Reviews

Три товарища by Erich Maria Remarque

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misianyc's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

ihummarina's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

adelinawhy's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

3.5

juicete's review against another edition

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5.0

My 3rd Remarque book. And as always - Remarque gives you hope and then suddenly takes it all back leaving you with a broken heart and a mind full of thoughts. I love it.

deep_in_the_reads's review against another edition

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4.0

Goodreads makes Three Comrades sound like a political thriller, but it is instead a fantastic slice-of-life romance novel, in the mold of John Steinbeck. It offers existential observations on life, love, loss, and social class in a way that would have resonated in a war- and poverty-stricken Germany. Remarque shows how recent events have annihilated the sense of stability in both individuals and broader society. The titular comrades, like much of their country at that time, are aimless, shaken by war, and barely scraping by on their raw wit and resourcefulness. The first half of the book is largely a series of ‘episodes’ in the lives of Robert and his working class comrades, rather than a driven narrative. It’s not until the second half that conflict emerges, and until then you’re left to immerse yourself in the rough-and-tumble low-income German neighbourhood. The abrupt change of the second half is a nice way at showing how quickly complacency can be shattered.

Through the romance, Robert is elevated beyond his class status and starts acting like a dandy, posing as more financially stable than he is. I love the way Erich Remarque uses Robert’s facade to parallel Patricia’s character. He also deftly explores the fronts that people put on when faced with hard times, and the internal isolation that can cause. This is especially prevalent with Robert, whose war trauma is used to symbolically reflect his current life.

Despite the dark underpinnings of the novel, Remarque’s writing has a bright sense of humour. He depicts bohemian types—the swaggering huckster, the pretentious arteest, the hookers with hearts of gold--in ways that will make you laugh while also being totally sympathetic. I laughed out loud during a scene where Robert's trying to make a phone call while a group of women fawn over a baby in the background. Remarque is able to pivot between light-hearted, romantic, and depressing on a dime without causing whiplash.

Unfortunately, the book does show its age a bit. Though usually hovering on the edge between charming and cheesy, there are a few points where it crosses that line. There's also a short scene with some pretty racist undertones, which kind of undercuts Remarque’s core theme of camaraderie in the face of adversity. And though much of the thoughtful dialogue feels natural for the characters, there are points where their diatribes just make them seem like mouth-pieces for the author.

What few detractors there are fall by the wayside during the ending, which was absolutely transcendent--one of the most powerful closes for a novel I’ve read in a long time. It’s subdued, but it left me stunned, and gave me a lot to reflect on. Though many of the plot threads are left unresolved, that’s part of the point—life is presented here as a series of encounters that build towards a thematic whole and shape those that experience it. Though at times melodramatic, and occasionally saccharine, Three Comrades is the best romance novel I've ever read. In the wake of COVID, reading a book focusing on the frailty of normalcy made it seem sharply topical. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thematically-driven slice-of-life novels, and isn't afraid of romance.