The characters think they have seen all that can be seen of death and are immune from any feeling relating to it. They learn otherwise as the girlfriend has a terminal injury and there is another death close to them.
Remarque is a terrific writer. He captures so well the characters and the times in which they live. The characters - both main three-four and the supporting cast jump out of the pages at the reader. (He reminds me of a German Steinbeck in the way he able to portray characters.) As the three friends plod on fighting to live well and happily in a depressed economy and a depressing time, one finds himself rooting them on.
Somehow, Remarque makes the reader have complete empathy with characters - even though we are now eighty plus years away from when they lived. Only one of the best writers of the last century could accomplish such a feat.
I rate this above Night in Lisbon and as good, if not better, than All Quiet on the WEstern Front
In CliffsNotes on All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque takes you inside the gruesome realities of World War I through the eyes of Paul Baumer, a sensitive teenager and typical infantryman in the German army.
This study guide will help you begin to consider how Remarque’s views on war might relate to modern-day conflicts. You'll also gain insight into the life and cultural background of the author. Other features that help you study include <ul>
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Classic literature or modern modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.
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This war novel is actually an anti-war novel, tracing the lives and losses of a young group of soldiers caught in the brutality of World War I. Gripping, realistic, and searing with a vision inconsistent with post-war German character, this book caused Remarque to receive death threats and to leave Germany to live and work in Hollywood.
Customer Reviews:
Review of Cliffs Notes on All Quiet on the Western Front.......2004-06-23
I have to admit that I read the Cliff Notes after I read the book twice and saw all three movies. However, the notes are still helped with understanding points that were not previously stresses. Knowing more about the Author helps in see why he chose the perspective. Keep in mind that any conclusions drawn in the notes are those of Sudan Van Kirk. After reading this supplement you may want to re read the book. The notes include:
. Life and Background of the Author
. Genera; Plot summary
. Remarque's Introductory Note
. Critical Commentaries
. Remarque's Style
. Remarque as a Social Critic
. Character Analyses
. Questions for Review
"He fell in October 1918, on a day that was so quiet and still on the whole front, that the army report confined itself to the single sentence: All quiet on the western Front."
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6 CDs - 7 hours
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- An old favorite of mine.
- Good but not thrilling
- If there were such a mark as 6/5, I would gladly mark it.
- Another good one by Remarque
- Wartime Love Story
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Arch of Triumph
Erich Maria Remarque
Manufacturer: Simon Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1931313644 |
Book Description
The author of All Quiet on the Western Front writes about Russian emigrants life in decadent Paris before WW2.
Customer Reviews:
An old favorite of mine........2004-09-20
An old favorite of mine.
A friend asked me to recommend a Remarque novel. We discussed 'All Quiet...'. My reply follows: 'Sure, in fact one of my favorites of Remarque's books is a thinly veiled portrait of Marlene Dietrich; or rather the intertwining of her life with his in Paris at the eve the period up to war in Europe, the year before the WW2 broke out.---
The English title is 'Arch of Triumph'. Like with all Remarque's books, the title is full of irony, and undercurrents of double meanings. Naturally, the book is not officially about Marlene, but she is hard to miss. Rather the book is personal,and has a good amount of autobiographical flavor. Yet, it is a captivating and suspenseful novel.
Like the two protagonists in the novel, Remarque and Dietrich were themselves at a desparate point in their lives in 1939.
Side comment: I am afraid that a lot is lost in the translation of Remarque's books. He only wrote in German, even when he lived in the US.
In any case, Remarque is a master of a suspenseful openings, in his novels. This one does not disapoint! Lots of his books are about refugee life of sorts. Another of Remarque's novels I often return to is 'Night in Lisbon', and it is again about escape from a Europe at high noon, just as Europe is going up in flames before WW2.' Review by Palle Jorgensen, September 2004.
Good but not thrilling.......2002-09-19
I saw the movie with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer, and found it incredibly dull. I thought maybe the book would be better. I was right, it was better, but it didn't thrill me or really move me the way All Quiet on the Western Front did. I am not sure if this is partly due to the fact that I read it when I was a bit tired.
I don't really have a lot to say. It's not a book that I can enthusiastically applaud, but I won't say it was horrible. I would advise you to just read it for yourself and decide whether you like it or not! : )
If there were such a mark as 6/5, I would gladly mark it........2002-05-12
A piercing sorrow that momentary happiness drags on to an individual, an experience that would make everyday boredom look happy and idle, a passion that would never be quenched, someone's tears...
"I'd pretend that I'm a normal housewife... and that you are not in exile, you have a good passport and don't need to hide... and that I cry if you are not home, if only one night, and that we are always madly love in and jealous of each other even when we are old..."
It pounds your heart, and the charm that each individual shines like a precious gem, is never, never to be found by browsing through the superficial plot line. READ READ READ!!! The best book ever. (Perhaps surpassed only by Bronte sisters and Hesse.)
Another good one by Remarque.......2002-03-25
This is one of many Remarque's books, I have read. A friend of mine recommended him as a writer years ago, and I have been hooked. Oddly enough in High school in the US, only recently have I heard of his books as required reading and then only "All Quiet on the Western Front". I consider his work superior to Hemingway. To me his books are a genuine recreation of that time. (No, I don't really know, but he makes you feel like you are there).
DRINKING AND SMOKING ARE MAJOR SYMBOLS IN THIS AND IN MOST OF REMARQUE'S BOOK
One thing that struck me in this book and many others of Remarque's is how much drinking and smoking plays a part of the symbolism. They are props for the characters, in much as they were in real life at the time; drinking and the requisite cigarette to think with. To most American's, born in the last 50 years, this is the major anachronism in the book, the incredible role drinking and smoking play in people's lives. To people I know from Europe, this would not be as much of a surprise. The US non-smoking and drinking in moderation have not yet reached Europe yet. The drinking and smoking by any means, do not detract from the main story. This is a mature romance that captures your imagination none-the-less. I wonder what the props for this century will be; Maybe our cell phones and laptops?
MAIN CHARACTERS ARE ALL REFUGEES IN FRANCE
The main character is a refugee from Germany, a former well-known surgeon, forbidden to operate in France due to his questionable residency status. He moonlights by doing another surgeon's work. He is a haunted man, by both his past persecution in Germany and his unstable status in France. Hardly is this a good basis for a romantic situation that leads beyond living for the day.
RELATIONSHIP WAS NOT SO MUCH PURSUED BUT ONE OF OPPORTUNITY
He meets and helps the woman he is to fall in love with, under peculiar circumstances. He helps her with no intention to see her again. Time passes and he runs into her again. They fall into a peculiar relationship that uses "Calvados" an apple brandy as its symbol. For some reason this drink is frequently mentioned in books of the time. If it were now, I would say it was paid advertising.
ONE ODD TWIST
Only one twist and it is a major one in the story makes no sense to me, why it is included. I might be missing something, but the discovery and fate of the German officer, seems tacked on, added as an afterthought. If you read this story, let me know what you think. I don't see it is so much as part of the same thread, unless it is one of relationships concluded.
BASIC STORY
So as not to ruin the story, I will allude to the fact that the relationship develops and the hostilities of the times, intrude, both outside France and within. These events affect the relationship and the way it changes illustrates the characters of the people involved. The main character you follow with his observation of the things and people around him. You see his girl friend through his eyes and his Russian friend's eyes only. This is enough they are shrewd observers. It is apparent from this observation from day one that the events that eventually unfold were bound to happen.
As usual Remarque weaves a compelling and complete story.
Wartime Love Story.......2001-10-29
"Arch of Triumph" by Erich Maria Remarque is a wartime love story. This is the classic love story and anyone who reads it, will never forget it for the rest of her or his life. Snip: (...)
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All Quiet On The Western Front
Erich Maria Remarque
Manufacturer: Recorded Books, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: B000JLVOHS |
Average customer rating:
- Beautiful
- wasn't sure what to expect
- 1 book only!
- Short and sweet
- One of my favorites.
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The Night in Lisbon
Erich Maria Remarque
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0449912434
Release Date: 1998-06-09 |
Book Description
THE NIGHT IN LISBON
With the world slowly sliding into war, it is crucial that enemies of the Reich flee Europe at once. But so many routes are closed, and so much money is needed. Then one night in Lisbon, as a poor refugee gazes hungrily at the boat enroute to America, a man approaches him with two tickets and a story to tell.
It is a harrowing tale of bravery and butchery, daring and death, where the price of love is beyond measure, and the legacy of evil is infinite. And as the young man listens spellbound to the desperate teller, in a matter of hours, the two form a unique and unshakable bond--one that will last all their lives. . . .
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful .......2006-11-16
I couldn't stop reading! This book evokes a lot of emotions and is expertly written. It has adventure, intrique, suspense--even a nasty brother-in-law. I would defintely recommend it.
wasn't sure what to expect.......2006-04-10
I'm not sure what I was expecting from the author after reading "All Quiet...."
1 book only!.......2005-08-29
Being stranded on a deserted island with only 1 book? That would be the 1! It is a book about life: Love, death, grief and loss, great emotions! Isn't that what life is about?
Short and sweet.......2005-06-01
Great writing. Very nice story and a quick read. Yes, it is a love story but so is Gone With the Wind and this guy likes both! Yes, the story is told as a narrative and I highly doubt that anybody could actually tell a 200-page story while sitting in several bars, but suspend disbelief and enjoy the emotion of the story and characters.
One of my favorites........2003-02-06
We've all been in the situation of being in a restaurant or a bar and overhearing a conversation that has peaked our interest. We strain to hear the whole conversation, the story being woven, perhaps to live vicariously through the narrator or simply because being curious is human nature. Imagine being in that situation only in a different time: the very early stages of World War II, and a different place: Lisbon, Portugal. And, imagine that the person you are listening to is telling his story during this tumultuous time, from a perspective that is often forgotten, from that of a refugee.
This work of fiction is an intriguing tale of a man's struggle to re-enter Germany to find his wife after fleeing for his life about a year prior and then their flight to Portugal to obtain passage on a ship to the United States.
I only read this book after reading Remarque's "All Quite on the Western Front". I was quite disappointed with that work and was left wondering why it is considered to be such a great story. Wondering if Remarque was overrated or truly the great author that I failed to see, I went to the library and checked out what would become my favorite work of fiction. I have since read the book three times and enjoy it as much as the first read each time through it. There are, to me, three elements of "The Night in Lisbon" that make this a great work: the plot, the characters and the style.
When one imagines the plot of a story set in or around WWII, the first thing to come to mind is probably something along the lines of a heroic tale from the front lines or a valiant struggle for survival in the skies over Germany in a crippled bomber. While these tales often lead to great stories, a completely different spin on WWII makes "The Night In Lisbon" unique and intriguing. Remarque's plot revolves around a German refugee not trying to escape because of his religious affiliation but purely for his political beliefs. While it is never clearly explained why our hero is an enemy of the Reich, the reader is able to draw some conclusions from the dialog. It is this man's struggle to re-enter his homeland from which he was exiled to find his young wife and take her back to Portugal with him is what exists as the core of the plot. His journeys through Switzerland, Austria, France and Spain alone and with his wife pull the reader into the book, hoping he and his wife survive French prisons, encounters with German soldiers, border guards and a particularly deadly enemy that cannot be seen. This is truly an involving story that leaves the reader wishing for more once the book is finished.
As with plot, characters and their emotions provide substance to a story. With weak characters and unrelatable emotions, the plot can often become moot. Remarque masters both in "The Night In Lisbon" providing a protagonist (Schwarz) for whom we hope for the best and a tale of love that shows just how strong this emotion can be. The reader can understand how Schwarz feels and his motivation for his actions. Through Remarque's simple character portrayals, he is able to invoke sympathy from the reader towards Schwarz and his wife giving him motivation to see the story through.
Remarque's style in "The Night In Lisbon" is as important to the story as the plot or characters. Simple first-person narrative allows this story to seem more real. Switching between Schwarz's account of his journey and that night in Lisbon in which the story telling takes place makes the reader feel as if he is seated next to Schwarz in the dimly lit bar at 3:00am listening to his account. It is Remarque's mastery of this simplicity and realistic narration that makes this a truly relatable tale.
I cannot recommend this book enough but I fear I am overstating it, as I feel "All Quiet on the Western Front" has been. The only way to know is to find a copy of this book at your local bookstore or city library and read through it at your first available opportunity. I feel you won't be disappointed and I believe this simple tale of love in a complicated time will become an instant favorite. 5 stars out of 5.
Average customer rating:
- A Wonderful Classic
- Theme: Live life to the fullest and be happy.
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Heaven Has No Favorites
Erich Maria Remarque
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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- Shadows in Paradise
- Time To Love and A Time to Die
- Spark of Life
- The Night in Lisbon
- Arch of Triumph
ASIN: 0449912493
Release Date: 1998-06-09 |
Book Description
Lillian is charming, beautiful . . . and slowly dying of consumption. But she doesn't wish to end her days in a hospital in the Alps. She wants to see Paris again, then Venice--to live frivolously for as long as possible. She might die on the road, she might not, but before she goes, she wants a chance at life.
Clerfayt, a race-car driver, tempts fate every time he's on the road. A man with no illusions about chance, he is powerfully drawn to a woman who can look death in the eye and laugh. Together, he and Lillian make an unusual pair, living only for the moment, without regard for the future. It's a perfect arrangement--until one of them begins to fall in love. . . .
Customer Reviews:
A Wonderful Classic.......2000-02-23
Even if you are the type to read Remarque's works, this is the most touching and real book i have read. It gives deep insights into love and live in general. The perfect book any hopeless romantic. I will remember this and insights forever.
Theme: Live life to the fullest and be happy........1998-09-11
This book wasn't the best Remarque book that I've read. In short it is about a race car driver, Clerfayt, who falls in love with a terminal ill patient, named Lillian. She finds a new lease on life after leaving the sanatorium with Clerfayt. Clerfayt leads a risky life on the edge, where as Lillian has lead a quiet, "safe" life in an attempt to be cured. Realizing her time is growing short, she feels she is ready for a big change.
Their roles reverse as the course of the book plays out, each gaining insight to the fallacies of the other person's lifestyle. Remarque throws a lot of wit and wisdom in the conversations and thoughts, which to me didn't seem normal. However, Remarque's characters, in all of his books, tend to be deep and thoughtful.
Overall, though, it was enjoyable departure from his typical WW2 books. Worth reading, but he has other better ones.
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The Black Obelisk
Erich Maria Remarque
Manufacturer: Fawcett World Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000F1MK52 |
Authors:
- Rendell, Ruth
- Reverdy, Pierre
- Rexroth, Kenneth
- Reyes, Alfonso
- Ricci, Nino
- Rice, Anne
- Rich, Adrienne
- Richards, David Adams
- Richards, Maxwell
- Richardson, Bill
Authors
Authors
