Erich Maria Remarque, "Night in Lisbon": reader reviews, summary, writing history

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

Reviews of "Night in Lisbon" will interest all fans of the classic of German literature Erich Maria Remarque. This is his penultimate novel in his creative career, which was first published in 1961. In this article, we will retell the plot of this work, dwell on the history of its writing and the feedback from readers.

History of Creation

Judging by the reviews of "Nights in Lisbon", this was one of Remarque's last significant works. The writer graduated in 1961, starting to publish parts in a magazine version.

A separate edition of "Night in Lisbon" by Erich Maria Remarque was first published in 1962. The novel was published by the publishing house "Kiepenheuer and Witch", located in Cologne. In connection with the publication of his book, the author specially came to Germany, even though by that time he himself was permanently living in Switzerland. In an interview with reporters, he clearly indicated his extremely negative attitude towards the construction of the Berlinwalls.

Reviews for "A Night in Lisbon" have been overwhelmingly positive. The audience favorably accepted the new creation of the author. It is worth noting that "Night in Lisbon" by Erich Maria Remarque is partly an autobiographical work. The protagonist of this novel, like the author himself, turns out to be a political emigrant.

Summary

Erich Maria Remarque in "A Night in Lisbon" begins the story with the fact that the narrator wanders around the city at night in the hope of finding tickets for his wife and himself on the ship, which is due to sail to the USA tomorrow. Both of them are emigrants from Germany who are hiding from the Nazis. When he almost despairs, he meets some German who offers him to give tickets for the same ship. He sets a very unusual price for this: to listen to his story, which he will tell until the morning.

Throughout the night they move from bar to bar. The stranger declares that his name is Joseph Schwartz. He admits that this is his fictional identity, but although the surname is not his, the name coincided with the real one. To everyone around him, he introduces himself as the name of the murdered Austrian, whose passport he picked up at his request.

History of Schwartz

"Night in Lisbon" by Erich Remarque is essentially the confession of a stranger who introduces himself as Schwartz. He was forced to leave Germany shortly after the fascist regime was established there. He opposed Hitler and the Nazis. He was betrayed by their devoted supporter Georg, who wasbrother of his wife named Elena.

Some time Joseph spent in a concentration camp, from where he successfully managed to escape. For five years, he did not contact his wife, fearing to harm her with this meeting. However, the thirst to meet his beloved again pushed him to a rash act. He illegally crosses the border and comes to his hometown called Osnabrück. When he enters it, he realizes that the city is mired in fascist propaganda.

Moreover, most Germans are completely unaware of what is really happening. A strict ban has been imposed on foreign media. All information they receive thanks only to propaganda materials distributed by the Nazi Party.

In Osnabrück, Schwartz is afraid to call his wife right away. Instead, he first contacts his friend, who works as a doctor. He briefly brings him up to date. According to him, everything around is bad, although outwardly everyone pretends that things are brilliant.

Meeting of spouses

It's 1938 outside. Germany concludes the Munich Pact, which gives some hope that everything will end well. However, Hitler almost immediately breaks this promise. Instead of occupying only the Sudetes, he occupies the territory of the whole of Czechoslovakia. For many, it becomes obvious that Poland will be the next victim. There is a sense of impending war in the air.

The doctor arranges a meeting for the spouses. Elena immediately begins to reproach Schwartz for beingdared to leave without her, leaving one with hated relatives. They spend day and night together in their apartment. George appears in the evening. Joseph, grabbing a clerical knife, hides in the closet. As soon as Elena's brother leaves, the woman takes her husband to the hotel to avoid similar situations in the future. She decides to run away with Schwartz, and lies to Georg, as if she is going to Zurich for a medical consultation so that her relatives will not miss her immediately.

On the way back, Joseph again tries to illegally cross the border, but this time he is caught. He is saved only by a letter that Elena allegedly wrote on behalf of George. It helps the man convince the border guards that he is a member of staff on a special assignment. He is released and takes the train to Zurich.

Emigration

For some time the couple stay in Switzerland, and from there they leave for France. They are looking for Elena, soon Georg comes to her, who becomes furious when he meets Schwartz. However, on the territory of a foreign country, he is powerless. Until the Nazis get there, Georg can't do anything.

Schwartz admits to the narrator that he and his wife remained people in the full sense of the word until September 1939. As soon as World War II begins, they are arrested and sent to an internment camp. Elena was mentally prepared for this, as Joseph warned that German migrants had to drag out a miserable existence. They are interrupted by odd jobs, constantly find themselves in camps. However, now he understands that it was not a bad time, since the mosta bad French camp was many times better than a concentration one.

The protagonist of the novel "Night in Lisbon" by Erich Maria Remarque manages to escape. He goes to the women's camp where Elena is being held. He sneaks into his territory, disguised as a fitter, but he cannot find out anything about his wife. Only in the evening he manages to notice her at the fence. The woman crawls under the wire, they spend the night together in the forest. Since then, every morning she came back, claiming that she now loved him more than ever.

This continues until the Gestapo appears in the camp. Georg finds his sister, but she manages to escape with her husband. By that time, her he alth was already severely undermined, she was seriously ill.

Wandering

The couple settle in an abandoned house that looks like a castle. They go to occupied Bordeaux, but they understand that it is impossible to get out at the moment. While they went on reconnaissance, they left their things to the owner of the tavern. When they return, he refuses to return them. In front of a non-commissioned officer who suddenly appears, Elena plays a Nazi loyal to the Fuhrer. This is the only way they manage to get their belongings back.

Returning to their castle, they find that it is already occupied by German officers. Therefore, you have to go to a boarding house. Elena's he alth is rapidly deteriorating. She feels the illness, it begins to seem to her that her husband will be disgusted with her if he finds out about her fatal illness. Therefore, every day she returns to the boarding house later and later.

The massacre of Georg

All this time, Schwartz was obsessed with the idea of getting an American visa. But it turned out to be too difficult. Somehow he still manages to find an American who vouches for them at the consulate. Joseph is promised to resolve the issue in a week. As he leaves the consulate, he is arrested by the Gestapo.

He is interrogated by a young officer who scares him with sadistic and sophisticated torture. At this moment, Georg appears, who himself begins to torture Schwartz in order to find out where Elena is. A young officer helps him, but only in order to enjoy the process itself.

Finally, Joseph gives in and agrees to point out where Georg's sister is hiding. They go to the place together by car. On the way, Schwartz takes out a blade sewn into his pants, with which he cuts Georg's throat. He hides the body in the bushes, takes his passport and leaves by car. He asks an acquaintance to forge a photo so that he can impersonate George using his documents. So the emigrant becomes Obersturmbannführer.

On the run

Schwartz tells Elena about everything. Now their goal is a Spanish visa. Joseph pays attention to how the attitude towards him changes. The gendarme, seeing a Nazi car on the street, salutes and opens the door for Schwartz. The main character bitterly thinks that in reality you need to turn into a killer in order to be respected.

Near the consulate, Schwartz and his wife pick up a boy who escaped from a concentration camp and now dreams of getting to Lisbon, where his uncle lives. Joseph reflects that, having taken awayone life, now one must be saved.

Emigrants all together without much incident cross the border between Spain and Portugal, where the Nazis have not yet reached.

In Lisbon

In the Portuguese capital, a husband and wife become regulars at the casino. And Elena always wins. One night, she tells Schwartz that they are never really destined to reach America together, which they have dreamed of for so long.

But Joseph is already getting visas and buying tickets for the boat. Sailing soon. One day he goes out to the store, returning to find her dead. Elena drank the poison from an ampoule given to her by Schwartz himself in case they were ever caught. She didn't leave a note. According to the narrator, she only committed suicide because she could no longer endure the pain. In addition, she knew that Joseph was no longer in danger.

Decoupling

Schwartz, instead of going to America, now decides to join the foreign legion. He remembers that young Nazi officer who tortured him in France, deciding that as long as such people remain, it is criminal to deprive oneself of life, but one must strive to do everything so that there are as few of them as possible.

At the end, the narrator gives Schwartz the money in exchange for tickets and passports. Now he himself can go with his wife to America. But this does not bring him happiness. In the US they get divorced, and after the war he returns to Europe.

Readers' Impressions

In reviews of "Nights in Lisbon" manyreaders admitted that the book fascinated them, devastated and discouraged them at the same time. This is a real confession, in which, as we can assume, there is a lot of personal from the author himself.

In reviews of "Nights in Lisbon" by Erich Maria Remarque, most readers rate this work as a very emotional, sincere and deep book. The reader finds himself in the role of unwittingly eavesdropping on a conversation between two strangers who openly state how their fate has developed.

Most of the reviews of "Nights in Lisbon" Remarque definitely advises reading the novel. Without it, it will be impossible to fully understand this author. After reading the book, you will be able to leave your review of "Nights in Lisbon".