The novel "On the Western Front Without Change" 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 in which the impressions of soldier Paul Boymer and his comrades about the First World War are given. In this article we will give reviews about the novel, its content.
Publication
About the book "On the Western Front without Change," Remarque immediately received positive feedback. At the same time, publishing it was not so simple. At first he offered it to the authoritative publisher Fisher. He confirmed the high quality of the text, but refused to print the novel, saying that in 1928 no one would want to read about the war. He later admitted that this was one of 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 was obliged to reimburse printing expenses as a journalist in case of failure.
For reinsurance, signal copies were even sent to different categories of readers, including World War I veterans. 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 “On the Western Front, Without Change”, this was the fourth major work after “Dream Shelter”, “Gama” and “Station on the Horizon". He was born in the province of Hanover in 1898.
In 1916, he was drafted into the army. He fought on the Western Front. Two months later, he was injured in his right arm, left leg and neck. The rest of the war spent in hospitals.
In literature, Remarque made his debut in 1920 with the work "Dream Shelter." Glory came to him after the release of the novel "On the Western Front without Change." His other famous books were The Three Comrades, The Arc de Triomphe, and The Black Obelisk.
Remarque has become one of the most prominent representatives of the "lost generation" in German literature.
main idea
Analyzing the book “On the Western Front Without Changes”, it is worth noting that this is an important anti-war work, necessary to understand the state of society after the First World War.
The main thing that the author is trying to convey is the senselessness of the war, during which no one should kill another by order from above. Awareness of the existence of enemies in the world determines the concept of progress and normal human aspirations. Such people begin to believe solely in war, in their fate there is no place for a peaceful life.
Summary
The book "On the Western Front without Change" begins at the height of the First World War. The narration is on behalf of Paul Boymer, who talks about his fellow soldiers - peasants, schoolchildren, artisans and fishermen of all ages.
The company in which Boymer serves lost about half of its personnel. Because of this, survivors receive a double ration. Soldiers fall asleep and play cards. Cropp, Muller, and Paul head to their classmate who was injured.
The teacher convinced them to go to serve. The wounded Joseph Boehm did not want to fight, but still signed up as a volunteer, 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 youth.
Friends find their other classmate in the hospital. Kemmerich amputated leg. His mother asked Paul to look after his son, considering him still a perfect child. But at the forefront, this is not easy. In front of friends, he is dying. Suppressed they come back, with Cropp hysteria happens.
Replenishment
In the barracks, the heroes of the book “On the Western Front Without Changes” by Erich Remarque are met with replenishment. One of the recruits admits that they were given only rutabaga all the way. They treat him to meat with beans.
Kropp offers his own version of the war. He argues that only generals should fight. After that, the victorious warlord will declare his country victorious. Due to the fact that others are fighting for them, who did not start this war, it seems completely unnecessary to those around it.
The company is sent to the front line. An experienced Kat teaches how to hide from tears and recognize shots. At this time, Paul reflects on how the soldier behaves on the front line. Instinctively, they are all connected to the earth, which they dream of pressing into when shells begin to fly over them. She appears to the soldier as an intercessor.
Soon begins a massive shelling. Claps of chemical shells are heard; the only hope is for airtight masks.
Those who survived the shelling set off for respite. The guys discuss how many of their classmates who went to the front survived. It turns out that seven were already dead, eight were injured, another went to a madhouse. Everyone thinks about what he would do now if the war were not going on.
In the evening, an officer Himmelstos arrives at the unit, who was their main torturer during the exercises. Everyone has a grudge against this former postman, but they still don’t know how to take revenge on him.
The offensive is preparing again. By that time, cadaverous rats had already wound up in the trenches, which they could not cope with. Due to shelling, the unit cannot deliver food. One of the recruits begins a seizure, he is trying to break out of the dugout. The Germans are attacked by the French, who are pushing them to the western frontier. The counterattack is successful. Everyone returns with trophies - booze and canned goods. At the same time, mutual shelling continues almost without interruption.
Big losses
The book "On the Western Front Without Change," the content of this novel is openly amazing to many. There are so many killed that they are stacked in a large funnel. In it they are already in three layers. Himmelshtos hides in a trench, Paul makes him attack.
Of the company of 150 people, only 32 survive. They move deeper into the rear than usual. Frontier nightmares can only be ironed out. For example, they say about the deceased that he "screwed up his ass." This is the only way not to go crazy.
Vacation
Paul is called to the office. He is sent on vacation, issued the appropriate certificate and travel documents. From the window of the train car, he looks excitedly at familiar places that bring his home closer. In parents, the main character finds a sick mother. The father is proud of him, dreaming of showing him in uniform to his friends. But Paul does not want to talk to anyone about the war.
In quiet restaurants, he seeks solitude for a beer. As a last resort, he remains in his room, where he knows everything to the smallest detail. One evening, the teacher calls him to the pub, where the teachers from their school in a patriotic tone discuss how to defeat the French. Paul is treated to cigarettes and beer. At the same time, those present are making plans to seize Belgium, the 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 got into the militia. Now the cadre military train 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, she convinces her that he died from an instant wound in his 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 killers.
In the book “On the Western Front Without Changes,” the quotes are absolutely amazing, in which the heroes are amazed how someone’s orders from above turn completely unfamiliar people into friends and enemies.
Someone's order turned these silent figures into our enemies; another order could turn them into our friends. Some people whom none of us know sat down somewhere at the table and signed a document, and for several years we have seen our highest goal in that the human race usually stigmatizes and for which it punishes with the heaviest punishment .
The protagonist passes cigarettes to the Russian soldiers through the fence net.
Further service
In his part, he meets old friends. They are first driven on the parade ground. A new form is issued on the occasion of the expected arrival of the Kaiser. The head of state makes almost no impression on the soldiers. Disputes erupt over who starts the war and for what they exist. The authorities blame everything.
According to rumors, they should soon be sent to Russia to the forefront. The detachment goes into reconnaissance. At night falls under rocket fire. Paul is lost, not knowing which side of their trenches. All day he hides in a funnel, remaining in mud and water. All this time he pretends to be dead. The main character does not remember where the gun went, he prepares a knife in case of defense in order to enter hand-to-hand combat. An accidentally wandered French soldier falls into his funnel. Paul with a knife attacks him.
When night falls, he returns to his trenches. The main character is shocked that for the first time in his life he killed a man who did nothing to him.
The finale of the novel
The soldiers are ordered to go to guard the food warehouse. Of their department, 6 people survived. In the village they find a reliable concrete basement. Mattresses and a bed are dragged there from the houses left by residents.
Kat and Paul go to the village in intelligence. Passing under intense shelling, they find two piglets at once in the basement. At this time, the village is on fire, the warehouse remains dilapidated. From it you can take everything that is horrible. Drivers and guards passing by take advantage of this.
A month later they are again sent to the front line. A column of infantry shelling. Paul and Albert find themselves in the monastery hospital in Cologne. Around them, they constantly see new dead and wounded. Alberta's leg is cut off, and Paul, after recovering, is sent back to the front line. By this time, the Germans are already in a hopeless situation.
Allies are advancing. Paul remains the last of his classmates to go to war. Around talking about a truce.
The main character was killed in October 1918, when the front was relatively quiet, and in the reports it was reported that the Western Front was unchanged.
Reviews
The work was warmly received by readers. They left numerous reviews of the novel "On the Western Front without Change," in which they noted how easily and naturally it was written. After reading this book, you can clearly imagine the state of a young soldier who is at the front. In reviews of the novel "On the Western Front, Without Changes," many separately emphasized that the book is mandatory for everyone to read.
Most of the romance shook to the core. It was not for nothing that the reviews about the book “On the Western Front Without Changes” and from critics were so enthusiastic. It is believed that it was for this novel that Remarque was nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature.
Many who read this work advise their friends to get acquainted with Remarque's book On the Western Front Without Change. The reviews say that this novel is for smart and deep people who want to understand the phenomenon of war. The 20th century turned out to be especially bloodthirsty, humanity should draw certain conclusions so that this never happens again. After such reviews of “On the Western Front Without Changes” you are convinced that you must get acquainted with this book.