Black Obelisk: A Novel
Product ID: 358020792
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From the author of the masterpiece All Quiet on the Western Front, The Black Obelisk is a classic novel of the troubling aftermath of World War I in Germany. A hardened young veteran from the First World War, Ludwig now works for a monument company, selling stone markers to the survivors of deceased loved ones. Though ambivalent about his job, he suspects there’s more to life than earning a living off other people’s misfortunes. A self-professed poet, Ludwig soon senses a growing change in his fatherland, a brutality brought upon it by inflation. When he falls in love with the beautiful but troubled Isabelle, Ludwig hopes he has found a soul who will offer him salvation—who will free him from his obsession to find meaning in a war-torn world. But there comes a time in every man’s life when he must choose to live—despite the prevailing thread of history horrifically repeating itself. “The world has a great writer in Erich Maria Remarque. He is a craftsman of unquestionably first rank, a man who can bend language to his will. Whether he writes of men or of inanimate nature, his touch is sensitive, firm, and sure.”— The New York Times Book Review Review: Five Stars - very good Review: The Black Obelisk by Erich Maria Remarque - I had read this novel in German some years ago whilst in a German hospital during a disastrous holiday. I was not sure that I had understood all of it so, when I found it in English I bought it more out of curiosity than anything else. But what a novel! Better by far (in the style of writing if not the subject matter) than "All Quiet on the Western Front". There is humour, pathos and an accurate description of some of the evils of the early Brownshirts of the Nazi Party. There are so many levels to enjoy and the characters stand out vividly representing, in most cases, aspects of people that everyone will have met in life. It is a novel of the between-war years and the absurd inflation that Germany went through that made a Dollar worth billions of Marks. Above that, it is a novel about how a nation that had gone through a disastrous war started to turn its eyes backwards and to pine for "the good old days" even when they patently weren't. They turned, of course, to Hitler and the same militarism that had brought about their downfall in 1918. Though set in the 1920s, and written in the 1950s, it has much to warn us of, still. Humorous yet intellectual, silly yet true, easy to read but thought provoking. A real classic.
| Best Sellers Rank | #418,083 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #9,424 in Action & Adventure (Books) #12,624 in Historical Fiction (Books) #26,149 in Contemporary Fiction (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.9 out of 5 stars 51 Reviews |
S**H
Five Stars
very good
W**Y
The Black Obelisk by Erich Maria Remarque
I had read this novel in German some years ago whilst in a German hospital during a disastrous holiday. I was not sure that I had understood all of it so, when I found it in English I bought it more out of curiosity than anything else. But what a novel! Better by far (in the style of writing if not the subject matter) than "All Quiet on the Western Front". There is humour, pathos and an accurate description of some of the evils of the early Brownshirts of the Nazi Party. There are so many levels to enjoy and the characters stand out vividly representing, in most cases, aspects of people that everyone will have met in life. It is a novel of the between-war years and the absurd inflation that Germany went through that made a Dollar worth billions of Marks. Above that, it is a novel about how a nation that had gone through a disastrous war started to turn its eyes backwards and to pine for "the good old days" even when they patently weren't. They turned, of course, to Hitler and the same militarism that had brought about their downfall in 1918. Though set in the 1920s, and written in the 1950s, it has much to warn us of, still. Humorous yet intellectual, silly yet true, easy to read but thought provoking. A real classic.
N**Y
Fine Black Comedy
I think this is one of the finest comedic novels ever written; I had read it years ago and thought it wonderul and now, as part of my study of Germany between the world wars, I reread it. It seems even better now. I intend to go on and reread his other novels of the period, including Three Comrades and Arch of Triumph.
C**E
A tender, funny novel set in dismal times
It is unbelievable that this novel is often out of print and is only available in this expensive version at the moment. It is perhaps the author's best work and has both a pithy humour and lightness of touch that make it so rich in tone.It is episodic in plot and flows along and whether you enjoy it will depend on how much you enjoy a book that does not have a conventional pay-off, or epic finish; it is more elusive and gentle. George Kroll, the protagonist, is made appealing to the reader due to the stoic, wily way that he snakes his way through life in late 1930's Germany and the hyperinflation that reduces everyone to desperation. His world of the workplace, an undertaker's, the local people, including a woman whom everyone watches brazenly perform a strange act through the curtains at night, and a woman he loves, Isabel, are compelling. Bittersweet, offbeat and intelligent, this story should be made into a film, but the rights (as I hear it) are too expensive right now. If you love historical context to be vivid, enjoy
L**C
Great book
Wonderful book, one of my favorites of all time
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