saraaaa's review against another edition
4.75
I feel like the author went for an explicitly didascalic approach, unambiguously denouncing the horrors of the war through the first person account of the young protagonist's personal experiences and reflections.
The strong accent on the loss of youthful dreams and teenage convictions makes it, in a way, a hybrid between a war novel and a bildungsroman.
The style was poetic at times, especially when reporting the protagonist's considerations, then moving to a kind of matter-of-factly journalistic style when describing the soldiers' routine and daily sufferings.
Last but not least, it's the first – and so far the only – war novel I read that managed to give a realistic account of a teenage boy's perspective on women and sexual attraction without falling into misogyny.
Graphic: Body horror, War, Blood, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Death, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Cancer and Mental illness
Minor: Alcohol, Excrement, and Racial slurs
xlaraxk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: War
Minor: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, and Racial slurs
clara_mai's review against another edition
5.0
Wir haben alles Gefühl füreinander verloren, wir kennen uns kaum noch, wenn das Bild des andern in unseren gejagten Blick fällt.
Wir sind verlassen wie Kinder und erfahren wie alte Leute, wir sind roh und traurig und oberflächlich - ich glaube wir sind verloren.
Abends stehen sie wieder am Gitter und der Wind kommt von den Birkenwäldern zu ihnen. Die Sterne sind kalt.
Unsere Gedanken sind Lehm, sie werden geknetet vom Wechsel der Tage
Unsere Hände sind Erde, unsere Körper Lehm und unsere Augen Regentümpel. Wir wissen nicht, ob wir noch leben.
Da das Buch 1929 veröffentlicht wurde, enthält es ein paar veraltete Begriffe, das möchte ich erwähnen. Die Art, wie vom Protagonisten und den anderen Soldaten über Frauen gesprochen wird, ist nicht immer angenehm - meistens einfach sexualisiert - aber so wahrscheinlich authentisch.
Graphic: Excrement, Grief, Death, Medical trauma, Violence, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Minor: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, and Cancer
giulia_bis's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Death, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, War, and Blood
Moderate: Animal death and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Cancer, Medical content, and Racial slurs
jamiejanae_6's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Vomit, War, Medical trauma, Murder, Blood, Racism, Self harm, Excrement, Animal death, Medical content, Racial slurs, and Violence