Erich Maria Remarque, "All Quiet on the Western Front": reader reviews, author, plot and main idea of the book

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The novel "All Quiet on the Western Front" received mostly good reviews from readers and critics. This is one of the most famous works of the German prose writer Erich Maria Remarque. The book was first published in 1929. This is an anti-war work that gives the impressions of the soldier Paul Bäumer and his comrades about the First World War. In this article, we will provide reviews of the novel, its content.

Publication

About the book "All Quiet on the Western Front" Remarque immediately received positive reviews. However, publishing it was not so easy. First, he offered it to the authoritative publisher Fisher. He confirmed the high quality of the text, but refused to publish the novel, saying that in 1928 no one would want to read about the war. He later admitted that it was oneof the biggest mistakes of his career.

Then Remarque was published by Haus Ullstein. At the same time, the contract contained a separate clause, according to which the author undertook to reimburse the costs of printing as a journalist in case of failure.

For reinsurance, signal copies were even sent to different categories of readers, including veterans of the First World War. As a result, the writer even had to rework the text, removing especially critical statements about the war.

The final version went on sale on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the truce.

Author

For the author of the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, this was the fourth major work after Dream Shelter, Gam and Station on the Horizon. He was born in the province of Hannover in 1898.

In 1916 he was drafted into the army. Fought on the Western Front. Two months later he was wounded in his right arm, left leg and neck. He spent the rest of the war in hospitals.

In literature, Remarque made his debut in 1920 with the work "Shelter of Dreams". Glory came to him after the release of the novel All Quiet on the Western Front. His other famous books were "Three Comrades", "Arc de Triomphe" and "Black Obelisk".

Remarque has become one of the brightest representatives of the "lost generation" in German literature.

Main idea

Analyzing the book All Quiet on the Western Front, it is worth noting that thisan important anti-war work, necessary for understanding the state of society after the First World War.

The main thing that the author is trying to convey is the senselessness of war, during which no one should kill another by order from above. Awareness of the existence of enemies in the world determines the idea of progress and normal human aspirations. Such people begin to believe exclusively in war; there is no room for peaceful life in their fate.

Summary

All Quiet on the Western Front begins at the height of the First World War. The story is told from the perspective of Paul Bäumer, who talks about his fellow soldiers - peasants, schoolchildren, artisans and fishermen of all ages.

The company in which Bäumer serves loses about half of its personnel. Because of this, survivors receive double rations. Soldiers sleep off and play cards. Kropp, Müller and Paul head towards their classmate who has been injured.

The teacher convinced them to go to serve. The wounded Josef Bem did not want to fight, but he signed up as a volunteer anyway, so as not to cut off all the paths in life for himself. He is one of the first to die. Kantorek, who sent them a letter to the front, calls his students "iron guys". The author is indignant at how such teachers fool the youth.

Another classmate is found by friends in the hospital. Kemmerich's leg was amputated. His mother asked Paul to look after her son, considering him stillperfect child. But at the forefront, this is not easy. He dies in front of his friends. Depressed, they come back, Kropp goes into hysterics.

Replenishment

In the barracks, the heroes of the book "All Quiet on the Western Front" by Erich Remarque meet replenishment. One of the recruits admits that they were given only rutabaga all the way. He is treated to meat and beans.

Kropp offers his own version of the war. He claims that only generals should fight. After that, the victorious warlord will declare his country won. Due to the fact that others who did not start this war are fighting for them, it seems completely unnecessary to those around them.

The company goes to the front line. An experienced Kat teaches how to hide from explosions and recognize shots. At this time, Paul reflects on how a soldier behaves on the front line. Instinctively, they are all connected to the ground, which they dream of pressing themselves into when shells begin to fly over them. She appears to the soldier as an intercessor.

Soon the massive shelling begins. The pops of chemical shells are heard, and only airtight masks remain.

Those who escaped the shelling go for a break. The guys discuss how many of their classmates who went to the front survived. It turns out that seven have already died, eight injured, and one more went to the lunatic asylum. Everyone thinks about what they would be doing now if there was no war.

In the evening, officer Himmelstos arrives at the unit, who wastheir main torturer during the exercises. Everyone has a grudge against this former postman, but they don't know how to get revenge on him yet.

An offensive is being prepared again. By that time, cadaverous rats had already started up in the trenches, which could not be de alt with in any way. Because of the shelling, the detachment cannot deliver food. One of the recruits has a seizure, he tries to escape from the dugout. The Germans are attacked by the French, who push them back to the western line. The counterattack is successful. Everyone comes back with trophies - booze and canned food. At the same time, mutual shelling continues almost without interruption.

Big losses

The book "All Quiet on the Western Front", the content of this novel frankly amazes many. There are so many dead that they are put in a big funnel. In it they are already in three layers. Himmelstoss hides in a trench, Paul forces him to attack.

Out of a company of 150 people, only 32 remain alive. They withdraw deeper into the rear than usual. Nightmares of the advanced can only be smoothed out with irony. For example, they say about the deceased that he "squinted his ass." It's the only way not to go crazy.

Vacation

Paul is called to the office. He is sent on vacation, issued an appropriate certificate and travel documents. From the window of the train car, he looks with excitement at the familiar places that bring his home closer. The main character finds a sick mother at his parents. The father is proud of him, dreaming of showing him in uniform to his friends. But Paul is notwants to talk about the war with no one.

In quiet restaurants, he seeks solitude over a glass of beer. In extreme cases, he remains in his room, where everything is familiar to him to the smallest detail. One evening, the teacher invites him to a pub, where teachers from their school discuss in a patriotic tone how to defeat the French. Paul is treated to cigarettes and beer. At the same time, those present are making plans to seize Belgium, French provinces and regions of the Russian Empire.

Paul goes to the barracks, where they were recently trained for service at the front. There he meets with a classmate Mittelshted, who was sent to his hometown after the infirmary. From him he learns that Kantorek has fallen into the militia. Now regular soldiers drill their school mentor in the same way.

Paul meets with Kemmerich's mother, telling her about the last moments of her son's life. In order not to convey all the horrors that happened to him, he convinces her that he died from an instant wound in the heart.

Return to the barracks

From vacation, Paul again goes to the barracks. He is assigned to guard the camp with Russian prisoners of war. He does not understand who turns the most ordinary people into enemies and murderers.

In the book "All Quiet on the Western Front" quotes are absolutely amazing, in which the characters are amazed at how someone's orders from above turn people completely unfamiliar to them into friends and enemies.

Someone's order has turned these silent figures into our enemies; another order couldturn them into our friends. Some people whom none of us know sat down somewhere at a table and signed a document, and for several years now we see our highest goal in what the human race usually stigmatizes with contempt and for which it punishes with the most severe punishment..

The main character passes cigarettes to Russian soldiers through the fence.

Further service

In his unit he meets old friends. At first they are driven around the parade ground. A new uniform is issued on the occasion of the expected arrival of the Kaiser. The head of state makes almost no impression on the soldiers. Disputes flare up about who starts wars and why they exist. Blame the authorities for everything.

According to rumors, they will soon be sent to Russia to the front line. The detachment goes to reconnaissance. At night it comes under rocket fire. Paul is lost, not knowing which way their trenches are. All day long he hides in a funnel, remaining in mud and water. All this time he pretends to be dead. The protagonist does not remember where the gun went, in case of defense, he prepares a knife in order to engage in hand-to-hand combat if necessary. A French soldier accidentally wandered into his funnel. Paul attacks him with a knife.

When night falls, he returns to his trenches. The protagonist is shocked that for the first time in his life he killed a man who did nothing to him.

The end of the novel

Soldiers are ordered to go guard the food warehouse. Of their squad, 6 people survived. In the village, they find a secure concrete basement. Mattresses and a bed are brought there from abandoned houses.residents.

Kat and Paul go to the village to investigate. After passing under intense artillery fire, they discover two pigs at once in the basement. At this time, the village is on fire, the warehouse remains dilapidated. You can take anything from it. This is used by passing drivers and security guards.

A month later they are again sent to the front lines. The infantry column is fired upon. Paul and Albert find themselves in the monastery infirmary in Cologne. Around them they constantly see new dead and wounded. Albert's leg is cut off, and Paul, after recovering, is again sent to the front line. By this time, the Germans are already in a hopeless situation.

The Allies are advancing. Paul remains the last of his classmates who went to war. Around talk about a truce.

The protagonist is killed in October 1918, when it was relatively quiet at the front, and reports said that there were no changes on the Western Front.

Reviews

The work was warmly received by readers. They left numerous reviews of the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, in which they noted how easily and naturally it was written. After reading this book, one can clearly imagine the condition of a young soldier who ended up at the front. In reviews of the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, many separately emphasized that the book is required reading for everyone.

Most of the novel shook to the core. No wonder the reviews of the book "All Quiet on the Western Front" were so enthusiastic.and from critics. It is believed that it was for this novel that Remarque was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Many who have read this work advise their friends to get acquainted with the book "All Quiet on the Western Front" by Remarque. The reviews note that this novel is for smart and deep people who want to understand such a phenomenon as war. The 20th century turned out to be especially bloodthirsty, humanity should draw certain conclusions so that this will never happen again. After such reviews of All Quiet on the Western Front, you are convinced that you should definitely get acquainted with this book.