Reviews with content warning for War - Niente di nuovo sul fronte occidentale

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.

Content Warnings

felivrin's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

ninjamuse's review against another edition

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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

Content Warnings

wyabook234's review against another edition

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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

Content Warnings

chitti's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad slow-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

very raw :(

Content Warnings

corporatelobotomy's review against another edition

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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."

Content Warnings

alice_appleby's review against another edition

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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

Content Warnings

pokerino's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.75

The quintessential modern war novel. Throughout the book we are given an intimate account of the Great War through the perspective of a lowly grunt and his friends. We are exposed first-hand to the psychology and mindset of the soldiers serving and how those views evolve with the war. Though a fiction novel, this book does a wonderful job portraying the war in its full, brutal reality; no glorifying or sugar-coating.

This a must-read for all people, and especially those with an interest in history. The lessons to be learned here are vital to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

The characters in the book are all living and breathing, with their own personalities, wants, and whims. It's easy for me to find myself in the main protagonist - Paul - especially the descriptions of his struggles to readapt himself with civilian life. Had I been in his situation, I imagine I would have reacted much the same as him.

.25 stars docked because I feel like the last couple chapters were a tad rushed. 20-30 addition pages would have helped maybe.

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