In the final months of the Second World War, prisoner 509 lies ill in the barracks of a Nazi concentration camp, where he has survived for years. Erich Maria Remarque describes the daily life of the prisoners, the guards, the sick and the dying, the small acts of solidarity and betrayal, and the fear as the Allied armies approach. The prisoners try to hold on to dignity and hope as the camp's rule becomes more erratic. The book draws on Remarque's research and conversations with survivors.
Readers of Holocaust fiction and of Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front will find a harrowing and humane account. It suits those who want a novel about resilience under extreme conditions.
Deep, inward-looking and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Mindful Reader. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1998
- Publisher
- Verlag Kiepenheuer & Witsch Gm
- ISBN
- 9783462027242
- Language
- DE
