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 remembers his past: childhood and school years, conscription to war in 1916, wounding of Kester, 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 talking with Pat only after large quantity Roma
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”: summary VIII- 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 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 Lentz. 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.
The novel is rated by critics as the most humane classic work. Few authors were able to so accurately show the characters of the actors and play on their contrast. In the novel, a person is shown from the side when he is at the bottom of despair. Erich Maria Remarque began writing the novel “Three Comrades” in 1932. The author was a former front-line soldier and subsequently became an ardent pacifist.
The fate of the work
The book was written by Remarque as a saga about his generation. Remarque “Three Comrades” summary appeared on German only after the Second World War, i.e. a decade later. Few can imagine emotional condition writer who completed the work only in 1936.
In my homeland the author turned outcast, the German fascists made him this way. The Nazis staged raids while watching a film based on the classic's work, and the circulation of his books was banned. The book almost immediately acquired the status of a world bestseller, but in its homeland Remarque’s book was banned. The novel has an intriguing and life-affirming plot that shaped a new German spirituality.
Three comrades
The book is written about love, friendship, courage. The book teaches how to withstand the blows of fate with dignity and move on. The novel is written about Remarque's generation. It begins with the events that occurred on the morning of Robert Lokamp's thirtieth birthday. The first chapter has T main role throughout the work. It tells about the character of the heroes, here the reader gets acquainted with the main actors works. Robert comes to a car repair shop, where he works as a mechanic before his main job.
1. Robert has known his colleagues since childhood.
- His friend is the proactive, strong man Otto Kester.
- And the second friend is artistic and soulful person Gottfried Lenz.
My first friend started a career as a pilot and later became a racer. Otto is the most unpredictable among his friends, he drives a great car, and he is a professional auto mechanic. The second friend has always been the life of the party, he jokes a lot. Gottfried is sociable and enjoys attention from women. He also has many friends among bartenders. Robert Lokamp has a business spirit, so he often negotiates. They have been together since childhood, grew up together, studied and fought together. And now they work together. They have a strong friendship, which is what men have:
- They are frank with each other.
- Friendly.
- They help each other in difficult situations.
- Self-respect reigns between them.
Robert's birthday
Robert went deep into himself and began to remember own life. He falls into deep thought. He sees the cleaning lady, the elderly Frau Stoss, who thinks that there is no one in the room and drinks from a bottle of rum that the mechanics had not finished drinking. It’s Robert’s anniversary today, so he doesn’t reproach the woman, but pours her another glass. When the woman leaves after congratulating Robert, sad memories come over him. Further, his life is presented in a certain chronology:
Friendship between Robert and his friends
Thanks to war and revolution main character one left. The novel does not mention whether Robert has any relatives, but friends have replaced them. They work together in a car repair shop, spend their leisure time together, help each other financially and morally, and run their simple business together. When dark memories of war and death began to emerge in their memory, they suppressed them by drinking alcoholic beverages.
They had syndrome " former soldiers» , when the ghosts of dead comrades come in a dream and there is no strength to forget all the horror experienced... The author described this state based on own experience. Here is a description of the entire generation of Germans who, after the war, found themselves unclaimed by society. But not all people succumbed to general despair, among them three friends Lokamp, Lenz and Kester. They managed:
- Repair cars.
- We purchased a Cadillac and repaired it for sale.
- For the sake of interest, they turned an old wreck into a sports coupe, which had a powerful sports engine.
Episode on the way
Robbie celebrates his birthday and Gottfried gives him an "amulet against evil rock", which he inherited from the granddaughter of the Inca leader. Otto gives him 6 bottles of rum. They planned a picnic in the evening, but there was a work day ahead. On the way to a picnic, friends are having fun. They play on the contrast between the appearance of the car and its contents. Friends call the car Karl.
This evening next to them drove a fancy Buick, his driver decided to boast to his girlfriend about the car’s capabilities and overtakes Karl several times. But after this, the three comrades overtake the Buick, leaving it far behind. The Buick driver caught up with his comrades near a roadside cafe where they planned to sit. Binding, a Buick driver, introduces his companion, Patricia Holman, to his comrades. They unconditionally liked the pretty, mysterious and silent girl. At the end of the feast, Robert takes the girl’s phone, ostensibly to make sure that she arrived home safely.
Pension Frau Zalewski
In this chapter, Remarque describes the mini-hotel and its inhabitants. This building was typical of those times where people from last bit of strength survived. Robert and his neighbors lived in this building, who were not happy in personal life. Among the neighbors the following heroes:
These people ended up in the boarding house because of the war and revolution. The next day, Robert wakes up in his apartment and goes to have breakfast at the International Cafe. As a result, the man decides to call Patricia Holman.
Two dates with Patricia
Robert hasn't had much contact with girls before, so he's shy and clumsy. The conversation with Patricia did not work out, so the man drinks for courage. When Robbie realizes that he is drunk, he returns to his home. Gottfried Lenz gives Rob good advice- send the girl a bouquet of roses. Pat accepted the flowers and Robert asked her out a second time. The young man teaches Patricia how to drive the Karl. During the date, the young people felt attracted to each other. In the evening they visit a bar, where they meet Gottfried, and together they go to have fun at the amusement park.
Patricia Holman
Patricia is a very charming young girl, there have always been many fans around her. But, unexpectedly for herself, she falls in love with a simple auto mechanic. She wants happiness, but her body is affected by tuberculosis. She had previously been treated for this disease and felt better. She believes that she is still young and will be able to overcome her illness. When the girl was convinced of her feelings for Robert, she invited him home.
Patricia smart, educated and lonely. She was born to wealthy parents, from whom she received beautiful furniture. She rents two rooms in a house that once belonged to her parents. But Pat wants to earn her own living and is looking for a job as a record salesman.
In the 20s, the crisis in Germany worsened and the income from the workshop began to bring in less money. But the friends did not fall into despair. They rented a taxi and earned money on it. They then raced Carl. He, driven by racer Otto, takes first place.
Robert and Pat's love
Pat has a crush on Robbie and shows him her favorite places in the city. At the theater they meet her friend, Broiler, and he invites them to a restaurant. Pat loves to dance, but Robert doesn't know how to do it. Then the girl dances with Broiler. Robert is jealous of his beloved and gets very drunk. The situation is getting tense, perhaps a quarrel is about to occur between the young lovers.
But the couple made up:
- Robert didn't say goodbye to Pat in the restaurant. The broiler takes them home and drops Robert off at the bar, where he gets very drunk.
- When Robbie returns home, he sees a frozen Pat waiting for him near the door.
- He warms his beloved with a cup of tea, and they spend time together until the evening.
Pat's illness returns
Soon Pat’s illness makes itself known. But this does not bode well. Robert was able to implement old dream- he sold a refurbished Cadillac profitably. Robbie boasts about the check to his friends. Now that he has received his share, he will be able to go on vacation to the sea for 2 weeks with Pat. But something unexpected happened at sea - Pat developed a throat bleed. Robbie informs Kester about this and he brings her attending physician Jaffe to the sick girl on Karl. The doctor treats Patricia for several days and she feels better.
Robert is always next to his beloved. She really likes it gift - Irish terrier puppy. He became a joy and an outlet for her. But doctors strongly recommend taking the sick girl to a mountain sanatorium where seriously ill patients are housed. Among the patients, Robbie meets a patient who looks at him with calm courage. And he understands what Jaffe, who himself lost his wife, wants to tell him: very often people with serious illnesses live longer healthy people.
Workshop for sale
Meanwhile in Germany they are advancing Hard times: hyperinflation has begun in the country and orders will stop. But the friends found a way out: when they were passing the race track on Karl, they noticed a crashed Citroen. They were able to discourage competitors from repairing it. To repair the car, I had to buy expensive parts, but the profit had to justify the costs. But things didn't go so well. The owner of the car became bankrupt and the car had to be sold under the hammer. To cover debts, friends sold the workshop.
Death of Lenz
At that time Harmless rallies took place in Germany, which Gottfried Lenz became interested in. At one of the rallies, Robbie and Otto find their friend, and trying to calm him down, they lead him to the car. But Lenz fires at a Nazi militant and is killed on the spot. Otto and Robbie want to avenge their comrade by combing the city. But the bartender Alphonse beat them to it.
Death of Patricia
Robert learns by phone that his lover is on bed rest. Otto, who immediately realized something was wrong, takes his friend to the hospital on Karl. He and Patricia watch the sunset.
Friends know that he is the last in her life. Patricia's life ends an hour before dawn. In the morning, Lokamp receives a considerable amount of money from Krester. A friend sold Karl to raise money for the funeral.
One of the most powerful moments of the novel is the description inner world Robert, who realized that the girl next to him was already dead.
At night, Robbie does not leave a single step from Patricia, who has a throat bleed. But Patricia is doomed... And then Robert says beautiful words: “Then morning came, and she was no longer there...”
Conclusion
What happened next to Robert after the loss of his beloved friend and lover? Will circumstances break him? The author does not directly answer this question; the reader must figure out what happened to the main character. Robert was not left alone; his faithful friend and comrade Otto Kester is still with him. They have known each other for a long time and we went through a lot of troubles together. Usually after this people become closer.
It was described more than once in the novel that friends can work together and take right decisions. Therefore, the reader can be sure that if luck turns up for friends, they will not miss it. Retelling the book does not convey the depth of the novel, so everyone should read it!
Remarque worked on writing the novel “Three Comrades” for four years and completed it in 1936. At first it was a small work called “Pat”, which after a while was transformed into a full-fledged book about love, the setting for which was post-war Germany.
For reader's diary and to prepare for a literature lesson, we recommend reading online a summary of “Three Comrades” chapter by chapter, as well as taking a test to test your knowledge.
Main characters
Robert Lokamp (Robbie)- a thirty-year-old man, a participant in the First World War, the best friend of Otto and Gottfried, in love with Patricia.
Otto Koester- owner of a car repair shop, was a pilot during the war, a passionate amateur race driver, and boxer.
Gottfried Lenz- a front-line comrade of Robert and Otto, their peer, easy-going and positive, a lover of travel.
Patricia Holman (Pat)- Robert's beloved.
Other characters
Gigolo- the owner of the pub, a nice fellow, good friend Lenza.
Professor Jaffe- Patricia Holman's attending physician.
Frau Zalewski- the owner of the boarding house where Robert rents accommodation.
Matilda Stoss– a cleaner at Otto’s auto repair shop, a big drinker.
Chapter I
In the morning, in a car repair shop, Robert Lokamp finds fifty-year-old cleaning lady Mathilde Stoss drunk. “Vodka was to her what lard is to a rat,” and she, without hesitation, drank a bottle of the owner’s expensive cognac. However, the man does not reprimand her, but, on the contrary, offers to drink "aged, old, Jamaican" rum in honor of his thirtieth birthday.
His whole life passes before Robert's eyes. In 1916, he became a recruit, and a year later - a participant in military battles and a witness to the death of his friends. Upon returning to his native Germany, revolution, famine, and inflation await him. Robert tries not to think about the past, which invariably “goggles its dead eyes.”
Robbie is young, strong, and works in a car repair shop with his comrades from school, and then from the front - Gottfried Lenz and Otto Kester. After a day of work, they get into a shabby car nicknamed “Karl”, in which Otto restored all the “insides” and installed a powerful engine, and go to dinner.
Along the way, the friends compete in speed with the arrogant driver of a brand new Buick and, of course, win. In a cafe, they become better acquainted with their opponent and his charming companion named Patricia Holman. The company celebrates Robert's birthday together, and he finally takes Patricia's phone number.
Chapters II-IV
For the third year now, Robert Lokamp has been renting a furnished room in Frau Zalewski's boarding house. His neighbors are the Hasse spouses, who are always quarreling with each other, the bankrupt Russian Count Orlov, the secretary Erna Benig, the second-year student Georg Blok and many others whom lack of money brought to this godforsaken boarding house.
Robert asks Patricia out on a date, but when he sees her he realizes that they "can't have anything in common." At first, the young people feel a little constrained, but after a lot of drinking they start an easy and relaxed conversation.
The next day, Robert, as usual, goes to the International Cafe, where he used to work as a tapper in the evenings. There he finds himself at a big feast - the prostitute Lilly, surrounded by her friends, celebrates her upcoming marriage. However, Robbie can't relax - he's worried that he made a bad impression on Pat with his drunkenness.
The hero sends him to the workshop, where he finds his friends. They invite Robbie to drink with them, but he refuses because "damned drunkenness" no longer gives him pleasure.
He asks Lenz for advice, as a great expert in love affairs– Do people in love always “behave like fools?” To which his friend reassures him that “a woman will never find anyone funny who does something for her sake.” The next morning, Lokamp sends Patricia a bouquet of roses.
Chapters V-IX
Friends are restoring a Cadillac and trying to sell it for more money. Soon a potential buyer appears - the owner of the knitting factory Blumenthal - “a damn hard nut to crack.” Gottfried decides to help Robbie sell an expensive car and, dressed as a dandy, shows his interest. However, he clearly miscalculated, and thereby “scared off the billionaire.”
Since a meeting was scheduled for “the evening at Gottfried’s,” Robbie goes to a friend’s place, where he spends time in the company of Theo Braumuller, an old friend of Kester’s and a fellow auto racing enthusiast, and Ferdinand Grau, a philosopher and artist who draws portraits from photographs of dead people.
On a date with Patricia, Robert takes a Cadillac from a car repair shop and offers to spend it in the best restaurant he has ever known. However, the girl refuses, because the crowd there is “always boring and prim.” Then Robbie suggests going to the pub to see Alphonse, his good friend.
Watching his companion, Robert notes that he really likes her “simple and relaxed demeanor.” After the pub, they drive slowly through the evening city, and Robert offers Pat to teach her to drive. Thanks to driving lessons, they soon "felt as close as if they were telling each other the story of their lives."
Unexpectedly, Pat and Robbie meet Lenz, who invites everyone to go to the amusement park together. Friends ruin the owner of the ring-throwing attraction, taking absolutely all the prizes.
Two days later, the gentleman expresses a desire to take a test drive in a Cadillac, and Lokamp manages to have such a stranglehold on the big businessman that he eventually purchases a luxury car.
Patricia has been sick for a week, and Robert has not seen her during this time. As soon as the girl gets better, he invites her to visit him. To impress, he borrows the best furniture and decorative items from the hostess and other guests.
Upon meeting Pat, Robert learns that she has a business dinner planned with Binding that evening, and their date is cancelled. However, they can walk around the city a little together. Lokamp's mood deteriorates and he feels “tired and empty.”
During the walk, Robert, wanting to annoy Pat, greets all the prostitutes he knows. He is sure that the girl will be offended, but in response she only laughs “heartily and carefree”, calls Robbie a child and kisses him goodbye. Lokamp returns home in high spirits.
Chapters IX-XIV
On Sunday, Otto, who had spent the entire week training, wins the race in his lightning-fast Karl. Robert comes to cheer for him along with Pat, who meets all his friends. The cheerful company goes to Alphonse's pub to celebrate the victory. At dinner, Patricia is "too much of a success" by charming Robbie's friends.
Pat and Robbie walk through the city at night and spend the night together.
Things aren't going well in the workshop, and Robert and Otto go to an auction where they buy a used taxi. They plan to take turns taxiing in order to somehow stay afloat.
Robert goes to visit Pat because he wants to "know more about her, know how she lives." Seeing the exquisite furnishings of Pat's home, Robbie sadly realizes that they are "at different levels of society."
Patricia says that after the death of her mother, she was bedridden for a year due to an illness, thanks to which she learned to love life and find joy in little things. After a bereavement and a long illness, she wants to “live easily and joyfully, not be tied down by anything” and do whatever her heart desires.
"Until real orders are received," the friends decide to take turns driving a taxi. The lot falls to Robert, and he goes to the parking lot near the hotel. Here he gets into a fight with Gustav for the right to transport passengers. He manages to defeat the enemy, and he strikes up friendly relations with other taxi drivers.
In the evening, friends meet for dinner and begin to philosophize about life. Robbie walks Pat home, and the girl sadly admits that she is “half and not whole. So... a fragment...”, to which Robert objects: “Such women are loved forever!”
At dawn, Lokamp meets Lisa, a young prostitute for whom he previously had tender feelings. After talking with Robert, she quickly realizes that he is in love with another woman.
Frau Zalewski admits to Lokamp that he can openly bring Pat to him. She liked the girl, but she believes that “this is a woman for a man with a good, strong position,” and not for a reveler like Robbie.
In the evening, Lokamp goes with Pat to the theater, in which he feels awkward. Concerts, exhibitions, theaters, books - he had already “almost lost his taste for all these bourgeois habits.” Unexpectedly, the lovers encounter Pat's former friends, sophisticated and wealthy people. One of them, Mr. Breuer, has long been unrequitedly in love with Pat. Robert feels out of place in such sophisticated society and gets drunk out of grief. All night long he walks through taverns and taverns, and in the morning, returning home, he finds Patricia on the stairs. They make peace and agree not to meet again in the company, because “ real love does not tolerate strangers."
The friends manage to pull off a profitable deal - buy back the newly sold Cadillac from Blumenthal and resell it to the baker, who, after the death of his wife, became involved with an arrogant, mercantile girl.
Chapters XV-XVIII
Thanks to a successful deal, Robert gets the opportunity to go with Pat to the sea for two weeks. They rent a room in a small, cozy villa and head to the beach. During the rest, Robbie more than once noticed in Pat, “how exuberant cheerfulness instantly and sharply gave way in her to deep fatigue.” Despite her apparent strength and health, she “had no reserve of strength.”
After a long swim in cold water Patricia starts bleeding. She "breathed rapidly, there was inhuman suffering in her eyes, she was choking and coughing, bleeding."
Robert calls Kester to find Pat's doctor, Professor Felix Jaffe, as soon as possible. In his trusty “Carl,” Otto manages to bring a doctor to the sick girl in time, and he provides the necessary assistance.
Two weeks later, Pat is well enough to make the trip back. In honor of returning home, the young people go to Alphonse's, where they eat crayfish.
Having learned that a large room with a balcony is available in the boarding house, he invites Pat to move in with him. The girl is not sure what it is good idea- to be together all the time, but Robbie admits “that in recent weeks I realized how wonderful it is to be inseparable all the time” and no longer wants short dates with her.
Lokamp, who by that time had become friends with the taxi driver Gustav, is interested in “what can a woman do when she sits alone for a long time.” The man replies that it is very simple - “you need a child or a dog.” Gustav helps Robert choose a purebred Irish terrier puppy for his beloved.
That evening, Dr. Jaffe tells Lokamp that Pat’s illness is extremely serious - both lungs are affected, and she needs sanatorium treatment. The doctor reassures Robert that “life is a very strange thing” and “a terminally ill person can outlive a healthy one.”
Chapters XIX-XXIII
During the next test of “Karl”, friends witness terrible accident. They take the victims to the hospital and receive an order from them to repair the damaged car. With great difficulty, the friends manage to win a lucrative order from the Vogt brothers, their main competitors.
In mid-October, Dr. Jaffe calls Lokamp and reports that Pat needs to be urgently sent to a sanatorium, since in cold, damp weather “she is in danger all the time.” The professor explains that “she will survive the winter well in the mountains” and will be able to return home in the spring.
That same evening, after a farewell dinner with friends, the lovers leave the city.
A week later, Robert returns home. In the workshop, he learns that the car, which they fought so hard to win back on the road, is not insured, and its owner is bankrupt. Things are going very badly for friends. In order to somehow make ends meet, Robert again gets a job as a pianist at the Internationale. He celebrates Christmas there, in the company of faithful friends, local prostitutes and cattle dealers.
Chapters XXIV-XXVIII
The city welcomes January of the New Year with numerous rallies. People, exhausted by lack of money, carry “banners demanding work and bread.” The clashes between strikers and police result in injuries.
Otto and Robert go in search of Lenz, who disappears at political meetings. They manage to find him in a pub and pull him out of the thick of the fighting crowd. Suddenly, four guys appear from the gateway and shoot Lenz point-blank.
Quickly assessing the situation, Otto put Lenz in his car and "set off at full speed to the nearest ambulance station." Upon examination, the doctor finds a "small dark hole near the heart" and reports that the young man died almost instantly. The friends tell the police that they did not see the faces of the criminals - they want to find them themselves and avenge the death of their friend.
In February, Otto sells the auto repair shop, as well as all equipment and taxis. He plans to get a job as a "racer in a small car company" in the spring, and Robert works part-time in the evenings at the International, unsuccessfully trying to find a day job.
Accidentally entering a roadside inn, Robert discovers Lenz's killer there. Otto tries to kill him right away, but Robbie dissuades him from hasty action. In the evening, he goes to Alphonse’s pub and finds him with a laceration on his thigh. Lokamp finds out that Lenz has already been avenged by Alfons, who had previously tracked down the scumbag.
In the evening, Robert receives a telegram from Pat, in which “there were only three words: “Robbie, come quickly...”.” In order not to waste precious time, Otto invites his friend to get to the sanatorium in his car.
When they meet, the friends realize that Patricia has not gotten better. The girl herself realizes this. She dreams of only one thing - to feel a little happy in the time allotted to her.
So that Robert has the opportunity to live next to Patricia, Otto sells the “Carl”, about which he said that he would rather lose his arm than this car” and sends his friend the necessary amount.
Pat regrets that she and Robert do not have a child, so that they could “leave at least something behind themselves.” She admits that she was truly happy with him, “only for a short time, too short.”
Patricia's condition deteriorates sharply, Robbie does not leave her side. Pat's death last hour nights, even before dawn began."
Conclusion
In his work, Remarque highlights the problems of the “lost generation” - young people who faced the horrors of war at a very young age. They look at life completely differently, they are friends, they love. These are the people who represent the main characters of the novel.
After familiarizing yourself with a brief retelling“Three Comrades” we recommend reading the novel by E.M. Remarque in its entirety.
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Retelling rating
average rating: 4 . Total ratings received: 82.
In Germany, which had just experienced defeat in the First World War. The country has come economic crisis. The city streets were flooded with soldiers returning from the front and disappointed in life.
Robert, Otto and Gottfried
Like other peers, the three main characters of Remarque’s novel also had to fight. Robert Lokamp, Otto Koester and Gottfried Lenz are inseparable. Remarque described these characters in great detail. “Three Comrades,” reviews of which began to pour in like hail immediately after the first publication of the book, describe the everyday life of the auto repair shop where they work best friends. The first day of the story is Robert's birthday (he turns thirty). The main character (of the three friends, it is on him that the author concentrates most of his attention) does not like such holidays because he is overwhelmed during them unpleasant memories about the experience.
Robert was just a boy when he was drafted to the front. There he had to endure many horrors, which he could never forget when he returned to peaceful life. These include injuries to friends and the painful death of fellow soldiers from suffocation due to poisonous gas. Then came inflation, famine and other ordeals that became the norm for the destroyed country. After the war, Otto Kester tried to study at university, but dropped out, became a pilot, then a racer, and finally entered the automobile business. Lokamp and Lenz joined him as partners. Remarque especially tried to highlight this feature of their relationship. "Three Comrades", reviews of which often emphasize friendship as the main theme of the novel, time after time demonstrate the close and trusting relationship between Lokamp, Lenz and Kester.
Purchase of "Karla"
Another one important topic“Three Comrades” (like the rest of Remarque’s work) is alcohol. In the first chapter, Lenz gives Robert 6 bottles of rare and old rum for his birthday. Long and extraordinary descriptions of alcohol are one of the signature features of such a master of prose as Erich Maria Remarque. “Three Comrades,” reviews of which have remained only positive for many years, tell a lot about friends’ attempts to make money in difficult time. The inseparable trio bought old junk at a local auction and planned to turn it into a real racing car. Under the pretext of working on this car, the morning celebration of Robert's birthday is interrupted.
Among themselves, friends call their pet “Carl.” Having put it on wheels, in the evening they go to the suburbs, where they are going to fully celebrate their birthday. On the road, Kester, Lenz and Lokamp, fooling around, overtake other cars they come across on the highway. Already at the restaurant they meet the driver and passenger of one of these cars. All five of them organize a small festive feast. A passenger named Patricia Holman leaves Robert her number.
Lost generation
All reviews of the book “Three Comrades” note the bleakness of the setting in which the book takes place. For example, Lokamp lives in furnished rooms with neighbors to varying degrees neglect. The young man Georg Blok is about to go to college, spends days poring over books, eats away the last money he earned at the mine, and suffers from health problems. Russian emigrant Count Orlov lives in constant fear that the Bolsheviks will get to him in Europe too. The Hasse couple have long forgotten about harmony and are constantly quarreling over their financial condition.
For example personal portraits the most different people Remarque demonstrates his skill as a writer. “Three Comrades” is a whole gallery of people who, in one way or another, suffered from circumstances turbulent era. The lost generation - this is how the prose writer himself characterized them. Later, this term became popular among literary critics (it also includes the work of Not far from Robert’s boarding house there is the International Cafe, where he worked as a pianist before working as a car repair shop.
New meeting with Pat
A few days after his birthday, Robert meets Patricia in a cafe. Their date is quite unusual. Lokamp knows practically nothing about the girl he met in complete coincidence. Robert's uncertainty is compensated by the fact that he has long been familiar with the public and the staff of the public establishment, which significantly relieves his tension. According to the main character, he ruined the first date by drinking too much and saying unnecessary things. On Lenz's advice, he sends Pat (as he calls Patricia for short) a bouquet of roses and apologizes for the mistake.
In the cafe, Remarque describes another front-line soldier - Valentin Gauzer. This acquaintance of Robert received an inheritance from his relatives and is now diligently drinking it away. He doesn't want to strive for anything. Having been in the war, Gauser is glad that he survived and can now drink whenever he pleases. Apathy and indifference are the moods that Remarque constantly attributes to his characters. “Three Comrades”, reviews from critics and ordinary readers - all this echoes the author.
In the amusement park
Has arrived new meeting Robert and Patricia. Now they decided to go for a ride in the car. The girl has never driven a car, and Robert lets her practice on a quiet street. The couple then goes to a bar where they meet Lenz. The trio (including Gottfried) decide to go to an amusement park. There, friends liked the pavilion with throwing rings onto hooks. Lenz and Lokamp win all the prizes.
Front-line comrades immediately remember the days of respite at the front, when they had to kill free time throwing hats on hooks. Luck accompanies them in two pavilions at once. They go to the third one, but the owner explains that it is closing. In the amusement park, the “shooters” have many fans who watch their head-to-head competition with curiosity. Friends give most prizes for these onlookers. The evening is clearly a success. Patricia is one of Robert's circle of friends. This is how the plot of the book “Three Comrades” develops gradually without sharp turns. The film, based on the novel in 1938, generally follows its plot.
"Karl" at the races
The friends are completing repairs and modifications to the Karl. Kester, as the main driver of the trio, signs the car up for racing. All night before the competition, friends check the serviceability of the equipment. The clumsy “Karl” causes uncontrollable laughter among outside mechanics on the track, but Kester insists on his own and prepares for the start. Lokamp, Lenz and Patricia gathered in the stands. Remarque brings his key characters together again in one scene. "Three Comrades", reviews of which call detailed dialogues the basis of the book, really change the pace when the next conversation or clash of interests unfolds before the reader. But on the pages occupied inner thoughts Roberta, the narrative is becoming thick and choppy.
Kester, despite the ridicule of his opponents, manages to reach the finish line first. The victory is the reason for a celebratory dinner with the bartender Alphonse (a mutual friend of Robert's company). At the end of the evening, Lokamp and Patricia quietly leave the feast. The girl stays overnight with Robert. The main character is surprised that he can cause some serious feelings in a woman, since all of him conscious life passed under the sign of strong male friendship. All these contradictory thoughts and reasoning are scrupulously described by Erich Remarque. “Three Comrades”, reviews and reviews of the book give the reader the impression that this book became outstanding due to its deep psychologism, and not plot twists and turns.
Patricia's past
Until now, work in a car repair shop has at the very least fed friends, but due to another surge in inflation, the technicians are losing their last orders. Their wallets are rapidly emptying, and the trio decides to use their last savings to buy a taxi and take turns driving the wheel through the city streets. In this area, newcomers have many competitors. On his first trip, Robert gets into an argument with another taxi driver and fights with him. Having cooled down, the men find mutual language. Robert soon makes friends with another driver, Gustav.
The main one continues story line books "Three Comrades". Reviews from ordinary readers and critics are unanimous: it is thanks to the relationship between Robert and Patricia that the novel is one of the most famous in the entire bibliography of the German writer. Lokamp goes to his girlfriend's apartment for the first time. The girl has no family left, and now she rents two rooms in an apartment that once belonged entirely to Pat’s parents. The hostess treats the guest to rum and tells new facts about her life.
Patricia survived the ordeals familiar to Germany at that time. She starved for a long time and spent a year in the hospital. She had no money, no family, and no job. Pat is going to get a job as a saleswoman in a record store. Robert, who most wants to help, understands that with his modest income he is not able to support the girl. It begins to seem to him that Patricia needs a completely different man - wealthy and solid. This is how Remarque puts his heroes before trials and difficult decisions. “Three Comrades”, reviews about them and everything that has been written about the novel unanimously testifies that this is not at all cloying fiction with simple exits and a happy ending.
Vacation at sea
Over the course of several chapters, Robert tries to sell a refurbished Cadillac to the reseller Blumenthal. This businessman has a tough temperament and intransigence in transactions. But Robert, who has found the key to a potential buyer, finally manages to earn decent money on the car. The amount is enough to recoup the investments of friends and give them profits that they have not seen for a long time. After a successful transaction, there is a holiday again in the workshop.
Using the money they earn, Robert and Patricia go to sea. The beginning of the couple's vacation is one of the brightest moments of the book "Three Comrades." Remarque, reviews of whose book show him as a writer who whips up a sad mood, this time briefly allowed his characters to fully enjoy life.
Robert specifically chose the hotel where he had already lived alone post-war year. A couple swims in the sea and sunbathes on the beach. Lokamp recalls how in 1917 his squad indulged in the small joys of life in the same way, at least for a short time getting rid of ammunition. On the second day, Patricia starts bleeding. Robert calls his friends and they find her doctor. After a couple of weeks, the girl comes to her senses and returns home. However, the alarm bell has already rung. Erich Maria Remarque often resorted to such unpleasant plot twists. “Three Comrades” in this sense is no exception for him corporate identity narratives.
New challenges
The doctor introduces Robert to Pat's medical history and insists on sending her to a sanatorium. An additional cause for concern is deteriorating wet weather, which has a negative impact on health. Patricia actually goes to the hospital. Lokamp often visits her, and before the girl leaves, he gives her a puppy - so that she would not be so bored and lonely.
There is almost no work in the workshop or in taxis. Friends are going to the mountains to test "Karl" on the eve of new races. An accident occurs before their eyes. Men rescue victims of a collision. The auto repair shop receives several new orders for repairs, which turns out to be very useful. The owner of one of the cars goes bankrupt. Vehicle it is not insured, and friends cannot recoup the money invested in its repair. Because of this, they have to sell the workshop.
The emergence of radicals
Against the backdrop of everything worsening economic situation the city is becoming restless. There are constant demonstrations of dissatisfied people, and sometimes shootouts break out. One day Lenz goes to one of the rallies. Otto and Robert go to look for their friend.
In the chapter devoted to these events, Remarque is especially accurate and thoughtful. “Three Comrades,” reviews of which from the first days of publication spoke of them as a deeply pacifist book, turned out to be more right than ever. Robert, who closely followed the people at the rallies, noticed that there were many fascist populists in the crowds. These speakers addressed minor officials, workers, accountants and other people hard hit by the economic downturn. All of them became victims of growing radical propaganda, which proposed to get rid of the traitors and saboteurs who were to blame for all the troubles.
Remarque's novel was published in 1936, and the plot apparently takes place in the second half of the 1920s. While writing the book, the author was well aware of where the Nazis were leading his country. And although the Second World War had not yet begun, dramatic changes had already taken place in German society. Repressions began, people lived in a state of patriotic frenzy. On the pages of “Three Comrades,” Remarque showed how the revanchist movement that gave Germany Hitler arose and gained popularity. Soon the prose writer had to immigrate from the country, and his books were banned. “Three Comrades” was burned at the stake along with other ideologically incorrect literature.
Denouement
Otto and Robert had good reason to worry about Lenz. At the rally he clashes with provocateurs. During a heated argument, a young man suddenly runs out of the crowd and cold-bloodedly kills Lenz, who went through the entire war. Kester and Lokamp vow to avenge their friend. They almost overtake the criminal in a suburban catering establishment, but he manages to escape. In the end, the provocateur was killed by Alphonse. Robert tells Otto this news and returns to his boarding house, where a telegram awaits him, in which Pat asks him to come to the sanatorium as quickly as possible.
Lokamp goes to the hospital on the Karl with Kester. Patricia for the first time in for a long time allowed to go beyond medical institution. Robert and Otto listen to the doctor talk about the miraculous recoveries of his patients. However, friends who have seen so much already understand true meaning words of the doctor, but do not even try to console each other. Soon Kester leaves for the city, and Robert remains in the sanatorium. In parting, Patricia asked me to say hello to Lenz. Her friends did not have the courage to tell her about the death of the merry fellow Gottfried.
After some time, Robert receives a parcel with money from Otto. He understands that Kester sold “Karl” - his last asset. The main character comes to despair from the pile of terrible news that has piled up. This gradual thickening of colors is what Remarque is all about. “Three Comrades,” whose summary and reviews call the novel a logical link in the writer’s creative chain, are right. This book fully adheres to the style of the prose writer.
It starts to get warmer in March. The first snowfalls occur in the mountains. The roar further intensifies the atmosphere in the sanatorium. Patricia is getting worse day by day. She dies at night holding Robert's hand. Remarque's novel ends along with her life.
The action takes place in Germany around 1928. Three former soldiers, comrades from the First World War - Robert Lokamp (Robbie), Otto Kester and Gottfried Lenz - have a small auto repair shop in the town.
They usually make money thanks to Inspector Barzig, an expert at the Phoenix insurance company, who supplies the auto repair shop with cars after accidents. In their free time, three friends drive an old car with a large body. For the modest appearance And tremendous speed, which the car develops, three friends nicknamed him “Carl” - “the ghost of the highway.” In addition to repairs and driving, the comrades like to drink with Ferdinand and Valentin at the Alphonse pub or the International cafe, where Robbie plays the piano.
Robbie is friends with local prostitutes Lily, Rosa, transvestite Kiki and hermit widower Stefan Grygoleit, chairman of the Union of Cattle Traders. Not far from the Internationale, Lokamp rents a small apartment in a house near the cemetery. The mistress of the house, Frau Zalewski, loves Robert, and Frieda, the maid, is at enmity with him.
Robert, or Robbie, as he is usually called, met a charming girl from a wealthy family, Patricia Holman (Pat). Although Robbie and Pat came from different backgrounds, they developed a loving relationship. The novel depicts the development of their love against the backdrop of economic, political crisis in pre-war Germany.
Issues
The novel continues the theme of the “lost generation”. People who have gone through the fear of war cannot escape the ghosts of the past. War memories constantly torment the main character. A hungry childhood caused his beloved to become ill. But it was the military brotherhood that united the three comrades Robert Lokamp, Otto Kester and Gottfried Lenz. And they are ready to do anything for friendship. Despite the death that literally permeates the novel, it talks about the desire for life.
Robert Lokamp (Robbie) is the main character, and it is on his behalf that the author tells the story. Co-owner of the Avrema auto repair shop, loves strong alcoholic drinks, and above all - rum.
Otto Kester is Robert’s friend since the war, the founder and co-owner of Avrem, an amateur racing driver. Calm and balanced in character.
Gottfried Lenz is Robert Lokamp's comrade since the war, co-owner of Avrem. Hot, cheerful, sensual, for which he is often called “the last romantic.” Tall and thin with a shock of straw hair on his head.
Patricia Holman (Pat) is a slender, thin girl with silky brown hair and long fingers. She came from an impoverished family of aristocrats.
Ferdinand Grau is a plump artist who paints the dead to order and loves to philosophize.
Valentin Gauser is Robbie's comrade from the war. He took it especially hard because he was very afraid for his own life. After returning from the front, he began to celebrate life and enjoy every minute of it - to drink away his entire enormous inheritance.
Alphonse is the owner of the pub and big friend Lenza. Loves fights and choral music. Strong, calm person with small eyes.
Selected quotes “Walking beefsteak graveyard,” is the final phrase of drunken Robbie during an argument with a fat passerby.
Modesty and conscientiousness are rewarded only in novels.
“Only a fool wins in life, a wise man sees too many obstacles and loses confidence before he has time to start something,” Ferdinand Grau.
“We all live with illusions and debts... Illusions are from the past, and debts are against the future,” Gottfried Lenz and Ferdinand Grau.
“A woman should not tell a man that she loves him. Let her shining ones talk about this, happy eyes" - Robbie.
Love begins in a person, but never ends there.
Happiness is the most uncertain and expensive thing in the world.
To be able to forget yourself is the motto today, and endless thoughts, really, are useless!
It is necessary to deviate from principles sometimes, otherwise they do not bring joy.
Human life lasts a very long time for one love.
Morality is an invention of humanity, but not a conclusion from life experience.
“It’s better to die when you want to live than to live until you want to die,” Pat.
“If you want to live, it means there is something you love,” Pat.