12 best books by Erich Maria Remarque
A bright representative of the "lost generation", whose youth fell in the years between the First and Second World War - this is the famous Erich Maria Remarque. The works of the author are devoted mainly to the bloody events of the 20th century, the fragile peace between the armed conflicts of the last century, the fate of people from different countries, the desire to live and love. Novels lack arrogance and sarcasm, and, despite the complexity of the life of the creator, are kind and fair.
Ranking of the best books by Erich Maria Remarque
| Nomination | a place | Name of product | rating |
| 1 | Three friends | 4.9 | |
| 2 | Black obelisk | 4.9 | |
| 3 | Triumphal Arch | 4.8 | |
| 4 | On the western front without change | 4.8 | |
| 5 | Spark of life | 4.7 | |
| 6 | love thy neighbour | 4.7 | |
| 7 | Borrowed life, or the sky has no pets | 4.7 | |
| 8 | Tell me you love me ... | 4.6 | |
| 9 | Shelter of dreams | 4.6 | |
| 10 | Time to live and time to die | 4.5 | |
| 11 | Night in lisbon | 4.5 | |
| 12 | Shadows in paradise | 4.5 |
Three friends
Book author: Erich Maria Remarque
Rating: 4.9
"Three Comrades" - the most famous novel by Remarque, his business card. The work was written in 1936. The action takes place a little earlier - in 1928, when society felt the brunt of the post-war years, hunger reigned almost everywhere. He left an imprint on the health of Pat - the girl in love with Robbie. His two other friends, Otto Kester and Gottfried Lenz, have a small car repair shop. Three comrades throughout the development of events are next to each other. This is a good story of strong friendship and an inexhaustible thirst for life, despite all the pain that has not subsided from war, famine and endless deaths, with which the novel is saturated through and through.
Heroes are not just friends, they are bound by a military fraternity, a typical phenomenon for the “lost generation”. The novel is decorated with bright minor characters, creating a generally positive mood from reading. For those who have not yet read the work, the author keeps the intrigue of the development of events - it is difficult to guess where the plot will turn and how this or that hero will act.
“Three Comrades” is a classic of world literature, mandatory for reading, relevant for all generations.
Black obelisk
Book author: Erich Maria Remarque
Rating: 4.9
In the second place of the rating is another work about the times between world wars, again the problematic of the “lost generation” with its memory of famine, war and death rises again.
Germany, the city of Werdenbrueck, beginning of the 20s of the XX century. Nationalist unrest is turning around, hyperinflation is in the economy, people are in poverty. The protagonist of the work, the tombstone salesman Ludwig Bodmer, a veteran of World War I, earns his penance on playing the organ in the church at the hospital for the mentally ill. Here he meets Genevieve - a split personality girl calling herself Isabella and Ludwig a Rudolf (Rolf). Between them there is a deep feeling, which they constantly feed by talking about love and life.
Everything changes when Genevieve recovers and the second personality of Isabella, who loved the main character, no longer returns.She no longer recognizes Ludwig, but she remembers Rudolph very well - that was the name of her new husband's mother, whom young Genevieve also loved, which caused her moral trauma that led to illness. The protagonist no longer holds anything in the province; he leaves for the capital at the invitation of a journalist in a large edition. In Berlin, he communicates with a fellow soldier, inclined to the ideas of Hitler, who, as it later turns out, led the youth movement in a fascist mood. In a fragile peace between two wars and the rise of fascism, Ludwig tries to find the meaning of life, but will he find it?
Triumphal Arch
Book author: Erich Maria Remarque
Rating: 4.8
The bronze of the rating in the novel by E. M. Remarque “The Triumphal Arch”, which takes place in the pre-war France 1938-1939. The German talented surgeon Ravik, who passed the front of the First World War, operates on sick patients instead of less talented specialists, despite the lack of French citizenship and even permission to reside in the country. But he could not return to his homeland - there he helped escape from punishment to "criminals", for which he was tortured by the Gestapo. In France, Ravic meets on his way Joan Madou, an Italian actress. Romance between them can not be avoided.
The main character succeeds in avenging himself - he tricked him into the woods and killed the Gestapo tormentor. And then the war ... the actress receives a mortal wound, but not from the soldiers, but from a jealous suitor. From hopelessness and despair, Ravik surrenders to the police. When everything is left behind, he immigrates overseas in the United States, where he continues his career as a brilliant surgeon. This will be discussed in another novel by E. M. Remarque “Shadows in Paradise”, which we will describe later in the ranking.
On the western front without change
Book author: Erich Maria Remarque
Rating: 4.8
The action of the novel "On the Western Front without Change" takes place during the war of Germany against European countries and Russia (1914 ... 1918). The hero of the work is Paul Boymer, the commander of a company of draftees from the ranks of schoolchildren, fishermen, peasants and artisans. They will have to go to hard battles, despite the lack of preparation, which, of course, led to significant losses from 150 to 32 people. After that, Paul goes to the rear, home, trying to forget the horror he experienced in the pubs, avoiding human society. Freedom was short-lived, now he is sent as a security guard to a Russian prisoner camp, where he thinks about the meaning of what is happening, because he knows: ordinary people turn into war, turned into murderers, but why? Then again, return to the home part. The collapse of Germany, the offensive of the regiments of England, France and America, combat injury and death.
“No change on the western front” - unemotional notification in newspaper reports about calm on the former line of fire after the bloody events were completed. The novel is written on the basis of real events, because Remarque served in the Western Front in 1917 ... 1918.
Spark of life
Book author: Erich Maria Remarque
Rating: 4.7
The novel was published in 1952, but the story again sends the reader during the Second World War. Elfriede, Remarque's sister, did not support the nationalist views of the ruling party, participated in anti-war events and did not hesitate in anti-Hitler statements, for which she was arrested in 1943. The court found her guilty, why should the punishment - the death penalty, which was carried out in the same year. However, the death of his sister Erich learned only after the end of the war.
The author does not use real cities and names, the action develops in a fictional concentration camp, but not much different from Buchenwald - its description is taken as the basis. The reader gets acquainted with the heart-rending scenes of prisoners' lives - people with different fates and views. In the horrors of stagnant life, some lose themselves and become like fascists, others do not lose faith in the future, they still have a spark of life that helps them to survive.
The novel was ambiguously praised by critics, because the ban on revealing the topic of fascism was violated in it. However, the prisoners and former prisoners of the work accepted, and this is the main sign of recognition.
love thy neighbour
Book author: Erich Maria Remarque
Rating: 4.7
The novel "Love your neighbor," which was released in 1941 before the outbreak of World War II, is a story about a Jewish tragedy. The national-socialist German People's Party, led by Hitler, begins the purges of the race, the first persecutions of the disagreeable, deprivation of rights, the mass migration of German Jews to other countries in search of a peaceful haven. At the same time, a collapsing political system is described - its inefficiency affects all spheres of German life. On the other hand - the tightening of the flow of migrants in the border countries, entailing the wandering of the illegal population in search of a peaceful and peaceful life.
For all the complexity of the situation for the Jews, they remain people. The author shows the different fate, folding according to their scenarios.
Borrowed life, or the sky has no pets
Book author: Erich Maria Remarque
Rating: 4.7
On the seventh line of the rating novel "Life on loan, or The sky has no pets." It differs from its predecessors by the complete absence of politics and war, the action takes place in the second half of the 20th century. In the center of the narration racer Klerfe and Lilian, a young beautiful woman, but ... suffering from tuberculosis. She is on the verge of life and death, but he cannot imagine himself without her in this world. The novel is about true love, friendship and, as in all the works of Erich Maria Remarque, about a thirst for life no matter what. These feelings give the heroes the strength to live.
The novel “Life on loan, or Sky has no pets” is so emotional and deep that it became the basis for the film of the same name. We recommend reading the work to lovers of romantic and sensual prose - it is a significant competition to tabloid novels.
Tell me you love me ...
Book author: Erich Maria Remarque
Rating: 4.6
The novel in the letters "Tell me that you love me ..." is both sensual and sad. This is the love story of Erich Maria Remarque, the outstanding writer of the “lost generation”, and the fatal star of Marlene Dietrich films. The relationship of two deep and high personalities cannot be simple by definition: flashes of passion, loud quarrels, distrust, tenderness again, and so endlessly. All these stages are revealed by letters that Erich and Marlene really wrote to each other.
The novel seems touching to the depths of the soul, but the relationship does not end with a happy ending. Why? What happened to those in love, and how did the story end? We offer the reader to find out the answers to these questions.
Shelter of dreams
Book author: Erich Maria Remarque
Rating: 4.6
The novel is both sentimental and pretentious - these traits are characteristic of young impulsive authors, who was E. M. Remarque at the beginning of his career.
“Shelter of Dreams” is the home of Fritz, an artist and composer in one person. Along with him in the house live inmates who have little idea of real life, from which they are cut off. Nevertheless, they are ready to love, their hearts are open to a bright future. Everything changes when one of the friends leaves this world - only then friends pay attention to his works. Can they understand the impulses of the soul of a deceased comrade, will they appreciate it?
Between the characters, love is born, they experience betrayal, bright and gray moments in different aspects of life. But how far they are from the reality of modern (at that time) Germany.
Time to live and time to die
Book author: Erich Maria Remarque
Rating: 4.5
The next in the ranking of the novel again about the war. In his work “Time to live and time to die,” Remarque reveals the essence of the fascists, barbarism, which was especially pronounced in the occupied territories of the USSR. Even when retreating, officers and fanatical soldiers displayed brutal rage, not sparing women and old men.
The novel focuses on the young Greber, who served in the ranks of the German army in 1944, when the Russians were actively advancing in the western direction, clearing Europe of the fascists. The hero returns to his hometown, where, as it turned out, bombings take place regularly. Dislikes were sent to concentration camps, their apartments were handed over to the nationalists. From the home of the house remained the ruins, from under the rubble volunteers and rescuers get the bodies of crushed people. In the broken quarters, Greber, in search of his parents, meets young Elizabeth, who is hiding from the bombardments in the bomb shelter. Simple interest grows into a deep feeling, Elizabeth and Greber become lovers, and then decide to get married.
After returning to the front, the main character takes part in the defense of the retreating army. His platoon suffers losses, while Greber harbors Russian partisans, not allowing amateur shooting to be carried out by Steinbrenner, an ardent member of the NSDAP. Who would have thought that one of the rescued partisans would take up a rifle against a savior.
The novel "Time to live and time to die" is not for the faint of heart. It contains many descriptions of the atrocities of the fascists against an unwanted person, explicit scenes of bombing, and death. The aftertaste of the work is ambiguous, but you should definitely get acquainted with it in order to remember the story as it is. “Time to die” seems like an eternity, who will live to “time to live”?
Night in lisbon
Book author: Erich Maria Remarque
Rating: 4.5
This novel intersects the storyline with another work by E. M. Remarque "Love your neighbor." In both books, the problem of migration is identified. The narrator Roy, who had sought shelter in European countries for almost 5 years, decides to return to the Reich and take his wife, who by that time is seriously ill. Together they are trying to find money to make a fake visa for migration to America, which by then was the only safe place, because military conflicts are brewing everywhere, the world is fragile. Roy meets a man who is ready to give 2 tickets to a steamer in the United States, but with the condition that he will hear the story of one person for one night. It was a terrific consciousness of the story in the best traditions of drama - human life is intertwined with the drama of European life, which suffered from the wave of Nazism.
Shadows in paradise
Book author: Erich Maria Remarque
Rating: 4.5
The rating is completed by the novel “Shadows in Paradise”, which was released after the death of the author Erich Maria Remarque. The story goes on behalf of a journalist who migrated to the United States during the end of the Second World War and the establishment of peace. This time, the author covers the problems of refugees who have fallen in search of a peaceful life in the United States, but do not give up hope of returning to their homeland one day. Among them, the surgeon from the novel "Triumphal Arch" Ravik. People got into the American “paradise”, but they cannot live a full-fledged happy life after experiencing military upheavals, being in a foreign land, being only their own “shadows”.
The writer shows a lot of different destinies: someone begins to drink under the yoke of the situation, others work hard, and still others end up in suicide. People differently came out of stressful situations, as best they could. Moreover, even the most cynical individuals are able to retain the ability to love and be friends.
Attention! This rating is subjective, is not advertising and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you should consult with a specialist.
