A young German soldier describes the reality of the trenches in World War I
What it is about
Paul Bäumer and his classmates volunteer for the German army, encouraged by a teacher full of patriotic speeches. At the front they learn that war is about mud, hunger and fear, not glory. Paul narrates what it does to him and to his friends.
Who will enjoy it
Readers who want a classic war novel with a personal voice.
What you will get
A short, powerful book that stays with you. It shows the gap between the war that was promised and the one that was fought.
Behind the book
It was published in German in 1929, and the Nazis later burned and banned the book.
Source: Wikipedia
All Quiet on the Western Front Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Classics · War · Friendship · Loss
Length
296 pages · ≈ 8 h
More about this book
Characters
Paul Bäumer and his fellow soldiers.
Setting
The Western Front during the First World War.
What makes it different
The war is told from the ordinary soldier’s side, with no grand speeches.
Feel
Bleak, honest and humane.
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