“A Time to Love and a Time to Die” by Erich Maria Remarque – The Empty Homecoming

When a war ends it seems customary that the light of good be shined upon the victors, while those defeated be relegated to the least pleasant pages of history.

Needless to say, this happened at the end of the Second World War and allowed many of those on the Allies' side to get away war crimes, while on the other hand all who lived under the Axis rule were lumped together as murderous animals.

Thankfully, we have authors like Erich Maria Remarque who can take a more neutral and moderated approach outlook on war and the different sides that fight it, something the novel A Time to Love and a Time to Die illustrates magnificently.

The premise behind the novel is a rather simple one, as we are presented with Ernst Graeber, a German soldier who nearly spent two gruelling years at the Russian front. By what seems like a miracle, Ernst is granted a three-week leave to do as he pleases.

With the war going rather badly at that point, Ernst suspected that his vacation may end up being cancelled and decides to return home without writing to his parents, not wanting to unnecessarily get their hopes up. W

hen he finally does make it back home, he finds most of it bombed to ruins by the Allies, and his parents are nowhere in sight. Searching desperately for some kind of comfort and solace, he reconnects with a childhood friend of his, Elisabeth, also a imprisoned by war in her own way.

Listening to most people, one would have the impression that Remarque never wrote anything other than All Quiet on the Western Front, but the truth is that many of his subsequent novels, such as this one, are no less powerful in their own right... simply overshadowed.

From the very first page the author presents us with beautiful, thoughtful and vivid descriptions that slowly draw us into that world torn apart by the ravages of war. Remarque does a tremendous job at depicting the scenery, being especially proficient at including the poignant small details necessary to make a scene come to life. The prose is uniquely beautiful from beginning to end, masterfully contrasting dread and beauty, creating an atmosphere of somber grace unique to the book.

The different characters we get to encounter all have their own long story to tell, each one of them shaped by the events of the war in one way or another. By learning about these people, the things they have gone through, their take on the present and their hopes for the future, we also get to learn about the nature of war itself and how it affects the countless people who have the misfortune of being caught up in it.

While the stories in this book may be fictional, one cannot help but feel that they mirror the fates of millions upon millions who have had to endure such ruthless and ceaseless chaos.

When it comes to the plot, many people will find that there are moments during which it feels as if the story is lacking direction, and that is partially true for many of Remarque's works.

He places a greater focus on the studying the characters rather than making a concrete thread of events to follow. With that being said, there are plenty of powerful and memorable events throughout this book, and there is an overall “objective” so to speak, that of Ernst looking for his parents. And of course, there is an interesting, perhaps even philosophical love story developing between him and Elizabeth.

The pace does slow down quite often, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it never really picks up enough to go fast, always being on the slower and more thoughtful side.

As those who know the author probably suspect, Remarque uses this story to explore a number of war-related themes that have been found throughout many of his other works.

He explores the way it cruelly affects those who are least involved in it, how it infinitely cheapens the value of human life, how it opens the path for men to abuse power and violence, and just how absurd the whole concept of war is in the end.

There is a whole lot of food for thought in this book, perhaps too much to digest in one read... this is the kind of writing that will keep on giving new insights as you come back to it over and over again.

Ultimately, A Time to Love and a Time to Die is another powerful, moving and memorable novel about World War 2 by Erich Maria Remarque, looking more on the civilian side of things. If the slower pace of the book doesn't turn you off, then you'll certainly want to give the book a chance if the subject of war in general interests you.

The meditations on the topic are numerous, profound and well-laid out while the plot itself gives a clear window into life at that time. One way or another, this novel always leaves a mark upon its reader, an experience that doesn't deserve to be missed.

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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.