diggo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
2.75
joshuabushen's review against another edition
4.0
4.5. An extremely interesting and compelling account of former soldiers attempting to reintegrate into regular society after facing the horrors of the first World War
wnk_books's review against another edition
5.0
es gibt keine treffenden worte für des gefühl was diese 2 bücher auslösen; remarque ergreift einen mit seinem schreibstil, der eine mischung aus wunderschöner poesie und trockener wahrheit ist, in einer art und weise, sodass man fast meint die zeit miterlebt zu haben und dann beschämt auf sein eigenes gefühl blickt, da man sich der absoluten unwahrheit dessen bewusst ist.
der weg zurück stellt die verlorenheit in der gesellschaft, die wegbrechende heimat der kameradschaft und das trauma einer ganzen generation ungeschönt berührend dar und schafft es nicht nur eine fortsetzung von einem überragenden buch, sondern auch alleinstehend für sich bedeutend und grandios zu sein.
der weg zurück stellt die verlorenheit in der gesellschaft, die wegbrechende heimat der kameradschaft und das trauma einer ganzen generation ungeschönt berührend dar und schafft es nicht nur eine fortsetzung von einem überragenden buch, sondern auch alleinstehend für sich bedeutend und grandios zu sein.
lullavi'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? It's complicated
5.0
mrcbookworm's review against another edition
5.0
2.1.23 update:
I actually borrowed the audiobook again on Hoopla, just for the purpose of re-listening to that glorious final chapter! It was as perfect as I remembered, and as I baked up some lemon dessert to commemorate what would’ve been my dad’s 51st birthday, I kept listening to that one chapter over and over and over (probably at least 6 times, I didn’t keep track). It was very soothing and made me feel hopeful and comforted and understood, somehow. And I know the grueling, horrific wartime experiences of soldiers are far, far worse than anything I’ve ever experienced in my quite sheltered life, so I don’t mean to compare apples to oranges here. But I do still find myself empathizing with much of the emotional journey of coming home from such things and trying to readjust to normal life after such a life altering experience. Not that it’s the same, I know, but the impact of grief can have a similar lasting effect that leaves a person grasping at the pieces of normal life and normal human interactions that used to come so naturally before.
I’m not going to wax poetic any more than I already have, but I just hope I’m not completely crazy and that others also find the last chapter of this book as compelling and moving as I have found it to be! I’m giving it 5 stars now because, even if the book overall wasn’t a huge favorite of mine, that last chapter is sticking with me and earned the rest of the stars all on its own! :)
Original review:
I’m glad I read this sequel, although I can’t really see myself wanting to reread it. I loved All Quiet On the Western Front far more, but it was still eye opening to see the struggles of the soldiers returning home after their harrowing wartime experiences. I felt a little lost at times, struggling to keep up with a whole new cast of characters, and just not feeling as attached to them as I did in the first book of the series. Oh well.
If nothing else, the final chapter of this book was hauntingly beautiful & really resonated with me (especially the ending section, about the sap coming alive in the spring no matter if the tree was young or old, or even if it had long ago been crafted into furniture). I can’t say I would particularly recommend the entirety of the book, but wow does that final chapter stand on its own! It’s something I still think of weeks after finishing - the hope of finding a new purpose in life, despite all a person has been through and all the ways their past versions of themselves have died. I’m not sure how to explain it, but that ending just really hit home for some reason. Maybe because of the struggles my family and I have been through in the past year, and feeling like things will never be how they were, but hoping that our new normal will still hold vestiges of our past selves and the happy memories behind us. At any rate, I really felt that ending, and for that reason I am grateful for reading all the highs and lows of the rest of the book that led up to that beautifully crafted ending.
I actually borrowed the audiobook again on Hoopla, just for the purpose of re-listening to that glorious final chapter! It was as perfect as I remembered, and as I baked up some lemon dessert to commemorate what would’ve been my dad’s 51st birthday, I kept listening to that one chapter over and over and over (probably at least 6 times, I didn’t keep track). It was very soothing and made me feel hopeful and comforted and understood, somehow. And I know the grueling, horrific wartime experiences of soldiers are far, far worse than anything I’ve ever experienced in my quite sheltered life, so I don’t mean to compare apples to oranges here. But I do still find myself empathizing with much of the emotional journey of coming home from such things and trying to readjust to normal life after such a life altering experience. Not that it’s the same, I know, but the impact of grief can have a similar lasting effect that leaves a person grasping at the pieces of normal life and normal human interactions that used to come so naturally before.
I’m not going to wax poetic any more than I already have, but I just hope I’m not completely crazy and that others also find the last chapter of this book as compelling and moving as I have found it to be! I’m giving it 5 stars now because, even if the book overall wasn’t a huge favorite of mine, that last chapter is sticking with me and earned the rest of the stars all on its own! :)
Original review:
I’m glad I read this sequel, although I can’t really see myself wanting to reread it. I loved All Quiet On the Western Front far more, but it was still eye opening to see the struggles of the soldiers returning home after their harrowing wartime experiences. I felt a little lost at times, struggling to keep up with a whole new cast of characters, and just not feeling as attached to them as I did in the first book of the series. Oh well.
If nothing else, the final chapter of this book was hauntingly beautiful & really resonated with me (especially the ending section, about the sap coming alive in the spring no matter if the tree was young or old, or even if it had long ago been crafted into furniture). I can’t say I would particularly recommend the entirety of the book, but wow does that final chapter stand on its own! It’s something I still think of weeks after finishing - the hope of finding a new purpose in life, despite all a person has been through and all the ways their past versions of themselves have died. I’m not sure how to explain it, but that ending just really hit home for some reason. Maybe because of the struggles my family and I have been through in the past year, and feeling like things will never be how they were, but hoping that our new normal will still hold vestiges of our past selves and the happy memories behind us. At any rate, I really felt that ending, and for that reason I am grateful for reading all the highs and lows of the rest of the book that led up to that beautifully crafted ending.
cem_pasha's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
badoit90's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars // The boys are coming home
This is the much lesser known follow-up to the all-time classic ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ / ‘Im Westen nichts Neues’ by Erich Maria Remarque, which I have recently reviewed here
This time, Remarque portraits a new band of German soldiers and focuses almost exclusively on the time post World War I, when these young boys return to their homes & families and have to try to be reintegrated into society.
Remarque, once again, is absolutely fantastic at pointing out the finer details of this process - the struggles these emotionally and physically wounded boys have to go through in order to overcome traumas and find their place within society.
As this book lacks a broader narrative or overarching story-arch though and has pretty much no scenes that play in-battle, it is by far not as gripping as its predecessor. Therefor it’s definitely a novel you read less for its action or plot-twists, but rather to get a better understanding of the deep scars that war leaves behind on the ones on the front-lines. A moving novel, still, but for a different reason than All Quiet on the Western Front.
This is the much lesser known follow-up to the all-time classic ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ / ‘Im Westen nichts Neues’ by Erich Maria Remarque, which I have recently reviewed here
This time, Remarque portraits a new band of German soldiers and focuses almost exclusively on the time post World War I, when these young boys return to their homes & families and have to try to be reintegrated into society.
Remarque, once again, is absolutely fantastic at pointing out the finer details of this process - the struggles these emotionally and physically wounded boys have to go through in order to overcome traumas and find their place within society.
As this book lacks a broader narrative or overarching story-arch though and has pretty much no scenes that play in-battle, it is by far not as gripping as its predecessor. Therefor it’s definitely a novel you read less for its action or plot-twists, but rather to get a better understanding of the deep scars that war leaves behind on the ones on the front-lines. A moving novel, still, but for a different reason than All Quiet on the Western Front.
paulabaum's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
luizasam's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
amellear's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0