All Quiet on the Western Front (1929)

 

Upon its release this book was hailed as the greatest novel ever written about war. All these decades later, this book may still hold that honor. 

The central figure of this novel is Paul Bäumer. This young man, who along with many of his classmates joins the Imperial German Army at the start of WW1. He learns how dehumanizing war actually is and becomes disillusioned with all he was brought up to believe. 

There are plenty of great anti-war stories written but few hit as hard as this book does. This is a book that will move you greatly and stay with you long after you finish reading. 

Much of the reason for this is the first-person narration of the story. Rather than simply telling the horrors of war, this is a deeply personal story of the effect it had on one individual. This makes the story feel all the more urgent and personal. By reading this from a first-person point of view, you see the dehumanizing effect of war firsthand. Our main character is instantly relatable being a person who is not that different from us. His normalness is at the heart of the story because at one time he is a simple relatable protagonist, while also being a stand in for all the young men who have been sent out to war and forever changed by it. This is especially shown during the scenes with Paul on leave. He returns to a world in which he once belonged and fit in. Only now, he finds himself no longer belonging or fitting into this world. By making him a bit of an everyman, you see how war changes even a normal person. 

Erich Maria Remarque had fought in WW1, and he brings much of his own experiences to the main character's narration. Many have even referred to this book as semi-autobiographical. This makes all the difference. Even to those of us who have never fought in a war, this can easily be felt. It is obvious that there is a real feeling of authenticity and raw, honest emotion throughout the whole book. Though this is technically a fiction book, it is easy to forget that fact as you read. Because of this, the book here feels startlingly and terrifyingly real in a way that most anti-war stories don't. Remarque does not tone down or hide any of the horrors of war. They are all on full display here in a way that will make this story a haunting and emotionally exhausting way. 

This is one of the all-time great literary masterpieces.