All Quiet on the Western Front. All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Remarque

"All Quiet on the Western Front"(German Im Westen nichts Neues) - the famous novel by Erich Maria Remarque, published in 1929. In the preface, the author says: “This book is neither an accusation nor a confession. This is just an attempt to tell about the generation that was destroyed by the war, about those who became its victims, even if they escaped the shells.

The anti-war novel recounts all the experiences seen at the front by the young soldier Paul Bäumer as well as his front-line comrades in the First World War. Like Ernest Hemingway, Remarque used the term "lost generation" to describe young people who, due to the trauma they received in the war, were unable to settle in civilian life. Remarque's work thus stood in sharp contrast to the right-wing conservative military literature that prevailed in the era of the Weimar Republic, which, as a rule, tried to justify the war lost by Germany and glorify its soldiers.

Remarque describes the events of the war from the perspective of a simple soldier.

History of creation

The writer offered his manuscript "All Quiet on the Western Front" to the most authoritative and well-known publisher in the Weimar Republic, Samuel Fischer. Fischer acknowledged the high literary quality of the text, but withdrew from publication on the grounds that in 1928 no one would want to read a book about the First World War. Fischer later admitted that this was one of the biggest mistakes of his career.

Following the advice of his friend, Remarque brought the text of the novel to the Haus Ullstein publishing house, where it was accepted for publication by order of the company's management. On August 29, 1928, a contract was signed. But the publisher was also not entirely sure that such a specific novel about the First World War would be a success. The contract contained a clause according to which, in the event of the failure of the novel, the author must work off the costs of publication as a journalist. For reinsurance, the publisher provided advance copies of the novel to various categories of readers, including veterans of the First World War. As a result of criticism from readers and literary scholars, Remarque is urged to revise the text, especially some particularly critical statements about the war. About the serious adjustments to the novel made by the author, says a copy of the manuscript, which was in the New Yorker. For example, the latest edition is missing the following text:

We killed people and waged war; we should not forget about it, because we are at an age when thoughts and actions had the strongest connection with each other. We are not hypocrites, we are not timid, we are not burghers, we look both ways and do not close our eyes. We do not justify anything by necessity, by the idea, by the Motherland - we fought with people and killed them, people whom we did not know and who did nothing to us; what will happen when we return to the old relationship and confront the people who hinder us, hinder us?<…>What should we do with the goals that are offered to us? Only memories and my vacation days convinced me that the dual, artificial, invented order called "society" cannot calm us and will not give us anything. We will stay isolated and grow, we will try; someone will be quiet, and someone will not want to part with their weapons.

original text(German)

Wir haben Menschen getötet und Krieg geführt; das ist für uns nicht zu vergessen, denn wir sind in dem Alter, wo Gedanke und Tat wohl die stärkste Beziehung zueinander haben. Wir sind nicht verlogen, nicht ängstlich, nicht bürgerglich, wir sehen mit beiden Augen und schließen sie nicht. Wir entschuldigen nichts mit Notwendigkeit, mit Ideen, mit Staatsgründen, wir haben Menschen bekämpft und getötet, die wir nicht kannten, die uns nichts taten; was wird geschehen, wenn wir zurückkommen in frühere Verhältnisse und Menschen gegenüberstehen, die uns hemmen, hinder und stützen wollen?<…>Was wollen wir mit diesen Zielen anfangen, die man uns bietet? Nur die Erinnerung und meine Urlaubstage haben mich schon überzeugt, daß die halbe, geflickte, künstliche Ordnung, die man Gesellschaft nennt, uns nicht beschwichtigen und umgreifen kann. Wir werden isoliert bleiben und aufwachsen, wir werden uns Mühe geben, manche werden still werden und manche die Waffen nicht weglegen wollen.

Translation by Mikhail Matveev

Finally, in the fall of 1928, the final version of the manuscript appears. November 8, 1928, on the eve of the tenth anniversary of the armistice, Berlin newspaper "Vossische Zeitung", part of the Haus Ullstein concern, publishes a "preliminary text" of the novel. The author of “All Quiet on the Western Front” appears to the reader as an ordinary soldier, without any literary experience, who describes his experiences of the war in order to “speak out”, free himself from mental trauma. The introductory remarks for the publication were as follows:

Vossische Zeitung feels "obliged" to discover this "authentic", free and thus "authentic" documentary account of the war.

original text(German)

Die Vossische Zeitung fühle sich „verpflichtet“, diesen „authentischen“, tendenzlosen und damit „wahren“ dokumentarischen über den Krieg zu veröffentlichen.

Translation by Mikhail Matveev

So there was a legend about the origin of the text of the novel and its author. On November 10, 1928, excerpts from the novel began to appear in the newspaper. The success exceeded the boldest expectations of the Haus Ullstein concern - the circulation of the newspaper increased several times, the editorial office received a huge number of letters from readers admiring such a "bare image of the war."

At the time of the book's release on January 29, 1929, there were approximately 30,000 pre-orders, which forced the concern to print the novel in several printing houses at once. All Quiet on the Western Front became Germany's best-selling book of all time. On May 7, 1929, 500 thousand copies of the book were published. The book version of the novel was published in 1929, after which it was translated into 26 languages ​​the same year, including Russian. The most famous translation into Russian is by Yuri Afonkin.

Main characters

Paul Bäumer- the main character on whose behalf the story is being told. At the age of 19, Paul was voluntarily (like his entire class) drafted into the German army and sent to the western front, where he had to face the harsh reality of military life. Killed in October 1918.

Albert Kropp- Paul's classmate, who served with him in the same company. At the beginning of the novel, Paul describes him as follows: "short Albert Kropp is the brightest head in our company." Lost a leg. Was sent to the rear.

Muller Fifth- Paul's classmate, who served with him in the same company. At the beginning of the novel, Paul describes him as follows: “... still carries textbooks with him and dreams of passing preferential exams; under hurricane fire he crams the laws of physics. He was killed by a flare that hit him in the stomach.

Leer- Paul's classmate, who served with him in the same company. At the beginning of the novel, Paul describes him as follows: "he wears a bushy beard and has a weakness for girls." The same fragment that tore off Bertinka's chin rips open Leer's thigh. Dies from blood loss.

Franz Kemmerich- Paul's classmate, who served with him in the same company. At the very beginning of the novel, he is seriously injured, leading to the amputation of his leg. A few days after the operation, Kemmerich dies.

Joseph Bem- Boimer's classmate. Bem was the only one in the class who did not want to volunteer for the army, despite Kantorek's patriotic speeches. However, under the influence of the class teacher and relatives, he enlisted in the army. Bem was one of the first to die, two months before the official call-up date.

Stanislav Katchinsky (Kat)- served with Boymer in the same company. At the beginning of the novel, Paul describes him as follows: “the soul of our squad, a man of character, clever and cunning, he is forty years old, he has a sallow face, blue eyes, sloping shoulders and an unusual sense of smell when the shelling starts, where you can get hold of food and how best to hide from the authorities. The example of Katchinsky clearly shows the difference between adult soldiers, who have a lot of life experience behind them, and young soldiers, for whom war is their whole life. He was wounded in the leg, crushing the tibia. Paul managed to take him to the orderlies, but along the way Kat was wounded in the head and died.

Tjaden- one of Beumer's non-school friends, who served with him in the same company. At the beginning of the novel, Paul describes him as follows: “a locksmith, a frail young man of the same age as us, the most voracious soldier in the company, he sits thin and slender for food, and after eating, gets up pot-bellied like a sucked bug.” It has urinary system disorders, which is why it is sometimes written in a dream. His fate is not exactly known. Most likely, he survived the war and married the daughter of the owner of a horse meat shop. But perhaps he died shortly before the end of the war.

Haye Westhus- one of Boymer's friends, who served with him in the same company. At the beginning of the novel, Paul describes him as follows: "our peer, a peat worker, who can freely take a loaf of bread in his hand and ask, "Well, guess what's in my fist?" Tall, strong, not very smart, but a young man with a good sense of humor, was carried out from under the fire with a torn back.

Detering- one of Beumer's non-school friends, who served with him in the same company. At the beginning of the novel, Paul describes him as follows: "a peasant who thinks only of his household and his wife." Deserted to Germany. Was caught. Further fate is unknown.

Kantorek- the class teacher of Paul, Leer, Müller, Kropp, Kemmerich and Boehm. At the beginning of the novel, Paul describes him as follows: "a strict little man in a gray frock coat, like a mouse face, with a little face." Kantorek was an ardent supporter of the war and agitated all his students to go to war as volunteers. Later he volunteered. Further fate is unknown.

Bertinck- Company Commander Paul. He treats his subordinates well and is loved by them. Paul describes him as follows: "a real front-line soldier, one of those officers who, with any obstacle, is always ahead." Saving the company from a flamethrower, he received a through wound in the chest. The chin was torn off by a shrapnel. Dies in the same battle.

Himmelstoss- the commander of the department in which Boymer and his friends underwent military training. Paul describes him as follows: “He was known as the most ferocious tyrant in our barracks and was proud of it. A small, stocky man who served twelve years, with a bright red, curled up mustache, was a postman in the past. He was especially cruel to Kropp, Tjaden, Bäumer and Westhus. Later he was sent to the front in the company of Paul, where he tried to make amends.

Josef Hamacher- one of the patients of the Catholic hospital in which Paul Bäumer and Albert Kropp were temporarily placed. He is well versed in the work of the hospital, and, in addition, has a "remission of sins." This certificate, issued to him after being shot in the head, confirms that at times he is insane. However, Hamacher is psychologically completely healthy and uses the evidence to his advantage.

Screen adaptations

• The work has been filmed several times.
• American film All Quiet on the Western Front() directed by Lewis Milestone received an Oscar.
• In 1979, director Delbert Mann made a television version of the film. All Quiet on the Western Front.
• In 1983, famed singer Elton John wrote an anti-war song of the same name referring to the film.
• Film .

Soviet writer Nikolai Brykin wrote a novel about the First World War (1975) titled " Change on the Eastern Front».

Links

• Im Westen nichts Neues in German at the Philologist's Library E-Lingvo.net
• All Quiet on the Western Front in Maxim Moshkov's Library

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

See what "All Quiet on the Western Front" is in other dictionaries:

From German: Im Westen nichts Neues. Russian translation (translator Yu. N. Lfonkina) of the title of the novel by the German writer Erich Maria Remarque (1898 1970) about the First World War. This phrase was often found in German reports from the theater of operations ... Dictionary of winged words and expressions

This book is neither an accusation nor a confession. This is just an attempt to tell about the generation that was destroyed by the war, about those who became its victims, even if they escaped the shells.

We are standing nine kilometers from the front line. Yesterday we were replaced; now our stomachs are full of beans and meat, and we all go around full and satisfied. Even for supper each got a full bowler hat; in addition, we get a double portion of bread and sausages - in a word, we live well. This has not happened to us for a long time: our kitchen god with his purple, like a tomato, bald head himself offers us to eat more; he waves the scoop, calling the passers-by, and gives them hefty portions. He still won't empty his squeaker, and this drives him to despair. Tjaden and Müller got hold of several cans from somewhere and filled them to the brim - in reserve. Tjaden did it out of gluttony, Muller out of caution. Where everything that Tjaden eats goes is a mystery to all of us. He still remains as skinny as a herring.

But most importantly, the smoke was also given out in double portions. For each, ten cigars, twenty cigarettes, and two sticks of chewing tobacco. In general, pretty decent. I traded Katchinsky's cigarettes for my tobacco, now I have forty pieces in total. One day can be extended.

But, in fact, we are not supposed to do all this at all. The authorities are not capable of such generosity. We're just lucky.

Two weeks ago we were sent to the front line to replace another unit. It was quite calm on our site, so by the day of our return, the captain received allowances according to the usual layout and ordered to cook for a company of one hundred and fifty people. But just on the last day, the British suddenly threw in their heavy "meat grinders", unpleasant contraption, and for so long they hit our trenches with them that we suffered heavy losses, and only eighty people returned from the front line.

We arrived at the rear at night and immediately stretched ourselves out on the bunk beds in order to get a good night's sleep first; Katchinsky is right: it would not be so bad in the war if only you could get more sleep. You never really get enough sleep on the front line, and two weeks drag on for a long time.

By the time the first of us began to crawl out of the barracks, it was already noon. Half an hour later, we grabbed our bowlers and gathered at the "squeaker" dear to our hearts, which smelled of something rich and tasty. Of course, the first in line were those who always have the biggest appetite: shorty Albert Kropp, the brightest head in our company and, probably, for this reason only recently promoted to corporal; Muller the Fifth, who still carries textbooks with him and dreams of passing preferential exams; under hurricane fire he crammed the laws of physics; Leer, who wears a bushy beard and has a soft spot for maidens from officer brothels; he swears that there is an order in the army obliging these girls to wear silk underwear, and before receiving visitors with the rank of captain and above - to take a bath; the fourth is me, Paul Bäumer. All four were nineteen years old, all four went to the front from the same class.

Immediately behind us are our friends: Tjaden, a locksmith, a frail young man of the same age as us, the most gluttonous soldier in the company - he sits thin and slender for food, and after eating, gets up pot-bellied, like a sucked bug; Haye Westhus, also our age, a peat worker, who can freely take a loaf of bread in his hand and ask: Well, guess what I have in my fist? "; Detering, a peasant who thinks only of his household and his wife; and, finally, Stanislav Katchinsky, the soul of our squad, a man of character, clever and cunning - he is forty years old, he has a sallow face, blue eyes, sloping shoulders, and an unusual scent about when the shelling starts, where you can get hold of food and What is the best way to hide from the authorities.

Our squad led the queue that formed at the kitchen. We got impatient as the unsuspecting cook was still waiting for something.

Finally Katchinsky called out to him:

Well, open your glutton, Heinrich! And you can see that the beans are cooked!

The cook shook his head sleepily.

Let's get everyone together first.

Tjaden smirked.

And we are all here! The chef still didn't notice.

Hold your pocket wider! Where are the rest?

They are not at your mercy today! Who is in the infirmary, and who is in the ground!

Upon learning of what had happened, the kitchen god was smitten. He was even shaken:

And I cooked for a hundred and fifty people! Kropp poked him in the side with his fist.

So, at least once we will eat our fill. Come on, let's start sharing!

At that moment, Tjaden had a sudden thought. His face, sharp as a mouse's muzzle, lit up, his eyes squinted slyly, his cheekbones began to play, and he came closer:

Heinrich, my friend, so you got bread for a hundred and fifty people?

The bewildered cook nodded absently.

Tjaden grabbed his chest.

And sausage too? The cook again nodded his purple head like a tomato. Tjaden's jaw dropped.

And tobacco?

Well, yes, everything.

Tjaden turned to us, his face beaming.

Damn it, that's lucky! After all, now we will get everything! It will be - wait! - so it is, exactly two servings per nose!

But then the Pomodoro came to life again and said:

That's not how things will work.

Now we, too, shook off the dream and squeezed closer.

Hey you, carrot, why won't it come out? asked Katchinsky.

Yes, because eighty is not one hundred and fifty!

But we'll show you how to do it - Muller grumbled.

You will get the soup, so be it, but I will give out bread and sausage only for eighty, - Tomato continued to persist.

Katchinsky lost his temper:

Send you to the front line once! You received food not for eighty people, but for the second company, that's it. And you will release them! The second company is us.

We took the Tomato into circulation. Everyone disliked him: more than once, through his fault, lunch or dinner got to us in the trenches cooled down, with a great delay, because at the most trifling fire he did not dare to drive closer with his cauldron, and our food carriers had to crawl much further than theirs. brothers from other companies. Here is Bulke from the first company, he was much better. Although he was fat as a hamster, if necessary, he dragged his kitchen almost to the very front.

We were in a very belligerent mood, and probably it would have come to a fight if the company commander had not appeared at the scene. When he found out what we were arguing about, he only said:

Yes, yesterday we had big losses...

Then he looked into the cauldron:

And the beans look good.

Tomato nodded.

With lard and beef.

The lieutenant looked at us. He understood what we were thinking. In general, he understood a lot, - after all, he himself came out of our environment: he came to the company as a non-commissioned officer. He lifted the lid of the cauldron again and sniffed. As he left, he said:

Bring me a plate too. Distribute portions to everyone. Why good should disappear.

Tomato's face took on a stupid expression. Tjaden danced around him:

Nothing, it won't hurt you! He imagines that he is in charge of the entire commissary service. And now start, old rat, but don’t miscalculate! ..

Get down, hangman! hissed Tomato. He was ready to burst with anger; everything that happened did not fit in his head, he did not understand what was happening in the world. And as if wanting to show that now everything is one for him, he himself distributed another half a pound of artificial honey per brother.

Today has been a really good day. Even the mail came; almost everyone received several letters and newspapers. Now we are slowly wandering into the meadow behind the barracks. Kropp carries a round margarine barrel lid under his arm.

On the right edge of the meadow, a large soldier's latrine was built - a soundly cut down building under a roof. However, it is of interest only to recruits who have not yet learned how to benefit from everything. For ourselves, we are looking for something better. The fact is that in the meadow there are single cabins here and there, designed for the same purpose. These are square boxes, neat, made entirely of boards, closed on all sides, with a magnificent, very comfortable seat. They have handles on the side so that the cabins can be carried.

Erich Maria Remarque

No change on the Western Front. Return

© The Estate of the Late Paulette Remarque, 1929, 1931,

© Translation. Y. Afonkin, heirs, 2010

© Russian edition AST Publishers, 2010

All Quiet on the Western Front

This book is neither an accusation nor a confession. This is just an attempt to tell about the generation that was destroyed by the war, about those who became its victims, even if they escaped the shells.

We are standing nine kilometers from the front line. Yesterday we were replaced; now our stomachs are full of beans and meat, and we all go around full and satisfied. Even for supper each got a full bowler hat; in addition, we get a double portion of bread and sausages - in a word, we live well. This has not happened to us for a long time: our kitchen god with his purple, like a tomato, bald head himself offers us to eat more; he waves the scoop, calling the passers-by, and gives them hefty portions. He still won't empty his squeaker, and this drives him to despair. Tjaden and Müller got hold of several cans from somewhere and filled them to the brim - in reserve. Tjaden did it out of gluttony, Muller out of caution. Where everything Tjaden eats goes is a mystery to all of us. He still remains as skinny as a herring.

But most importantly, the smoke was also given out in double portions. For each, ten cigars, twenty cigarettes, and two sticks of chewing tobacco. In general, pretty decent. I traded Katchinsky's cigarettes for my tobacco, now I have forty pieces in total. One day can be extended.

But, in fact, we are not supposed to do all this at all. The authorities are not capable of such generosity. We're just lucky.

Two weeks ago we were sent to the front line to replace another unit. It was quite calm on our site, so by the day of our return, the captain received allowances according to the usual layout and ordered to cook for a company of one hundred and fifty people. But just on the last day, the British suddenly threw in their heavy "meat grinders", unpleasant contraption, and for so long they hit our trenches with them that we suffered heavy losses, and only eighty people returned from the front line.

We arrived at the rear at night and immediately stretched ourselves out on the bunk beds in order to get a good night's sleep first; Katchinsky is right: it would not be so bad in the war if only you could get more sleep. You never really get enough sleep on the front line, and two weeks drag on for a long time.

By the time the first of us began to crawl out of the barracks, it was already noon. Half an hour later, we grabbed our bowlers and gathered at the "squeaker" dear to our hearts, which smelled of something rich and tasty. Of course, the first in line were those who always have the biggest appetite: shorty Albert Kropp, the brightest head in our company and, probably, for this reason only recently promoted to corporal; Muller the Fifth, who still carries textbooks with him and dreams of passing preferential exams: under hurricane fire he crammed the laws of physics; Leer, who wears a bushy beard and has a weakness for girls from brothels for officers: he swears that there is an order in the army obliging these girls to wear silk underwear, and before receiving visitors with the rank of captain and above - to take a bath; the fourth is me, Paul Bäumer. All four were nineteen years old, all four went to the front from the same class.

Immediately behind us are our friends: Tjaden, a locksmith, a frail young man of the same age as us, the most voracious soldier in the company - he sits down thin and slender for food, and after eating, gets up pot-bellied like a sucked bug; Haye Westhus, also our age, a peat worker, who can freely take a loaf of bread in his hand and ask: “Well, guess what is in my fist?”; Detering, a peasant who thinks only of his household and his wife; and, finally, Stanislav Katchinsky, the soul of our squad, a man of character, clever and cunning - he is forty years old, he has a sallow face, blue eyes, sloping shoulders and an unusual scent about when the shelling will start, where you can get hold of food and how It's best to hide from the authorities.

Our squad led the queue that formed at the kitchen. We got impatient as the unsuspecting cook was still waiting for something.

Finally Katchinsky called out to him:

- Well, open your glutton, Heinrich! And you can see that the beans are cooked!

The cook shook his head sleepily.

"Let's get everyone together first."

Tjaden smirked.

– And we are all here!

The chef still didn't notice.

- Hold your pocket wider! Where are the rest?

“They are not at your mercy today!” Who is in the infirmary, and who is in the ground!

Upon learning of what had happened, the kitchen god was smitten. He was even shaken:

- And I cooked for a hundred and fifty people!

Kropp poked him in the side with his fist.

“So we’ll eat our fill for once.” Come on, let's start sharing!

At that moment, Tjaden had a sudden thought. His face, sharp as a mouse's muzzle, lit up, his eyes squinted slyly, his cheekbones began to play, and he came closer:

“Heinrich, my friend, so you got bread for a hundred and fifty people?”

The bewildered cook nodded absently.

Tjaden grabbed his chest.

And sausage too?

The cook again nodded his purple head like a tomato. Tjaden's jaw dropped.

And tobacco?

- Well, yes, everything.

Tjaden turned to us, his face beaming.

"Damn it, that's lucky!" After all, now we will get everything! It will be - wait! - so it is, exactly two servings per nose!

But then the Pomodoro came to life again and said:

- It won't work that way.

Now we, too, shook off the dream and squeezed closer.

- Hey you, carrot, why won't it come out? asked Katchinsky.

- Yes, because eighty is not one hundred and fifty!

“We’ll show you how to do it,” Muller grumbled.

“You will get the soup, so be it, but I will give out bread and sausage only for eighty,” Tomato continued to persist.

Katchinsky lost his temper:

- Send you to the front line once! You received food not for eighty people, but for the second company, that's it. And you will release them! The second company is us.

We took the Tomato into circulation. Everyone disliked him: more than once, through his fault, lunch or dinner got to us in the trenches cooled down, with a great delay, because at the most trifling fire he did not dare to drive closer with his cauldron and our food carriers had to crawl much further than their brothers. from other companies. Here is Bulke from the first company, he was much better. Although he was fat as a hamster, if necessary, he dragged his kitchen almost to the very front.

We were in a very belligerent mood, and, probably, things would have come to a fight if the company commander had not appeared at the scene. When he found out what we were arguing about, he only said:

- Yes, yesterday we had big losses ...

Then he looked into the cauldron:

And the beans look good.

Tomato nodded.

- With lard and beef.

The lieutenant looked at us. He understood what we were thinking. In general, he understood a lot - after all, he himself came out of our environment: he came to the company as a non-commissioned officer. He lifted the lid of the cauldron again and sniffed. As he left, he said:

- Bring me a plate. Distribute portions to everyone. Why good should disappear.

Tomato's face took on a stupid expression. Tjaden danced around him:

"Nothing, you won't be hurt by this!" He imagines that he is in charge of the entire commissary service. And now start, old rat, but don’t miscalculate! ..

- Get down, hangman! hissed Tomato. He was ready to burst with anger; everything that happened did not fit in his head, he did not understand what was happening in the world. And as if wanting to show that now everything is one for him, he himself distributed another half a pound of artificial honey per brother.

Today has been a really good day. Even the mail came; almost everyone received several letters and newspapers. Now we are slowly wandering into the meadow behind the barracks. Kropp carries a round margarine barrel lid under his arm.

On the right edge of the meadow a large soldier's latrine was built - a well-cut building under a roof. However, it is of interest only to recruits who have not yet learned how to benefit from everything. For ourselves, we are looking for something better. The fact is that in the meadow there are single cabins here and there, designed for the same purpose. These are square boxes, neat, made entirely of boards, closed on all sides, with a magnificent, very comfortable seat. They have handles on the side so that the cabins can be carried.

We move the three cabins together, put them in a circle and take our seats slowly. We won't get up from our seats before two hours.

I still remember how embarrassed we were at first, when the recruits lived in the barracks and for the first time we had to use a common restroom. There are no doors, twenty people sit in a row, like in a tram. You can take a look at them with one glance - after all, a soldier must always be under observation.

"War spares no one." This is true. Whether it is a defender or an aggressor, a soldier or a civilian - no one, looking into the face of death, will remain the same. Nobody is ready for the horrors of war. Perhaps this is what Erich Remarque, the author of the work All Quiet on the Western Front, wanted to say.

History of the novel

There has been a lot of controversy around this work. Therefore, it would be correct to start with the story of the birth of the novel before giving a summary. “All Quiet on the Western Front” Erich Maria Remarque wrote, being a participant in those terrible events.

He went to the front in the early summer of 1917. Remarque spent several weeks at the forefront, was wounded in August and stayed in the hospital until the end of the war. But all the time he corresponded with his friend Georg Middendorf, who remained in position.

Remarque asked to report as much as possible about life at the front and did not hide that he wanted to write a book about the war. With these events begins and a summary ("All Quiet on the Western Front"). Fragments of the novel contain a cruel but real picture of the terrible trials that befell the soldiers.

The war ended, but none of their lives returned to their former course.

Rota is resting

In the first chapter, the author shows the real life of soldiers - unheroic, terrifying. He emphasizes the extent to which the cruelty of war changes people - moral principles are lost, values ​​\u200b\u200bare lost. This is the generation that was destroyed by the war, even those who escaped the shells. With these words, the novel All Quiet on the Western Front begins.

Rested soldiers go to breakfast. The cook prepared food for the whole company - for 150 people. They want to take additional portions of their fallen comrades. The main concern of the cook is not to give out anything in excess of the norm. And only after a heated argument and the intervention of the company commander, the cook distributes all the food.

Kemmerich, one of Paul's classmates, ended up in the hospital with a thigh wound. Friends go to the infirmary, where they are informed that the guy's leg was amputated. Muller, seeing his strong English boots, argues that a one-legged one does not need them. The wounded man is writhing in unbearable pain, and, in exchange for cigarettes, friends persuade one of the orderlies to give their friend an injection of morphine. They left with a heavy heart.

Kantorek, their teacher, who had persuaded them to join the army, sent them a pompous letter. He calls them "iron youth". But the guys are no longer touched by the words about patriotism. They unanimously blame the class teacher for exposing them to the horrors of war. Thus ends the first chapter. Its summary. “All Quiet on the Western Front” reveals the characters, feelings, aspirations, dreams of these young guys, who found themselves face to face with the war, chapter by chapter.

Death of a friend

Paul reminisces about his life before the war. As a student, he wrote poetry. Now he feels empty and cynical. All this seems so far away to him. Pre-war life is a vague, unrealistic dream that has nothing to do with the world created by the war. Paul feels completely cut off from humanity.

They were taught in school that patriotism requires the suppression of individuality and personality. Paul's platoon was trained by Himmelstoss. The former postman was a small, stocky man who relentlessly humiliated his recruits. Paul and his friends hated Himmelstoss. But now Paul knows that those humiliations and discipline toughened them up and probably helped them survive.

Kemmerich is close to death. He is saddened by the fact that he will never become the head forest ranger he dreamed of. Paul sits next to his friend, consoles and assures him that he will get better and return home. Kemmerich says he is giving his boots to Müller. He becomes ill, and Paul goes to look for a doctor. When he returns, his friend is already dead. The body is immediately removed from the bed to make room.

It would seem with what cynical words the summary of the second chapter ended. "All Quiet on the Western Front", from chapter 4 of the novel, will reveal the true essence of the war. Having come into contact with it once, a person will not remain the same. War hardens, makes one be indifferent - to orders, to blood, to death. She will never leave a person, but will always be with him - in memory, in body, in soul.

Young replenishment

A group of recruits arrives in the company. They are a year younger than Paul and his friends, which makes them feel like grizzled veterans. There is not enough food and blankets. Paul and his friends remember the barracks where they were recruits with longing. Himmelstos's humiliations seem idyllic compared to actual war. The guys remember the drill in the barracks, discussing the war.

Tjaden arrives and announces excitedly that Himmelstoss has arrived at the front. They remember his bullying and decide to take revenge on him. One night, as he was returning from a pub, they threw bedding over his head, took off his pants, and beat him with a whip, drowning out his screams with a pillow. They retreated so quickly that Himmelstoss never found out who his offenders were.

night shelling

The company is sent at night to the front line for sapper work. Paul reflects that for a soldier, the land takes on a new meaning at the front: it saves him. Here, ancient animal instincts are awakened, which save many people if you obey them without hesitation. At the front, the instinct of the beast wakes up in men, Paul argues. He understands how much a person degrades, surviving in inhuman conditions. What is clearly seen from the summary of "All Quiet on the Western Front."

Chapter 4 will shed light on what it was like for young, unshot boys to be at the front. During the shelling, a recruit lies next to Paul, clinging to him, as if looking for protection. When the shots died down a little, he admitted with horror that he had defecated in his pants. Paul explains to the boy that many soldiers have this problem. The painful neighing of wounded horses is heard, thrashing in agony. The soldiers finish them off, relieving them of their torment.

The shelling begins with renewed vigor. Paul crawled out of his hiding place and sees that the same boy who pressed against him in fear is seriously injured.

terrifying reality

The fifth chapter begins with a description of the unsanitary conditions of life at the front. The soldiers are sitting, stripped to the waist, crushing lice and discussing what they will do after the war. They calculated that out of twenty people from their class, only twelve remained. Seven are dead, four are injured, and one has gone mad. They mockingly repeat the questions Kantorek asked them at school. Paul has no idea what he will do after the war. Kropp concludes that the war has destroyed everything. They can't believe in anything but war.

The fighting continues

The company is sent to the front line. Their path lies through the school, along the facade of which there are brand new coffins. Hundreds of coffins. Soldiers joke about it. But on the front line, it turns out that the enemy has received reinforcements. Everyone is in a depressed mood. Night and day pass in tense expectation. They sit in the trenches, through which disgusting fat rats scurry.

The soldier has no choice but to wait. Days pass before the earth begins to shake from the explosions. There was almost nothing left of their trench. Trial by fire is too much of a shock for new recruits. One of them got angry and tried to run. Obviously he's gone crazy. Soldiers tie him up, but another recruit manages to escape.

Another night has passed. Suddenly, the nearby gaps are silent. The enemy is on the offensive. German soldiers repel the attack and reach enemy positions. Around the scream and groans of the wounded, mutilated corpses. Paul and his comrades must return. But before doing so, they greedily grab cans of stew and note that the enemy has much better conditions than theirs.

Paul reminisces about the past. These memories hurt. Suddenly, the fire with new force hit their positions. The lives of many are claimed by a chemical attack. They die a painful slow death from suffocation. Everyone is running out of their hiding places. But Himmelstoss hides in a trench and pretends to be wounded. Paul tries to kick him out with blows and threats.

There are explosions all around, and it seems that the whole earth is bleeding. New soldiers are being brought in to replace them. The commander calls their company to the cars. The roll call begins. Of the 150 people, thirty-two remained.

After reading the summary of “All Quiet on the Western Front”, we see that the company suffers huge losses twice. The heroes of the novel return to duty. But the worst of all is another war. War against degradation, against stupidity. War with yourself. And here the victory is not always on your side.

Paul goes home

The company is sent to the rear, where there will be a reorganization. Having experienced the horror of the battles, Himmelstoss is trying to "rehabilitate himself" - he gets good food for the soldiers and easy work. Away from the trenches they try to joke. But the humor becomes too bitter and dark.

Paul gets seventeen days off. In six weeks he should appear in the training unit, and then to the front. He wonders how many of his friends will be left alive during this time. Paul arrives in his hometown and sees that the civilian population is starving. He learns from his sister that his mother has cancer. Relatives ask Paul how things are at the front. But he does not have enough words to describe all this horror.

Paul sits in his bedroom with his books and paintings, trying to bring back childhood feelings and desires, but the memories are only shadows. His identity as a soldier is the only thing left now. The end of the holiday draws near and Paul visits the mother of Kemmerich's deceased friend. She wants to know how he died. Paul lies to her that her son died without suffering or pain.

Mother sits with Paul in the bedroom all last night. He pretends to be asleep, but notices that his mother is in severe pain. He makes her go to bed. Paul returns to his room, and from surging feelings, from hopelessness, he squeezes the iron bars of the bed and thinks that it would be better if he did not come. It only got worse. Sheer pain - from pity for her mother, for herself, from the realization that this horror has no end.

POW camp

Paul arrives at the training section. Next to their barracks is a prisoner of war camp. Russian prisoners sneak around their barracks and rummage through the garbage cans. Paul cannot understand what they find there. They are starving, but Paul notes that the prisoners treat each other like brothers. They are in such a pitiful position that Paul has no reason to hate them.

Prisoners die every day. Russians bury several people. Paul sees the terrible conditions they are in, but drives away thoughts of pity so as not to lose his composure. He shares cigarettes with the prisoners. One of them found out that Paul played the piano and started playing the violin. It sounds thin and lonely, and it makes me sad even more.

Return to duty

Paul arrives at the location and finds his friends alive and unharmed. He shares with them the products he brought. In anticipation of the arrival of the Kaiser, the soldiers are tortured with drills and work. They were given new clothes, which were immediately taken away after his departure.

Paul volunteers to gather information about enemy forces. The area is being shelled with machine guns. A flare flashes above Paul, and he realizes that he must lie still. Footsteps sounded, and a heavy body fell on him. Paul reacts with lightning speed - strikes with a dagger.

Paul cannot watch an enemy he wounded die. He crawls up to him, bandaging his wounds and giving water to their flasks. A few hours later he dies. Paul finds letters in his wallet, a photo of a woman and a little girl. According to the documents, he guessed that it was a French soldier.

Paul talks to the dead soldier and explains that he didn't mean to kill him. Every word he read plunges Paul into guilt and pain. He rewrites the address and decides to send money to his family. Paul promises that if he remains alive, he will do everything so that this never happens again.

Three weeks feast

Paul and his friends guard a food warehouse in an abandoned village. They decided to use this time with pleasure. They covered the floor in the dugout with mattresses from abandoned houses. We got eggs and fresh butter. Caught two, miraculously survived, pigs. Potatoes, carrots, young peas were found in the fields. And they made themselves a feast.

A well-fed life lasted three weeks. Then they were evacuated to a neighboring village. The enemy began shelling, Kropp and Paul were wounded. They are picked up by an ambulance wagon full of wounded. In the infirmary, they are operated on and sent by train to the hospital.

One of the sisters of mercy with difficulty persuaded Paul to lie down on snow-white sheets. He is not yet ready to return to the bosom of civilization. Dirty clothes and lice make him uncomfortable here. Classmates are sent to a Catholic hospital.

Every day soldiers die in the hospital. Kropp's entire leg is amputated. He says he will shoot himself. Paul thinks the hospital is the best place to learn what war is. He wonders what awaits his generation after the war.

Paul receives leave to recover at home. Going to the front and parting with your mother is even more difficult than the first time. She is even weaker than before. This is the tenth chapter summary. “All Quiet on the Western Front” is a story that covers not only military operations, the behavior of heroes on the battlefield.

The novel reveals how, faced with death and harshness every day, Paul begins to feel uncomfortable in a peaceful life. He rushes about, trying at home, next to his family to find peace of mind. But nothing comes out. In the depths of his soul, he understands that he will never find him again.

Terrible losses

The war is raging, but the German army is noticeably weakening. Paul stopped counting the days and weeks that are like in battles. The pre-war years are "no longer valid" because they have ceased to mean anything. The life of a soldier is a constant avoidance of death. They reduce you to the level of mindless animals, because instinct is the best weapon against implacable mortal danger. This helps them survive.

Spring. They feed badly. The soldiers were emaciated and hungry. Detering brought a cherry blossom branch and remembered the house. Soon he deserts. He was missed on verification, caught. Nobody heard anything more about him.

Mueller is killed. Leer was wounded in the thigh, he is bleeding. Berting was wounded in the chest, Kat in the shin. Paul is dragging the wounded Kat on him, they are talking. Exhausted, Paul stops. The orderlies come up and say that Kat is dead. Paul did not notice that his comrade was wounded in the head. Paul doesn't remember anything else.

Defeat is inevitable

Autumn. 1918 Paul is the only one of his classmates who survived. The bloody battles continue. The United States joins the enemy. Everyone understands that the defeat of Germany is inevitable.

After being gassed, Paul rests for two weeks. He sits under a tree and imagines how he will return home. He becomes scared. He thinks that they will all return as living corpses. Shells of people, empty inside, tired, lost hope. It's hard for Paul to bear this thought. He feels that his own life has been irretrievably destroyed.

Paul was killed in October. On an unusually quiet peaceful day. When he was turned over, his face was calm, as if to say that he was glad that everything had ended this way. At this time, a report was transmitted from the front line: "All Quiet on the Western Front."

Meaning of the novel

World War I made adjustments to world politics, became a catalyst for revolution and the collapse of empires. These changes affected everyone's life. About war, suffering, friendship - this is what the author wanted to say. This is clearly shown in the summary.

“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Remarque wrote in 1929. Following the First World War were more bloody and cruel. Therefore, the theme raised by Remarque in the novel was continued in his subsequent books, and in the works of other writers.

Undoubtedly, this novel is a grandiose event in the arena of world literature of the 20th century. This work gave rise to disputes not only about literary merits, but also caused a huge political outcry.

The novel is one of the 100 must-read books. The work requires not only an emotional attitude, but also a philosophical one. This is evidenced by the style and manner of narration, the author's style and summary. All Quiet on the Western Front, according to some sources, is second only to the Bible in terms of circulation and readability.

We used to have food made from sawdust, now we don't even have that. The new recruits don't know how to get food, all they know how to do is just die one by one. from the movie

Erich Maria Remarque's book became a real hit in the first months of publication, and with the advent of National Socialism in Germany, it became one of those books that were burned in the first place.

The adaptation turned out to be more than impressive, perhaps one of the most truthful, honest, deep and spectacular films about the war. The story begins with a high school teacher advocating young graduates to quit everything and join the army, fight for their homeland, he speaks so eloquently and catchy that everyone immediately agrees, and those few who still doubt, under the pressure of the majority, also agree. At first it's like a game for them, they joke with weapons, tell jokes, but the very first battle changes their whole idea of ​​what real war is.

Honestly, I have never seen a more realistically shown war from the inside, through the eyes of soldiers, everything is so impressive, death around, hunger, constant bombing, whose bass sound is crazy. And towards the end, we are shown those who lead this war, they laugh, joke and think about strategy, but they themselves do not know what war is, and when, as a spectator, you experienced all the horror, there is a sense of the meaninglessness of the very concept of war. This is rightfully one of the best anti-war films.

On the technical side, everything is just perfect, there are moments with explosions so coolly filmed that it feels like (without exaggeration) you are watching Saving Private Ryan filmed by Spielberg almost 70 years later. The film's epic side is flawless, and for good reason. American Film Institute (AFI) included the picture in the list of 10 most outstanding American epic films, along with Lawrence of Arabia, Ben Hur, Titanic, etc.

There are many moments that are very memorable, be it the moment with the boots, which one friend took from another, since once he died, why did he need such beautiful boots inherited from his father, in them, according to him, the war is a joy, and now he did not have time to to wear, as he already lies in a ditch with his legs up, on which beautiful, leather boots flaunt. Also a brilliant moment when the main character Paul Baumer meets a Frenchman in a trench where he was hiding, kills him, and then sits next to him all day and talks to a smiling corpse about his family and asks for forgiveness for having killed and promises to take care of his family. But when he came to his camp, he was told not to worry, your first murder, this is a war, they always kill in a war, look over there and there they show a sniper who clicks people like nuts from his rifle, with the words: did you see how beautiful it flew? Who would have thought that in such a tough drama, there is a place for subtle humor. well and moment at the end with a butterfly simply soul-stirring, it's a classic.

The film, after 80 years, is not at all outdated, it looks great, fascinates and impresses with its scale and truthfulness, a classic of cinema. In addition to the Oscar for Best Picture, it was included in the list of the 100 most outstanding American films by the American Film Institute (AFI) in 1998.