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Quote by Erich Maria Remarque

Work

Three Comrades

This novel delves into the profound impact of war on the lives of three comrades, exploring themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the enduring bonds of friendship amidst the chaos of World War I. more

Author

Erich Maria Remarque
Erich Maria Remarque

German author best known for his novel 'All Quiet on the Western Front', which vividly portrays the horrors of World War I. His works are characterized by a realistic style and have had a profound impact on literature. more

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“We are responsible for our own moral being. Shame and guilt spring from discontent with our morality and leading a wasteful life. A person whom rejects societal notions of success, does not believe in a merciful god, and is shunned by the same people whom he studiously avoids, is left with very little to steady their life except for moments of solitude to contemplate the aesthetic purpose of their being. We reaffirm the value of personal existence by working on self-improvement and dedicating our life to achieving purposeful goals.”

“In the mixture of starlight and cloud-reflected sunlight in which the desert world is now illuminated, each single object stands forth in preternatural though transient brilliance, a final assertion of existence before the coming of night: each rock and shrub and tree, each flower, each stem of grass, diverse and separate, vividly isolate, yet joined each to every other in a unity which generously includes me and my solitude as well.”

“These young people amaze me; drinking their coffee, they tell clear, plausible stories. If you ask them what they did yesterday, they don't get flustered; they tell you all about it in a few words. If I were in their place, I'd start stammering. It's true that for a long time now nobody has bothered how I spend my time. When you live alone, you even forget what it is to tell a story : plausibility disappears at the same time as friends.”

“Whether it be the singing of a lamp or the voice of a storm, whether it be the breath of an evening or the groan of the ocean — whatever surrounds you, a broad melody always wakes behind you, woven out of a thousand voices, where there is room for your own solo only here and there. To know when you need to join in: that is the secret of your solitude: just as the art of true interactions with others is to let yourself fall away from high words into a single common melody.”