Reviews with content warning for Blood - На западния фронт нищо ново

Reviews tagging 'Blood'

На западния фронт нищо ново by Erich Maria Remarque

80 reviews

daniellekat's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated

4.5

A tragic look at the cost of war. This was powerfully told and has understandably stood the test of time. At times the language was a bit dense and difficult to follow, but the translation was superb. I also found the pacing strange, although the unpredictability of it did add to the overall reading experience. All-in-all this was heavy but absolutely worthwhile.

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marsco's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

mooonyaa's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
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

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patriciapueyolopez's review against another edition

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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

Content Warnings

jamie_el's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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? N/A

5.0

This book is one I'd consider a must-read for anyone. It is very heavy in topic and definitely a more somber read, but the focus it holds on what it was like for the soldiers of WW1 really brings to life the conflict and reminds us that the people it affected were not dissimilar to us. I think its grit and its honesty makes it one of the best anti-war books ever written.

You find yourself falling in love with the characters, only for them to be cruelly ripped away out of nowhere. And throughout you find yourself asking for what reason it is.

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sarareadsxxx13's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Content Warnings

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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