All Quiet on the Western Front

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It would be unfair if I said every word of every page of Remarque’s classic book, but I did finally wade through this tragic tale of boys sent to write at the front during World War I. My students responded better to the plot and characters than I expected, and I was deeply moved by Remarque’s message. I still don’t think it’s the best choice for sophomores in high school in 2012, but I learned a lot and more than anything, I now want to teach a semester or year based on war literature.