I recommend to anybody who likes this book, or has any interest at all in these types of things. (My wife is usually not interested in war stories or memorabilia at all, but she found this museum fascinating.) It鈥檚 got tons of actual equipment from the war, interactive multi-media displays, and some truly eye-opening exhibits.
For example, there鈥檚 one room you walk into that is a recreation of what it looked like when a large shell hit a French farm house from the basement perspective. So you walk in and it feels like you鈥檙e in a giant crater with house debris above you. There are also recreations of the trenches and one battlefield set done below a wide screen documentary playing that gives a vivid and eerie feeling of what a hellish landscape was created by the war.
Check it out here:
January 8, 2025
It's World War One, it's gritty, it's dirty, it's horrible, it's terrifying. "All Quiet on the Western Front" is so much more than an "anti-war novel"; it's an assault on the romanticized notions of heroism and glory that often shroud conflict. This isn't a tale of valiant soldiers and amazing victories. Instead, it takes the reader into the suffocating reality of trench warfare: the constant, gnawing fear, the horrible injuries, the loss of innocence that turns young men into shells of their former selves.
We follow a group of young German soldiers, initially driven by patriotic fervor, or guilt at not having enough patriotism, become numbed by the constant exposure to death and violence. We experience gruesome battles, loss of innocence, and psychological trauma, all in 200 short pages.
"All Quiet on the Western Front" is a raw and real look at what was supposed to be the war to end all wars. It's not for the squeamish or faint of heart.
We follow a group of young German soldiers, initially driven by patriotic fervor, or guilt at not having enough patriotism, become numbed by the constant exposure to death and violence. We experience gruesome battles, loss of innocence, and psychological trauma, all in 200 short pages.
"All Quiet on the Western Front" is a raw and real look at what was supposed to be the war to end all wars. It's not for the squeamish or faint of heart.
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