“Arch of Triumph” by Erich Maria Remarque – The Price of Dissidence

When we look back on the Second World War, we always see Germany as being the bad guys, but what we often forget is that many of the German people were opposed to the concept of Nazism, but they were forced stop professing their views, in one way or another.

In Arch of Triumph by Erich Maria Remarque, we follow the story of one such German, who found himself exiled from Germany for his different political views in the late 1930s.

His name is Ravic, and seeing as how he escaped to France illegally without even any documents, he finds himself forced to practice his profession illegally on France’s elite. Though it may seem as if his life finally has some stability, his true goal has always remained one and the same: to find the Nazi who tortured him out of his own homeland.

Though some authors may falter in the quality of their works after they hit it big, Remarque is a notable exception to that. Just like in his previous works, which include the internationally-celebrated All Quiet on the Western Front, Remarque draws us in with a compelling storyline and heart-stopping descriptions which make you feel emotionally-involved in the story.

His description of Paris manages to perfectly capture the unique, romantic and hopeful atmosphere of the city, with none of the passages being too long or leaving to be desired.

As is usually the case with the author, Remarque mixes the two ingredients above with an element which, in my opinion, elevates him as a writer above most others: a philosophy.

Throughout the whole book Remarque explores a number of interesting themes, such as the purpose of vengeance, the human need for closure, how love can be the best remedy to dark times, and Men’s everlasting attempts at controlling each other’s thoughts, just to name a few.

All things considered, if you enjoyed Remarque’s previous works or are looking to get to know him better, this is a work you should definitely add to your list of books to read.

The way he manipulates language is nothing short of a work of art, the story itself actually does a nice job of stringing you along, and by the end of it you will have plenty to think of. This isn’t a book that just exists for entertainment purposes… rather, it is one of those books meant to be thought-provoking.

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Erich Maria Remarque (June 22, 1898 - September 25, 1970) Erich Maria Remarque was a German author whose best-known work to this day remains, without a doubt, All Quiet on the Western Front, though he certainly had other notable works including Three Comrades and Arch of Triumph. His many experiences during the war have rather visibly fueled his many thoughts and ideas he developed in his writings.