All Quiet on the Western Front
by Erich Maria Remarque
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Erich Maria Remarque
Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I, wrote All Quiet on the Western Front to show how war can suppress the ability of an individual to cope with the drama and stress of battle. Remarque completed the novella in 1927, nearly ten years after he joined the German army at the tender age of 18. While in the army, Remarque was badly wounded by shrapnel in his neck, left leg, and right arm. Unable to continue fighting, Remarque recovered in an army hospital for the remainder of the war.
After his time served in the army, Remarque completed a short teaching stint at a primary school. However, he left the teaching in 1920. Unable to subsist on a writing career alone, Remarque also worked various jobs as an editor, journalist, businessman, librarian, and technical writer. Still, writing fiction and poetry remained his focus. After fleeing to Switzerland, Remarque eventually immigrated to the United States. Although he had been writing since the age of 16, All Quiet on the Western Frontmarked his first major success in the world of fiction.
