All Quiet on the Western Front by
Erich Remarque emphasizes that war is not all about nationalism and patriotism. In the novel Paul Baumer, a young German soldier, narrates all the events taking place in Germany's western front during World War I. He and his friends have all volunteered to join the army after hearing all the "wonderful" stories their schoolteachers have told them. Although, their enthusiasm and excitement for fighting is cut short after seeing fellow soldiers dying left and right. Anxiety, rage, hunger, and paranoia are just a few of the many things creeping in to each soldier. After Paul's close friend, Kemmerich, dies he recognizes that in order to survive one must separate himself from his feelings; be numb. Throughout the novel, Paul talks about trying to continue fighting the enemy until the end comes. But when he kills a French soldier, a question pops in his mind, "Who is the real enemy?" The only thing that is even more daunting than the "enemy" on the opposite side of the front is the silence of the night.
All Quiet on the Western Front is probaby one of my favorite novels. Erich Remarque did a brilliant job with highlighting the key events that occurred. I absolutely love his use of symbolism with the boots and butterflies. It is a novel where a reader has to read between the lines to really understand what is happening. I would recommend it to anyone. Simply an astonishing story of a young soldier's journey in war.
-Reviewed by Rocen, grade 11.
Comments
This book was very interesting and I loved reading it. From this book, I learned many new things about World War I that I did not know. I also liked reading about Paul's close relationship with his friends, and how they stuck with each other through everything. Although it is a fictional novel most of the events that took place could have happened to the people that were actually in the war. I enjoyed reading every second of it and loved the way it ended. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about World War I.
Reviewed by HS, grade 10
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