This harrowing book tells the story of a young German soldier's, Paul Baumer, account of the WWI trenches from the other side. He recounts the pressure which led his whole class to join up to the army and the outlook and hopelessness about the world that slowly steals upon him.

I read this for a topic to do with 'War In Literature'. This is not a dry, distant account, but a first person narrative which really races you along.

The graveyard battle was horrible, and the simple style masked the deep sadness behind it and it really hit home at some points.

You wouldn't read this book for its poetic qualities because there are a lot of cliched similes and jumbled, ponderous interludes, but to a certain extent this makes it feel like a diary and you begin to connect with the person and their troubles rather than the incidentals around them.

Apparently served on the front-line himself so may or may not have drawn on some of his experiences.

If you want a suprisingly modern and furious account of World War One. It's a classic!

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Created Dec 17, 2004 at 9:30am • Submit your own review...