What strikes the reader immediately is the brutality of the conditions of the battle. A Russian advance bogged down, the Germans on the other hand had run out of everything, food, water, ammunition and replacements. Combatants from both sides were lost, some surrendered, if just to get away from that constant bombardment or in the case of the Runner, to avoid another run between the frontline and the Battalion HQ. Those who were injured and could not get away were either treated or ravaged, depending on the random deal of luck. And then there was the absurdity of the command, some of which appeared to have come out of "a children's storybook." (pg 79), though nothing beats the attempt to carry out a court-martial in the middle of raining bombardment and strafing planes (pg. 138).
The author's success in the graphic descriptions is helped much by his ability to describe, using the most imaginative words and sentences. Take for example:
A geyser of earth from a shell impact swallowed him up and spat him out again. (pg. 9)The reader immediately imagines earth and dust shooting out of the ground and 'him' having miraculously survived, emerging from the cloud of thick dust and shrapnel. Examples like this are found throughout the book.
The one failing I find was the attempt at a love story which while might just have been real enough, didn't sit well anywhere in the book and feels unnecessary. Besides that, I think this short book is a good read and one that allows readers to get a good idea of what the fighting at the Eastern Front was like. Since there does not seem to be many English (or translated) novels set in that theatre, this one is recommended for anyone who is interested.
(Find this book at Goodreads)
