Friday, January 06, 2012

One novel, one film, one comic




















All Quiet on the Western Front is one novel, film and comic-book I'd like to read, watch and read. The title suddenly sprang up today while I was looking for some images on the internet. I haven't read the book by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I, which is what the story is all about. Neither have I seen the black-and-white film directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Lew Ayres, Louis Wolheim, John Wray and Arnold Lucy, all new to me. Classics Illustrated did a fine job of bringing it out in comic-book which I read many years ago, though, unfortunately, it's not a part of my small collection of CI. 

According to an interesting Study Guide by 
The Glencoe Literature Library, "In 1933, All Quiet on the Western Front was one of the first books that the Nazis burned in public, declaring it a 'betrayal of the soldiers of the First World War'. The successful American film of the novel, made in 1930, was also banned by the Nazis. Had Remarque remained in Germany, he would have faced certain persecution. The Nazi government later revoked his German citizenship in 1938."

At this point of time there's very little I can say about All Quiet on the Western Front except that I've been told it is one of the greatest war movies on the Great War. You might have difficulty acquiring the rare comic-book but not the ebook or the film, the former is freely available online.


Don't forget to check out Friday's Forgotten Books at Todd Mason's blog www.socialistjazz.blogspot.com

12 comments:

  1. I never saw the movie or comic but I did read the book and liked it quite a lot. It's very short. A good read.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Charles, I'm looking forward to reading the book online and, hopefully, try and see the movie as well, on TCM.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's a good flick. I've also seen the TV version from 1979 with John Boy and Ernest Borgnine.

    ReplyDelete
  4. One of those classics I've never read or seen either. Have always meant to. Brings to mind 2 books, Paul Watkins' NIGHT OVER DAY OVER NIGHT and Hemingway's A FAREWELL TO ARMS. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gerard, thanks for visiting. I didn't know there was a TV version. I'll look out for it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ron Scheer, thank you for visiting. I read A FAREWELL TO ARMS several years ago and, well, quite forgot it revolved around WWI. I hadn't heard of Paul Watkins or his NIGHT OVER DAY OVER NIGHT until now. Thanks again for mentioning both.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I so want to read All Quiet on the Western Front-hopefully this year-your picture of the classic comic book cover took me waaaay back in time! is there is link to read this book on line in English?

    ReplyDelete
  8. The last line of the book is what keeps haunting me still after reading it years ago.

    I wouldn't quite classify it as a war movie/novel rather one that speaks about the impact it has on the soldiers and the general destruction it causes. Much like say 'Catch-22' or books by Vonnegut which deal with pretty much the same thing, but with hysterical realism. This book though is raw.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Mel, CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED make great reading. You could try www.comicbooksonline.blogspot.com which has many comics online.

    ReplyDelete
  10. WordsBeyondBorders: I haven't read the book yet though the ebook is now sitting on my desktop. You have a point that it's not exactly a war movie or novel. I didn't quite see it that way.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I had no idea about the comic book version - fascinating. The 1930 version is certainly preferable to the 1979 TV remake with Richard Thomas. The original version is in fact coming out shortly on Blu-ray and it is rumoured that a new version is being made ... Remarque was considered a great novelist in his day but seems little read now.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sergio, the original CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED comic-books are delightful to read, as was ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT I'm sure. I'll probably write about Remarque's novel soon as I read it.

    ReplyDelete