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Remarque, Erich Maria, 1898-1970.
Birth name: Erich Paul Remark.
German author born in Osnabrück who fought and was wounded in World War I; later he lived in Switzerland,
France, and the United States, of which he became a naturalized citizen before returning to Switzerland for
the remainder of his life. Remarque's most famous writings are fictional recreations of his war and postwar
experiences.
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All Quiet on the Western Front. 1929.
English translation by Arthur Wesley Wheet of Remarque's novel Im Westen nichts Neues (more literally
"Nothing New in the West"), originally published in German as a newspaper serial in 1928, and as a book in
the same year as the translation. A new English translation by Brian O. Murdoch in 1993 retained the Wheet title.
The novel follows the fortunes of German soldier Paul Bäumer and his comrades through World War I, from recruitment
until nearly the end, illustrating how the conflict destroyed their generation, whether physically or psychologically.
The plot focuses on the monotony and futility of trench warfare and the increasing alienation of the friends from
civilian life, graphically illustrated by a sequence in which Paul returns home on leave. The group is progressively
decimated by death, with Paul himself falling at the close of the book. Followed by a sequel, Der Weg zurück
(translated as The Road Back). Both books were later banned by the Nazis. Adapted to film in 1930.
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Posted
Jan. 20, 2012,
and last updated
Mar. 27, 2013.
Please report any errors to the compiler.
Published by Fleabonnet Press.
The source list data is public domain.
Additional material © 1999-2013 by Brian Kunde.
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