Summary of the novel Three Comrades remark. Erich Maria Remarque "Three Comrades": book review. Robert finally realizes that he is loved

The post was inspired by reading the wonderful novel by Erich Maria Remarque “Three Comrades” (Erich Maria Remarque “Drei Kameraden”).

Reference

Full title: "Three Comrades"
Original language: German
Year of publication: 1936
Number of pages (A4): 265

Summary of Remarque's novel "Three Comrades"
The action of Remarque's novel "Three Comrades" takes place in Germany in the late twenties. The main characters are inseparable friends Otto Kester, Gottfried Lenz and Robert Lokamp (narrated on his behalf). Friends have been inseparable since the First World War, in which they took part. All three work at an auto repair shop owned by Otto. All are around 30.

The situation in post-war Germany is difficult: there is no work, the population lives modestly, many have experienced unemployment and even hunger. No one has hope for a brighter future. Friends work hard, and in their free time they have fun with other similar young people. None of them thinks far ahead.

"You know what I mean: a simple soul, not yet corroded by skepticism and superintelligence. Parzival was stupid. If he had been smart, he would never have won the Holy Grail Cup. Only a fool wins in life, a smart man sees too many obstacles and loses confidence before even starting anything. In difficult times, naivety is the most precious treasure, it is a magic cloak that hides those dangers that a smart guy jumps straight into, as if hypnotized."

One day they meet a beautiful girl named Patricia Holman (Pat). They all liked her, but Robert found her especially sweet and they began a relationship. At first, they both take this relationship lightly, but over time they both fall more and more in love with each other. Friends accept Pat into their circle.

“I spoke and heard my voice, but it seemed that it was not me, that someone else was speaking, and the way I would like to be. The words that I uttered were no longer true, they were mixed up, they were crowded, taking away to other lands, more motley and brighter than those in which the small events of my life took place; I knew that I was telling a lie, that I was making things up and lying, but it didn’t matter to me - after all, the truth was hopeless and dull. And real life was only in the feeling of a dream, in its reflections."

Robert finds out that Pat is alone and has no relatives. She lives on the remaining money, but soon she will have to get a job. The reason for her desire to simply live without work is her illness - she is sick with tuberculosis, the development of which she was able to stop several years ago. However, at the seaside where Robert and Pat went, Pat has a seizure, and the doctor warns Robert that Pat must go to a Swiss sanatorium for treatment. All the time before Pat left, they were already living together and trying to spend as much time as possible together. They can no longer live without each other, although they both understand that this will soon end.

“Listen, Gottfried, you seem to be an expert in matters of love?
- Expert? “Yes, I’m a grandmaster in love affairs,” Lenz answered modestly. - Great. So I would like to know: do they always behave foolishly?
- What do you mean, how stupid?
- Well, as if you were half drunk. They chatter, talk nonsense and also deceive?
Lenz laughed:
- But, baby! So this is all a hoax. A wonderful deception invented by mother nature. Look at this plum tree. After all, she is also deceiving. She pretends to be much more beautiful than she later turns out to be. After all, it would be disgusting if love had anything to do with truth. Thank God, not everyone can be subjugated by these damned moralists. I got up:
- So you think that without some deception there is no love at all? - It doesn’t happen at all, baby.
- Yes, but at the same time you can seem overly funny. Lenz grinned:
- Note to yourself, boy: a woman will never, never, never find anyone funny who does something for her sake. Even if it's the most vulgar comedy. Do whatever you want - stand on your head, talk the stupidest nonsense, brag like a peacock, sing under her window, but avoid only one thing - don’t be businesslike! Don't be rational!"

In an attempt to make ends meet, friends repair cars after accidents, resell cars, and also engage in driving. This helps little and one day, when things get really bad, they sell one of the cars that they owned. At the same time, protests by workers demanding work break out in Germany. During one of these performances, Gottfried is killed right in front of Otto and Robert. Inconsolable friends bury Lenz, sell the workshop and look for the offender to take revenge. However, their friend Alphonse, Lenz’s comrade, takes revenge on him. At the same time, friends receive a telegram from Pat, who asks them to come to her as soon as possible. Friends immediately arrive at Pat's sanatorium and learn that she only has a short time to live. Despite the lack of money, Robert remains with Pat until the end, supporting her and trying to live the remaining time together.

Remarque's "Three Comrades" ends with the death scene of Pat.

Meaning
Remarque describes representatives of a generation of Germans who went through the war and live in its ghosts: they saw the death of friends and enemies, did not understand why they fought, did not know what to strive for and what to want from life, except survival. Hard everyday life in war has brought together friends who are ready to do anything for each other. Despite the difficult economic situation, friends try to support each other until the very end.

“So I sat for quite a long time, thinking about all sorts of things. I remembered what we were like then, returning from the war - young and devoid of faith, like miners from a collapsed mine. We wanted to fight against everything that defined our past - against lies and selfishness, selfishness and heartlessness; we became embittered and did not trust anyone except our closest comrade, did not believe in anything except such forces that never deceive us, like the sky, tobacco, trees, bread and earth; but what came of it? Everything collapsed, was falsified and forgotten. And for those who did not know how to forget, only powerlessness, despair, indifference and vodka remained. The time of great human courageous dreams passed. The businessmen triumphed. Corruption. Poverty."

Conclusion
I really liked the book “Three Comrades” by Remarque. I worried as if this was not a work of art, but the very truth of life. I can’t help but note the overlap with the novel by the same author. Be sure to read the novel “Three Comrades” by Remarque!

Reviews of Remarque's books:
1. Story
2. Roman
3. Roman
4. Roman

The most popular reviews on my blog:
1.

Germany. Twenties. Three close friends Gottfried Lenz, Robert Lokamp and Otto Kester are in their late thirties. They have known each other since school and went through the entire First World War together. Otto Kester is the owner of a car repair shop, Robert and Gottfried also work for him. They don't get a lot of money, but they have enough to live on.

At the end of the war, the country is in economic decline: lack of jobs, poverty of ordinary people, unemployment and negative mood of society are increasing. Nobody can make predictions about the future. Three friends are forced to work hard and hard in order to provide themselves with a good life. They prefer to spend their leisure time having fun with their peers.

Somehow, at an auction, comrades purchase a fairly old car, they do the repairs themselves and install a powerful engine. Friends give the car a name - “Karl”. Now their entertainment is fast driving on the highway. This is how they meet Patricia Holman, whose short name is Pat.

Patricia is pretty and charming, and she attracts the sympathy of all three friends. But Robert shows his feelings more persistently and brightly, so he begins to develop a relationship with the girl. At first they were not a couple, but just friends. But soon the young people began to fall in love with each other, and their feelings intensified day by day. So Pat becomes part of their company. Friends believe that love is the most important thing in life, so they treat the relationship between Pat and Robert with care and special caution.

One day, Otto decides to take part in a car race in the Karl. The comrades are preparing their car for the competition. Nobody believes in their victory, they laugh. On race day, all the friends gather, including Patricia. "Karl" wins over the rest of the rivals.

Robert manages to sell the car profitably. He accepts the check and runs to the auto repair shop, where he tells the others about the successful deal. Everyone is delighted, because it’s not often that they manage to sell a car so successfully. After this, Robert and Pat go on vacation.

Robert learns that the girl is completely alone, without parents or relatives. Because she is sick with tuberculosis, Pat cannot work. While on vacation she has an attack of illness. The doctor is called and explains to Robert that it is necessary to continue her treatment.

The situation in the country is getting worse. Protests, marches, and chaos begin. At one of these performances, Lenz is killed. He is shot in front of his friends. Otto clearly saw the criminal. After the funeral, they sell the auto repair shop and begin searching for the killer. The death of Lenz is carefully hidden from Pat. Soon, a telegram arrives from the girl asking him to come to her. Once at the sanatorium where Pat was being treated, her friends learn that she has very little time left. Robert is with the weakened girl all the time. After some time she dies.

Year of writing: 1936

Genre of the work: novel

Main characters: Robert Lokamp, Gottfried Lenz, Otto Koester- Friends, Patricia Holman- Robert's girlfriend.

Plot

The action takes place after the First World War. Pictures of horror do not leave the three comrades who took part in that war. Now they work in a car workshop. We bought an old car and put a racing engine in it. On the way to Robert's name day celebration, the friends meet Patricia, or Pat. Robbie falls in love with her, and the girl is accepted into the company. To earn money, a taxi was bought. The friends took turns driving it. But taxis bring in little income. Once I managed to earn a lot of money by selling a Cadillac. Robert and Pat went to the sea. The girl started bleeding. The doctor advised me to go back to a sanatorium for tuberculosis. Lenz is killed by protesters. Kester takes revenge on the murderer. So that Robert could be with Pat, Otto sold his beloved car, Karl. Patricia died next to her loved one.

Conclusion (my opinion)

The novel shows how much harm the war brought both to the entire country and to the souls of people. They are forced to wash down the horror with alcohol. Remarque shows how valuable friendship and love are. You can sacrifice everything for this.

“Three Comrades” is a novel written in 1936 and belongs to the list of the “Golden Fund of World Literature of the 20th Century”. It is part of Remarque's trilogy about the “lost generation” along with the novels “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “The Return”. The story that Remarque created in the work “Three Comrades”, a brief summary of which allows you to find out the main plot twists and issues, remains relevant today.

1. Otto Kester is a thoughtful man, pedantic, calm, a former pilot. In the novel, he owns a workshop where his friends work. He always helps his friends out of trouble and helps them solve problems.
2. Gottfried Lenz is a cheerful man who is always in a good mood. Loves to talk, joke and have a good time. In the novel, his life is cut short at a fascist rally: he is hit by a random bullet.
3. Robert Lokamp is a former soldier and survivor of the First World War. Having no profession or education, he changes jobs without staying in them for too long. Robert cannot come to terms with the past and constantly recalls the war years. Because of the war, he does not have a permanent job, home and family, he often thinks about it. He is transformed by a girl - Patricia, with whom he falls in love. This relationship changes his worldview and character.
4. Patricia Holman is Lokamp's lover. She is very beautiful, smart, open to new experiences and people. Likes to relax, joke, and have a good time. She is mortally ill with tuberculosis, but this did not break Patricia: she was able to maintain her fortitude during this illness and follow her principles until the end of her life.

Through the relationships of these heroes, Erich Maria Remarque reveals the theme of the “lost generation”: generations of people who went to war at a young age and lost the opportunity to form as an individual, start a family, and develop perseverance of character.

Summary by chapter

The novel has a total of 28 chapters, each of which represents a complete fragment of the story.

Note! The narrative can be roughly divided into three parts: the beginning of the development of events, the climax and the conclusion.

A brief retelling will help you quickly understand the topic.

The story takes place in the late 20s in post-war Germany. There is devastation all around, lack of jobs. People are trying to get food by any means, and protests break out on the streets from time to time.

Initial chapters

Three friends who returned from the war are trying to find themselves and settle down in the new world. They repair and resell used cars.

The story begins with Robert Lokamp turning 30 years old. He is sad for lost opportunities, remembers his life and realizes that he has achieved nothing. He drowns out the melancholy in his soul with alcohol.

In turn, he recalls all the years of his life: how he was called up for service at the age of 18, the revolution after the war and famine, arrests, the death of his mother, attempts to build a life in a post-war society. At the beginning of the story, all this was in the past, life had improved as much as possible under those conditions.

In the evening, friends go to the races, where they take part. There they meet a girl named Patricia Holman, the action moves to a tavern, where the men and their new acquaintance drink and chat. New acquaintances talk all night, share their memories, discuss various topics. All the men really liked Patricia, especially Robert, who felt attracted to her.

Middle of the story

The next morning, Robert keeps thinking about his new acquaintance. He remembers last night and replays all the conversations in his head to understand how Patricia feels about him.

Readers get to know the place where he lives - the boarding house Frau Zalewski, and his neighbors. Together with Robert, the childless Hasse couple live in the house, who constantly quarrel due to lack of money, Count Orlov, who misses his homeland and has no relatives and friends in a foreign country.

The widow Bender, who lost two children in the war, also lives there, and the student Blok, who never has a job and is always hungry. In the novel, this place symbolizes the haven of people who cling to the past and do not think about the future: all residents are united by the lack of a permanent place in life, thoughts about the past, problems in the present.

Robert plucks up courage and calls Patricia, inviting her on a date. But during the meeting he behaves timidly, cannot carry on a conversation and gets drunk from his worries. At home, he realizes that he behaved inappropriately; on the advice of a friend, he sends flowers to the girl. The next day he apologizes and takes the girl on a second date. They have a good time, ride in the car, talk a lot. They have fun in an amusement park, find a lot in common, and feel a kinship of souls. Robert has the feeling that he has known Patricia not for 2 days, but for many years.

Over time, young people realize that they are in love. Friends happily accept Patricia into their circle. Robert creates the illusion that everything is starting to get better: he successfully sells one car, gets some money, he develops a relationship with his girlfriend, and they go on vacation to the sea.

The lovers spend the first days together, walking and talking a lot. Robert is fascinated by Patricia, her love for life and desire to do whatever she wants, without being attached to anything. He admires the girl’s character and behavior.

Patricia's disease

The euphoria of happiness is interrupted by Patricia's illness - it turns out that she has been sick with tuberculosis for a long time. One day she becomes ill and starts bleeding. The girl is sent to the hospital.

Friends find Dr. Jaffe, who is treating Pat. He says that it can be cured if you follow the regimen and all the recommendations. The doctor advises going to a sanatorium in Switzerland, where the climate and conditions are best suited for the girl.

Simultaneously with these events, problems arise in the workshop, and the men make the difficult decision to sell their small business. Fascist rallies are raging in the streets. There are uprisings in the city from time to time, and henchmen of fascism walk the streets. Robert doesn’t care about politics; he is treating his beloved. Lenz regularly attends rallies; at one of the meetings, in a street shootout, he is hit by a bullet and dies. Friends find the killer and take revenge.

Completion of the story

Robert is trying to find money for the girl’s treatment; his friends help him with the proceeds from the sale of his favorite cars. The man understands that this is a very big sacrifice on their part, but he cannot refuse.

Patricia is getting worse, but she claims that she does not want to spend time in sadness and longing. She is in a good mood, positive, still loves life and communication. The girl does not lose hope.

Young people talk a lot, joke, discuss their feelings, and remember the short time they spent together. Patricia is slowly dying, Robert was with her until the last minute, calming her down and listening to her. In the last minutes, his beloved did not recognize him.

Problems of the work: brief analysis

Erich Maria Remarque shows how the war created a lost generation of young people who, after returning from the war, cannot find their place in life. They returned home to a state that was experiencing decline and economic decline as a result of defeat in the war. The state of the country creates many problems for the heroes: the need to constantly look for work, pay for housing, and treatment. The main problems that emerge against the background of all this:

1. Post-war depression, which concerns not only social standards, but also the people who live in the country.
2. The hopelessness that has become part of the lives of all the characters: Pat’s illness, Robert’s difficulties. Fate constantly tests them with its blows, the heroes sacrifice something, lose something.
3. The problem of losing loved ones. It is relevant both for the war and for post-war society; everyone experiences this loss differently.
4. The key problem is the question of friendship. Friends support each other, help in difficult times, and sacrifice a lot. It is thanks to these feelings that they feel alive and reveal themselves from the best side. Revenge for the death of a friend, selling a business to help a loved one - these actions testify to the reality of the characters’ feelings and their willingness to share what is most precious to them.
5. The problem of fascism is a political issue that is also touched upon in the novel. Events develop against the backdrop of the establishment of a dictatorship; the characters have different attitudes towards the riots on the street, but this applies to each of them. Lenz even dies in an accidental shootout.

Important! The novel “Three Comrades” is deep and multifaceted; it talks about friendship, love, war, faith and its loss.

It begins optimistically - before the readers are heroes who drink a lot, joke and talk. They live their lives carefree and enjoy every moment.

But gradually the essence of this lifestyle is revealed - people hide their souls, their fears from the past and experiences behind the festivities. Each of the heroes has their own story associated with losses and war. And this lifestyle is a screen behind which they try to hide their real selves.

Erich Remarque began writing “Three Comrades” in 1932. In 1936, the work was completed, and the novel was published by a Danish publishing house. It was translated into Russian only in 1958. A careful reading of the novel “Three Comrades” (Remarque) and analysis of the work make it possible to reveal its problematics. The author develops the theme of the “lost generation”. Ghosts of the past continue to haunt people who went through the war for the rest of their lives.

I- VIIchapters

The war (World War I) ended a long time ago. In a crisis. Both the souls and destinies of people are completely crippled. Three comrades from school, and then from the front - Gottfried Lenz, Robert Lockman, Otto Kester - work in the same workshop. They do car repairs. It's Robert's birthday, he's turning 30 years old. He recalls his past: childhood and school years, conscription into the war in 1916, Kester’s wounding, the death of many fellow soldiers. In 1919 there was a putsch. Both of Robert's friends are arrested. Next - inflation and famine. Returning home, Robert changed several professions: first he was a student, worked as a pilot, then as a racer, and eventually bought his own car repair shop. Friends became his partners. The profit is small, but allows you to live more or less normally. However, the past does not let go of his comrades. They find oblivion in vodka. Lenz and Kester got a few bottles of rum, but they will celebrate the holiday after work. Friends bought it and equipped it with a powerful engine. They drove their Carl onto the track to have fun: they let expensive cars pass and then easily overtook them. As the friends stopped to order dinner, a Buick pulled up next to them. The passenger in the car was Patricia Holman. She took part in a fun feast. Robert rents a furnished room in a boarding house. After the holiday he returns there. Among his neighbors are Count Orlov, the Hasse wife, and Georg Blok, who dreams of becoming a student. They are all very different, but they help each other as best they can. Robert asks Pat out on a date. They go to the bar. Robert began a conversation with Pat only after a large amount of rum.

He escorts her home, and he returns to Fred, the owner of the bar, and gets even more drunk. Lenz advises sending Pat a bouquet of roses as an apology. Robert comes to his senses and thinks about life. He remembers how they returned from the war: devoid of faith in anything. Robert and Pat meet again. On a deserted street, he teaches her to drive. They then find Lenz at the bar and head to the holiday park together. They win absolutely all the prizes from two attraction owners who throw rings onto hooks. Friends give away everything except wine and a frying pan.

E. M. Remarque “Three Comrades”: summaryVIII- XIVchapters

Kester signed up “Karl” to participate in the race. Despite the rivals' banter, friends win. Bartender Alphonse invites them to celebrate the cause for free. Robert and Pat leave unnoticed. She stays overnight with Lokman. Work has become difficult. Friends buy taxis at auction and take passengers one by one. Pat invites Robert to her place. The apartment once belonged to her family, but now she rents only two rooms there. Pat talks about himself. Robert manages to very profitably sell the Cadillac he repaired to the businessman Blumenthal.

E. M. Remarque “Three Comrades”: summaryXV- XXIchapters

A successful deal allows Robert to take two weeks off and go with Pat to the sea. While resting, she became ill. There was bleeding at home. She has been in the hospital for two weeks. Jaffe, Pat's treating doctor, insists on additional treatment at the sanatorium. Robert gave her a purebred puppy - a gift from taxi driver Gustav. There are very few passengers, that is, and money.

Gustav dragged Robert to the races and he miraculously won. Friends are preparing "Karl" for racing. They also took away a car from 4 brothers, which had been in an accident but could be repaired. Robert goes with Pat to the mountains for a week.

E. M. Remarque “Three Comrades”: summaryXXII- XXVIIIchapters

Robert returns home, and there is new trouble. The owner of the car went bankrupt and all his property went under the hammer. Including this car. And since he was not insured, his friends would not receive anything from the insurance company. Their workshop was also put up for auction. Pat was prescribed bed rest. Robert gets drunk out of desperation. There is a rally in the city. Lenz went there in the morning and has not returned yet. Otto and Robert find him. A young man speaks at the rally with fascist slogans. As the friends leave, four guys suddenly appear, one of whom shoots and kills Lenz. Alphonse volunteers to help find the scumbag. He finds him and kills him. Kester and Robert go to the sanatorium. Pat was allowed out for a walk, but she was no better. She knows about it, and her friends know, but everyone is silent. They don’t tell her about Lenz’s death. Kester leaves, and Robert stays with Pat. She dreams of being happy at least in the remaining time. In March, landslides began in the mountains. Pat is getting worse, she no longer gets up. She died before dawn. Leaving was painful and difficult. Pat squeezed Robert's hand, but no longer recognized him. A new day will come without her.