mcfc1923 Posted 10 August , 2004 Share Posted 10 August , 2004 Just finished reading all quite on the western front a couple of days ago, and wow!! was i in for a surprise. I have seen the film version, Lew Ayres not John boy Walton, first seen it when i was about 9 or 10 and the ending of the film even at that age haunted me for weeks. but the book is something special, i just never expected it to be like that, thought i would be reading the book version of the film. i was in for a surprise to say the least. It's been many moons since i sat and read a book all the way through, i mostly watch dvd or vhs ww1 documentries, but this reading lark works wonders for the imagination. trip to the library tomorrow i think. mcfc1923 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 10 August , 2004 Share Posted 10 August , 2004 Welcome to the Forum mcfc... and yes it is great to read classics again, for the first time. andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcfc1923 Posted 10 August , 2004 Author Share Posted 10 August , 2004 cheers Andy, and if i can find a book half a good i'll be more than happy. mcfc1923 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lassuy Posted 10 August , 2004 Share Posted 10 August , 2004 Interestingly, on the forum on the Trenches on the Web site, a gentleman regularly contributes passages of All Quiet. He says that the current English translations are seriously flawed, and he is translating it out of the original German for eventual publication. We are patiently waiting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcfc1923 Posted 10 August , 2004 Author Share Posted 10 August , 2004 Interestingly, on the forum on the Trenches on the Web site, a gentleman regularly contributes passages of All Quiet. He says that the current English translations are seriously flawed, and he is translating it out of the original German for eventual publication. We are patiently waiting! now that is interesting. will check that out for sure. The edition of all quite that i have was published in 1994 and translated from the german by Brian Murdoch. I wonder if my book falls into the seriously flawed category ?. many thanks for the info lassuy. mcfc1923 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyHollinger Posted 10 August , 2004 Share Posted 10 August , 2004 As to the flaws, I would think this may be some level of acedemic issue, rather than a literary one. Remarque was quite fluent (speaking and writing) in English. Remember he ended his career as a Hollywood man and wrote several novels published first in the US in English. All that is to say, while the English translations might not be "accurate" as to what he wrote in German, Remarque himself would have "corrected" anything he saw "in error" ... while I have no historical proof ... his profeciency in English is enough for me to believe he "must" have read the translation and would have corrected things he saw that were contrary to his intensions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 10 August , 2004 Share Posted 10 August , 2004 The Murdoch translation is deeply flawed. Take the introduction: "We are in camp five miles behind the line. Yesterday our relief arrived; now our bellies are full of bully beef and beans, we've had enough to eat and we're well satisfied" Wheen's (original) "We are at rest five miles behind the front. Yesterday we were relieved, and now our bellies are full of beef and haricot beans.We are satisfied and at peace". Apart from the gtreater elegance of Wheen's prose, the changes are important. They show a lack of knowledge of the great war - the recent retranslation of Storm of Steel has a similar problem. Bully beef was British issue. That which the Germans had - and greatly relished -was captured from the British - beef and haricot beans were a fairly standard German meal. In camp is different from we are at rest. Similar infelicities abound in Murdoch's translation. Wheen however was a soldier serving with the AIF. He translated all (from memory) of Remarque's books. Perhaps his translation is worthy of re-evaluation but it still knocks Murdoch's into a cocked hat. Even better than All Quiet is The Road Back, Remarque's second book, a sort of German evaluation of loss and disenchantment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Burns Posted 10 August , 2004 Share Posted 10 August , 2004 Even better than All Quiet is The Road Back, Remarque's second book, a sort of German evaluation of loss and disenchantment Hi David, I read and enjoyed "The Road Back" but found it to be a little obvious at times though a a great post-war novel I thought it was a little too heavy-handed. I found All quiet to be more subtle and enjoyable. Only one way to settle this though, I'll have to re-read them both. Take care, Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john w. Posted 10 August , 2004 Share Posted 10 August , 2004 I too have finished All Quiet... enjoyed it greatly, am now reading Goodbye to all that.... all good... John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 4 February , 2022 Share Posted 4 February , 2022 On 10/08/2004 at 02:07, mcfc1923 said: ... I have seen the film version, Lew Ayres not John boy Walton, first seen it when i was about 9 or 10 and the ending of the film even at that age haunted me for weeks. but the book is something special, i just never expected it to be like that, thought i would be reading the book version of the film. Watch the 1930 version here. The 1979 version is also available on the same streaming service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 17 February , 2022 Share Posted 17 February , 2022 I've watched it a dozen times, and will do so another dozen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 17 February , 2022 Share Posted 17 February , 2022 Here a little sample from my collection showing press reactions with regard to the events around the 1930s screening of the film and the film program. GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 17 February , 2022 Share Posted 17 February , 2022 Here is another headline compilation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 17 February , 2022 Share Posted 17 February , 2022 6 hours ago, GreyC said: Here a little sample from my collection showing press reactions with regard to the events around the 1930s screening of the film and the film program. GreyC If I spoke German, it'd be even MORE fascinating, but the obvious impact of the film (after the power of the novel, just seven years after the war ended) is awe inspiring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 17 February , 2022 Share Posted 17 February , 2022 Thanks for your comment, the headlines state that after a decision in a court of law the screening was stopped and that the production company had pulled the film from circulation. GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 17 February , 2022 Share Posted 17 February , 2022 22 minutes ago, GreyC said: Thanks for your comment, the headlines state that after a decision in a court of law the screening was stopped and that the production company had pulled the film from circulation. GreyC Wow. That's intense. Was that the Wiemar Republic? or after the ascension of Herr Hitler? Am actually now listening to the June 1940 radio coverage by William L. Shirer, of the reversal of history, of the railroad car where two armistice agreements were negotiated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 17 February , 2022 Share Posted 17 February , 2022 25 minutes ago, GreyC said: Thanks for your comment, the headlines state that after a decision in a court of law the screening was stopped and that the production company had pulled the film from circulation. GreyC I'm sorry, obviously the 1930 date would have that as being the Wiemar Republics period of existence. Considering the openness of society that the Republic was known for, that they would deny such a film from reaching the attention of the public, as it could have been the act of catharsis such a story brings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 23 February , 2022 Share Posted 23 February , 2022 It is well worth seeking a copy of initial English language translation. New "modern" English language translations are far from satisfactory in my view Regards David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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