Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

68 reviews

evelynleigh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Never in my life have I cried so much while reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and War

Moderate: Gun violence and Violence

Minor: Cancer

patriciapueyolopez's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Cancer, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury

crouth's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail

elisabeth888's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Grief, and War

Moderate: Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Animal death, Racism, Sexual content, Excrement, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury

fantom_fairy12's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I fell in love with the characters! Although this is war they still make the most out of life 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore

Moderate: Gun violence

Minor: Death

ninjamuse's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, and Fire/Fire injury

wyabook234's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Blood, and Medical content

Minor: Bullying and Vomit

corporatelobotomy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

holy mother of god. i don't think i can ever move on from this. to conclude:

"parting from my friend albert kropp was very hard. 
but a man gets used to that sort of thing in the army."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail

alice_appleby's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Excrement, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, and War

thegreatbigben's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Recommended by Lydia.

Was a really good read. Starts off nice and just gets sadder as the book goes on. I saw the Netflix movie a while ago and thought it was really good, but this book was on a different level in comparison.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Violence, and War

Moderate: Genocide and Blood

Minor: Sexual content