All Quiet on the Western Front was not just a regular book about war. Sure there were the thrilling battle scenes with gory details, but this book was deeper. You see how Paul, the main character was affected by war – how it transformed him from a youthful schoolboy into a seasoned war veteran, who witnessed death more than he could have ever imagined. There is both an outward struggle on the battlefield, and inward struggle of the soldier, who finds himself lost in the world after war is the only thing that he ever knew as an adult.
Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. While it was quite sad at times, (or most of the time), All Quiet on the Western Front eloquently displayed an entire generation of young men, whose lives were taken from them. Perhaps my favorite aspect of the book was how it questioned war in general. Why do millions of men have to risk their lives for the wants of just a few leaders? What did those men of a different nationality do to me personally that I should throw a hand grenade at them and blow them to pieces? These were the struggles of the soldiers of World War 1 and author Erich Remarque displays them brilliantly.
I would recommend this book to every human being that can read it and understand it. The struggle and comradeship of the millions of young men who fought in the First World War makes you think about war in a new light; you will find yourself questioning if war is really necessary and whether it is appropriate that millions of common people risk their lives for the wants of their rulers.
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