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A review by asolorio02
Three Comrades by Erich Maria Remarque
5.0
You know exactly how the story is going to end, but because Erich Maria Remarque is such a superb writer it still hits you in the gut. After finishing the last sentence all I could say was, "Damn. Daaamn. Daaaaamn."
What kept me from giving this book a 5-star was it's length. It gets a bit long and at certain points it kinda dragged for me, but aside from that, this is a solid piece of literature that has elevated Erich Maria Remarque into my personal pantheon of great writers, alongside the likes of John Steinbeck, George Orwell, Hermanne Hesse and Terry Pratchett.
This is a story of friendship & love that takes place in the bleak world of interwar Germany. The protagonist is a disillusioned war veteran who, alongside two of his best mates, runs a repair shop and does his best to get by in a fractured world that is slowly crumbling to pieces.
The characters are rich and varied and represent the true conditions of a community in decay. There are prostitutes, forced to turn tricks to make a living, yet still living in the hopes of a better tomorrow. There are bouncers and auto-shop vultures that provide opportunities for fist-fights and all out street brawls. There are the rich, who flaunt their money and good fortune in a way that is insulting and out of touch with the struggles of their compatriots. But most importantly there are the friends and lovers that give the story its spark and deeper meaning. The shittiest times are when we come to rely the most on our friends, and maybe one can say that the difficult times are also when we see the true depth of our love.
She pushed the vase with the flowers carefully back against the wall. I saw her slender, arched neck, the straight shoulders and the arms, a shade too thin. As she knelt she looked like a child, a child one must take care of. But her movements were those of a graceful animal, and then when she stood up and leaned against me, she was no longer a child, her eyes and her lips again had the inquiring expectancy and mystery that so intoxicated me and of which I had believed there was none left in this muddy world.
Remarque, Erich Maria. Three Comrades (p. 154). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
What kept me from giving this book a 5-star was it's length. It gets a bit long and at certain points it kinda dragged for me, but aside from that, this is a solid piece of literature that has elevated Erich Maria Remarque into my personal pantheon of great writers, alongside the likes of John Steinbeck, George Orwell, Hermanne Hesse and Terry Pratchett.
This is a story of friendship & love that takes place in the bleak world of interwar Germany. The protagonist is a disillusioned war veteran who, alongside two of his best mates, runs a repair shop and does his best to get by in a fractured world that is slowly crumbling to pieces.
The characters are rich and varied and represent the true conditions of a community in decay. There are prostitutes, forced to turn tricks to make a living, yet still living in the hopes of a better tomorrow. There are bouncers and auto-shop vultures that provide opportunities for fist-fights and all out street brawls. There are the rich, who flaunt their money and good fortune in a way that is insulting and out of touch with the struggles of their compatriots. But most importantly there are the friends and lovers that give the story its spark and deeper meaning. The shittiest times are when we come to rely the most on our friends, and maybe one can say that the difficult times are also when we see the true depth of our love.
She pushed the vase with the flowers carefully back against the wall. I saw her slender, arched neck, the straight shoulders and the arms, a shade too thin. As she knelt she looked like a child, a child one must take care of. But her movements were those of a graceful animal, and then when she stood up and leaned against me, she was no longer a child, her eyes and her lips again had the inquiring expectancy and mystery that so intoxicated me and of which I had believed there was none left in this muddy world.
Remarque, Erich Maria. Three Comrades (p. 154). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.