The Black Obelisk

"The Black Obelisk" ( _de. Der schwarze Obelisk) is a novel written in 1956 by the German author Erich Maria Remarque. This novel paints a portrait of Germany in the early 1920's, a period marked by hyper-inflation and rising nationalism.

Ludwig, the protagonist, is in his early 20's and he, just like most of his friends, isa World War I veteran. Although aspiring to be a poet, he works for afriend, Georg, managing the office of a small tombstone company.He tries to earn some extra money as a private tutor to a son of abookstore owner, and by playing the organ at the chapel of a localinsane asylum.

Thanks to this diversity of activities, Ludwiginteracts with a wide cross-section of the German population of histown and the surrounding villages and we are allowed to witness thoseinteractions. We see, for example, businessmen -- some trying tostick to the old principles and going bankrupt, others speculating onstocks, exploiting the system and becoming rich in morally ambiguousways. We see war veterans -- some highly critical of the old waysthat led them to a failed war, others longing for the old days ofmilitary discipline and turning into inflexible nationalists hailingthe virtues of their rising leader, Adolf Hitler.

A lot of events are connected to women. Two of them leave Ludwig, just because he cannot float in the contemporary world of greed and money. He chose to stay "clean", maybe not by himself, but he cannot be anything other than true to his ideals and now he has to live with that choice.

We also meet Isabelle, a patient at the insane asylum. Ludwig's long conversations with her give Remarque an opportunity to embark on long philosophical debates about life -- these long dialogues are probably the least enticing part of the book. But they areusually followed by much more concrete and interesting conversations with the head doctor and the priest working at the asylum.

Simon Publications (2002) ISBN 1-931541-90-6

(Adapted with permission from [http://www.gajos.org/books/reviews/blackObelisk-page] )