Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

1 review

elisabeth888's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is probably the most graphic and depressing novel I have ever read. While originally written in German, none of the effectiveness and pain in Remarque's writing is lost through its English translation. Remarque's novel demonstrates the stupidity of war - how young, poor men (who are really only children) are forced to sacrifice their lives only to profit their government and military leaders.

Throughout the novel, the main character, Paul Bäumer, and his fellow soldiers become lost and dissociated as they attempt to navigate through the horrific reality of war. The soldiers in themselves embody a complex role - they are victims to their government's greed but they are also aggressors to the enemies, who are men and boys just like themselves.

I see many similarities and differences to Tim O'Brien's biography "If I Die in a Combat Zone" which delves into O'Brien's experience as an American foot soldier in the Vietnam War. While Remarque and O'Brien's accounts are separated by 50 years of technological and tactical development, there are multiple similarities, such as toxic and incompetent military leadership, trench warfare, the grief of losing one's comrades, and the unwillingness to even use the word "death" - for O'Brien, death called getting "wasted" and for Remarque death is called "rot". Therefore, while the technology in warfare will change, the similarities of military leadership exploiting the young and poor and leaving generations of men dissociated and traumatized is a constant.

I highly recommend everyone to read All Quiet on the Western Front - however, note that this is a very distressing read and can be especially distressing for those who have served. Please consider viewing content warnings about this book before reading.
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