![]() Book name: All Quiet on the Western Front Author: Erich Maria Remarque Genre: Novel/ War Story Goodreads: Link Storygraph: Link Young men of iron. Young? None of us is more than twenty. But young? Young men? That was a long time ago. We are old now. The famous title of this short Novel which comes from the 1930s film of the same name depicts the experiences of young soldiers on the German side during World War I. I Really like how they illustrate the experiences of the soldiers that have to go through the war through the Mundaneness of War which involves alot of waiting around and boredom which is punctured by sudden and unexpected bursts of horrific violence. This lends an air of authenticity to the novel which is directly drawing from the experiences of the author who was in a similar position and is quick unlike the typical plotline of a alot of popular war films which typically touches on a band of misfit soldiers accomplishing something daring or heroic. On the pointlessness of War ‘I think it’s more a kind of fever,’ says Albert. ‘Nobody really wants it, but all of a sudden, there it is. We didn’t want the war, they say the same thing on the other side – and in spite of that, half the world is at it hammer and tongs.’ The level of self awareness of the novel about the pointlessness of war which was written just over 10 years after the ending of World War I is really amazing and alot of its themes and key message continue to resonate today. From what I understand of World War I, it was a war of transition from more classical style of warfare which was dictated by this idea of 'Hand to Hand Combat ' and Cavalry charges all under this idea of 'gentlemanly conduct and rules of war' to something more colder and brutal which saw widespread use of poison gas, tanks and aeroplanes which has come to define modern warfare. The author really highlights and critiques the pointlessness and the resentment the soldiers who are on the front line felt towards things like practicing parade drills which served no purpose. The protagonist naively even suggests that the leaders who instigate the wars should just duke it out in a boxing match to determine the winner! While this seems naive it is also a critique of class based disconnect that was strongly visible during WWI where the officer class and command structure had a very different view of what warfare entailed compared to the harsh realities experienced by the soldiers in the trenches. For anyone interested in a film that explores these class relationships would recommend the French Film the 'The Grand Illusion' by Jean Renoir On survival We are free of care no longer – we are terrifyingly indifferent. We might be present in that world, but would we be alive in it? It is this naivetés of the protagonist who views the world in a very uncomplicated matter that makes the whole novel really endearing and relatable. It is also made clear that this seems to be the coping mechanism of alot of soldiers to maintain their sanity and survive where given the uncertainty they face, it is just too painful to even think about happier times or what they can do in the future. This is particularly the experience of the protagonist and his group who was caught up in the war while they were in their late teens and no nothing else than war. In essence the soldiers are not even given a chance to come to terms with their feelings and do not no how to process anything outside of their experiences in the war. This is highlighted really well where the portagonist goes home on leave but is unable to find joy in the mundane such as reading books that used to elicit so much joy as a youth . Finding beauty in the horror Never has life in its simplest outline seemed so desirable to us as it does now; the poppies in the fields near our base camp, the shiny beetles on the blades of grass, the warm evenings in the cool, half-dark rooms, black, mysterious trees at twilight, the stars and the streams, dreams and the long sleep. Oh life, life, life! While given the subject matter the novel is a grim, the author manages to incorporate moments of beauty and lightheartedness such as when the Soliders come across birds making nests and butterflies flittering around the Trenches or when they debate about the usefulness of their learnings in French Grammar in school when they are in France . At the same time the novel also brutally highlights the fickleness and uncertainties of war where a brief respite or even something approaching happiness is punctured by sudden and unexpected moments of violence. Overall would highly recommend this novel where alot of its themes and its message are as fresh and as urgent as ever.
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AuthorAvid reader of Historical fiction, High fantasy novels, Comics & Graphic Novels. Passionate about teaching & the future of education in general. Categories
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December 2023
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