From the Bookshelf of Classics and the Western Canon…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
No group discussions for this book yet.
What Members Thought
This is a classic anti-war novel, originally written in German by a WWI veteran. The Nazis hated the book so much that they beheaded the author's sister. They couldn't get their hands on the author (who had left the country) so they took it out on her.
I've often thought that the life of the average soldier in WWI was probably worse than for any other war in history, and this book describes vividly the horrible suffering. It's difficult to comprehend the misery endured.
I was surprised how much ti ...more
I've often thought that the life of the average soldier in WWI was probably worse than for any other war in history, and this book describes vividly the horrible suffering. It's difficult to comprehend the misery endured.
I was surprised how much ti ...more
Jun 20, 2015
Michele
added it
It's hard to rate a book like this when the stars translate into levels of "like." I did not "like" this book at all (I read it unwillingly, as a school assignment, in seventh or eighth grade). In fact I hated it. But I hated it because it was so damn well written and brought the horrors or warfare brilliantly to life. I'd give it zero stars for "like" but probably four or five for quality and power.
...more
I don't really know what to say about this book that hasn't already been said a million times. I read it in a matter of hours, I couldn't put it down.
It's "just" a story of survival and necessity, the horrible chance and pointlessness of the trench warfare and how the common soldier deals with it.
It's definitely going on my "favourite books" shelf, and I plan on rereading it soon.
Update September 2012: Last night I finished reading this book to Peter. I had long told him it was one of my favorit ...more
It's "just" a story of survival and necessity, the horrible chance and pointlessness of the trench warfare and how the common soldier deals with it.
It's definitely going on my "favourite books" shelf, and I plan on rereading it soon.
Update September 2012: Last night I finished reading this book to Peter. I had long told him it was one of my favorit ...more
This is one of those books that like all the guys read in high school, but none of the girls did. Which makes sense because the first few pages are about stuffing your face with food and the next few pages are about taking a dump...
But, turns out it's an amazing work. After reading this it is unbelievable, and also deeply depressing, to me that the culture that produced such a profoundly heartbreaking, vivid, and moving account of war could become the aggressor in Europe's next conflict.
"This b ...more
But, turns out it's an amazing work. After reading this it is unbelievable, and also deeply depressing, to me that the culture that produced such a profoundly heartbreaking, vivid, and moving account of war could become the aggressor in Europe's next conflict.
"This b ...more
A bit boring at the beginning, but I liked it better the more I read it. The last paragraph "makes" the book. I do not agree that it is the greatest war novel of all time. I prefer "Johnny Got His Gun."
...more
Feb 04, 2010
Cicek
marked it as to-read
Apr 25, 2010
Oana
added it
Feb 26, 2015
Scott Flicker
marked it as to-read
Apr 28, 2016
Inder
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
history,
1001-books,
audiobooks,
20th-century,
fiction,
france,
war,
germany,
europe,
read-2016
Jul 11, 2016
Kathy Jo
marked it as to-read
Jul 21, 2016
Masha
marked it as to-read
Feb 13, 2017
Kristyn
marked it as to-read
