EPUB 3 (Adobe DRM), 263 pages
deutsch language
Published Jan. 23, 2014 by Kiepenheuer & Witsch eBook.
Zum hundertsten Jahrestag des Kriegsbeginns 1914: sämtliche Werke von Erich Maria Remarque zum Ersten Weltkrieg, durchgesehen und in neuer Ausstattung. Wie kein anderer Autor erzählt Remarque in diesem sensationellen Erfolgsroman von den Schrecken des Ersten Weltkriegs – ein Klassiker der Weltliteratur. »Dieses Buch sollte in Millionen Exemplaren verbreitet, übersetzt, in den Schulen gelesen, von allen den Krieg bekämpfenden Gruppen gekauft und verschenkt werden.« Ernst Toller
A re-read. Tremendous, of course. The translation (from German to British English) renders the prose a bit matter-of-fact, losing some of its emotional heft, but this book is still rightly poised amongst the top war novels of all time.
4 1/2 stars
Yeah, I liked this. I can see why this is a classic and why it has withstood the test of time. I'm sure it was controversial back in the day because it was kind of gritty and risque'. I'm not one for war stories so the fact that I read this and was engaged until the end is a testament to the authors ability to tell it "like it is" without sugar-coating or sentimentality which would render it corny. And we all know I have an adversion to corny.
So yeah, force yourself out of your comfort zone occasionally and read something you aren't exactly drawn towards. There is a lot of classic literature out there and it's almost always worthy of your reading time. Go for it.
