In Germany, which had just survived the defeat in the First World War. The country is in an economic crisis. The streets of the cities were flooded with soldiers who had returned from the front and were 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 Kester and Gottfried Lenz are inseparable. Remarque described these characters in great detail. "Three Comrades", reviews of which fell like hail immediately after the first publication of the book, describe the everyday life of a car 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 focuses most of his attention) does not like such holidays because during them he is overcome by unpleasant memories of what he experienced.

Robert was just a boy when he was drafted to the front. There he had to endure many horrors, which he could not forget about, returning to a peaceful life. These are the wounds of friends, and the painful death of fellow soldiers from suffocation due to poison gas. Then came inflation, famine and other ordeals that became the norm for a destroyed country. Otto Kester tried to study at the university after the war, 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 "Karl"

One more 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 unconventional descriptions of alcohol are one of the hallmarks 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 the attempts of friends to earn money in difficult times. The inseparable trinity bought old junk at a local auction and set out to make a real racing car out of it. Under the pretext of working on this car, the morning celebration of Robert's birthday is interrupted.

Among themselves, friends call their pet "Karl". Putting it on wheels, in the evening they go to the suburbs, where they are going to fully celebrate their birthday. On the way, Kester, Lenz and Lokamp, ​​fooling around, overtake the rest of the cars that they come across on the highway. Already in the restaurant they meet the driver and passenger of one of these cars. Together, the 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 environment in which the book takes place. For example, Lokamp lives in furnished rooms with neighbors varying degrees neglect. The young man Georg Blok is going to enter the institute, pores over books for days, eats up the last money 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. The Hasse couple have long forgotten about harmony and constantly quarrel over their financial condition.

On the example of personal portraits of the most different people demonstrates his skill as a writer Remarque. "Three Comrades" is a whole gallery of people who in one way or another suffered from the circumstances of a 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 creativity. Not far from Robert's boarding house is the International Cafe, where he worked as a pianist before the auto repair shop.

New meeting with Pat

A few days after his birthday, Robert meets Patricia in a cafe. Their date is rather unusual. Lokamp knows almost nothing about the girl he met by pure chance. Robert's uncertainty is compensated by the fact that he has long been familiar with the public and the staff of a public institution, which noticeably relieves his tension. According to the main character, he ruined the first date by drinking too much and saying too much. On the advice of Lenz, he sends Pat (as he calls Patricia for short) a bouquet of roses and apologizes for the oversight.

In a cafe, Remarque describes another front-line soldier - Valentin Gauser. 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. Gauzer, who has been in the war, is already glad that he survived and can now drink whenever he pleases. Apathy and indifference are the moods that Remarque constantly attaches to his characters. "Three Comrades", reviews of critics and ordinary readers - all this echoes the author.

At the amusement park

There was a new meeting between Robert and Patricia. Now they decided to go for a drive. The girl has never driven a car, and Robert gives her practice on a quiet street. The couple then go 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 on hooks. Lenz and Lokamp win all the prizes.

Front-line comrades immediately recall the days of respite at the front, when they had to kill free time throwing hats on hooks. Good luck accompanies them in two pavilions at once. They go to the third, but the owner explains that it is closing. In the amusement park, the “shooters” have a lot of fans who are watching their full-time competition with curiosity. Friends give most of the prizes to these onlookers. The evening is clearly a success. Patricia is part of Robert's circle of friends. So gradually, without sharp turns, the plot of the book "Three Comrades" develops. The film, based on the novel in 1938, generally repeats its plot.

"Karl" at the races

Friends complete the repair and modification of "Karl". Kester, as the trio's chief driver, writes the car down for the races. All night before the competition, friends check the serviceability of equipment. Outside mechanics on the track lurid "Karl" causes unbridled laughter, 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 another conversation or clash of interests unfolds in front of the reader. But on the pages occupied by Robert's inner thoughts, the narrative becomes viscous and torn.

Kester, despite the ridicule of opponents, manages to come to the finish line first. The victory is an occasion for a gala dinner at 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 protagonist is surprised at what can cause some serious feelings in a woman, since his entire conscious life has 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 has become 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, technicians are losing their last orders. Purses are rapidly emptying, and the trinity decides to buy a taxi with their last savings and take turns turning the steering wheel through the streets of the city. In this area, newcomers have many competitors. During his first flight, Robert quarrels with another taxi driver and fights with him. Cooled down, men find mutual language. Robert soon befriends fellow driver Gustav.

The main storyline of the book "Three Comrades" also continues. The reviews of 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 gets into his girlfriend's apartment for the first time. The girl has no family left, and now she rents two rooms of an apartment that once belonged entirely to Pat's parents. The hostess treats the guest with rum and tells new facts about her life.

Patricia survived the ordeal, familiar to the then Germany. She starved for a long time and spent a year in the hospital. She had no money, no family, no job. Pat is going to get a job as a saleswoman in a record store. Robert, who wants to help the most, realizes 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. So Remarque puts his heroes before trials and difficult decisions. "Three Comrades", reviews about them and everything that is written about the novel, unanimously testifies that this is not at all sugary 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 a dealer, Blumenthal. This businessman is distinguished by a sharp temper and intransigence in transactions. But Robert, who has found a key to a potential buyer, finally manages to earn decent money on the car. The amount is enough to recoup the investment of friends and give them a profit that they have not seen for a long time. After a successful transaction in the workshop, a holiday again.

With the money earned, Robert and Patricia go to sea. The start of the couple's vacation is one of the brightest moments in Three Comrades. Remarque, whose book reviews show him as a writer who whips up a sad mood, this time briefly let his heroes fully enjoy life.

Robert specifically chose a hotel in which he had already lived for one post-war year. A couple bathes in the sea and sunbathes on the beach. Lokamp recalls how, in 1917, his detachment indulged in the same small joys of life, at least for a short while getting rid of ammunition. On the second day, Patricia starts bleeding. Robert calls 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 his signature style of storytelling.

New challenges

The doctor acquaints Robert with Pat's medical history and insists on sending her to a sanatorium. An additional cause for concern is the spoiled wet weather, which negatively affects health. Patricia really goes to the hospital. Lokamp often visits her, and before leaving the girl gives a puppy - so that she would not be so bored and lonely.

There is almost no work in the workshop and taxis. Friends go to the mountains to run "Karl" on the eve of new races. An accident is happening right in front of their eyes. Men rescue the victims of the collision. The auto repair shop receives several new repair orders, which comes in very handy. The owner of one of the cars goes bankrupt. The vehicle is not insured, and friends cannot recoup the money invested in its repair. Because of this, they have to sell the workshop.

The appearance of radicals

Against the backdrop of ever worsening economic situation the city becomes unsettled. There are constant demonstrations of the dissatisfied, sometimes skirmishes break out. One day Lenz goes to one of the rallies. Otto and Robert go looking for a 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 than ever right. Robert, who closely followed the people at the rallies, noticed that there were many fascist populists in the crowds. These speakers addressed petty officials, workers, accountants and other people hard hit by the economic peak. All of them became victims of the growing radical propaganda, which offered to get rid of the traitors and pests who were to blame for all the troubles.

Remarque's novel was published in 1936, and the plot seems to take 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, even then cardinal changes had 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 was born and gained popularity. Soon the prose writer had to immigrate from the country, and his books were banned. The 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 stormy argument, a young man unexpectedly runs out of the crowd and cold-bloodedly kills Lenz, who went through the whole war. Kester and Lokamp vow to avenge their friend. They almost overtake the criminal in a suburban catering, but he manages to escape. In the end, the provocateur was killed by Alphonse. Robert breaks the news to Otto and returns to his boarding house, where a telegram is waiting for him, in which Pat asks him to come to the sanatorium as soon as possible.

Lokamp goes to the hospital on the "Karl" with Kester. For the first time in a long time, patricians are allowed to go outside the medical facility. Robert and Otto listen to the doctor talk about the miraculous recovery of his patients. However, friends who have seen so much already understand the true meaning of the doctor's words, but do not even try to console each other. Soon Kester leaves for the city, and Robert remains in a sanatorium. In parting, Patricia asked me to say hello to Lenz. Friends did not have the courage to tell her about the death of the merry fellow Gottfried.

Some time later, Robert receives a parcel with money from Otto. He understands that Kester has sold "Karl" - his last asset. The protagonist comes to despair from a pile of terrible news. This gradual thickening of colors is the whole Remarque. "Three Comrades" summary and the reviews about which the novel is called a logical link in the writer's creative chain are right. The style of the prose writer is fully sustained in this book.

In March it starts to warm up. 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. Together with her life, Remarque's novel ends.

This novel can be talked about for a long time. The mere fact that it is full of various kinds of aphorisms and weighty truths of life brings it to the same level with the works of famous contemporaries. And this ability is unsurpassed by Remarque, to write such books in moments of spiritual adversity, as if living in them and, together with his heroes, solving the problems of that time, not at all fantastic, but real, which affected all inhabitants of Europe in the first half of the 20th century.

"Three Comrades" is Remarque's third book, closing the trilogy about the lost generation ("All Quiet on the Western Front" and "Return"). Its author has been writing for almost 4 years, it is known that at first he released a small novel "Pat", and then remade it into a full-scale picture of the mores of post-war Germany. The writer himself at that time already lived in exile, in neutral Switzerland, fearing for his life. His creations were burned German squares, calling them treacherous and enemy intrigues. Therefore, the work was saturated with grief and despair of a man who was also killed at Nazi rallies, like his hero Lenz.

Just before the publication of the novel, he was offered to return to Germany, but he, knowing the secret police, refused. After posting on German(he originally printed the book in Denmark) he was officially stripped of his citizenship.

What is the novel about?

The analysis of the novel "Three Comrades" by Remarque is rooted deep in history. Germany has just recovered from the blood and destruction of the First World War. But, in addition to the destroyed buildings and dead people, she left many survivors, whose fates were torn to shreds by the crisis that overtook them. Suffering from unemployment, poverty, lack of proper social security - these people found solace in bars and places of entertainment. Where it was possible to forget and forget at the same time, where even the most acutely ill soul calmed down for a moment under the influence of alcohol, and the pain temporarily subsided.

And in this gloomy picture of screams, post-war political outbursts, ghosts of the past and nightmarish awakenings in a cold sweat, E. Remarque shows us three friends, military comrades, who already now continued their journey together in peacetime (these are Robert Lokamp, ​​Gottfried Lenz and Otto Kester). That's what the book "Three Comrades" is written about. They work in a car workshop owned by Kester, which keeps them afloat. They live, in essence, with memories, since no bright future is visible through the mist of destruction and death. The protagonist often recalls how they fought together, how life was after the war. And, despite the oppression of memories, friends did not lose their sense of humor and tried not to raise the tangled and dark backyards of their destinies too often, so as not to go crazy. After all, if you think too much about the bad and do not know how to joke, then you can certainly lose your mind.

main characters

1. Robert Lokamp - main character novel. A man of fine mental organization, sensitive, reflective and deeply unhappy. For most of the action, he sits in a bar in search of oblivion. His heart was hurt by the trials of the war years, the loss and the sense of chaos around him. He was already 30, but he did not amass a family, a job, or even his own home. To the midlife crisis was added the crisis of the worldview of the surviving soldier, who is mentally still on the defensive. A man drowns out his bitter thoughts with chatter and drinking, but fate gives him a chance to reconsider his position in life: he fell in love and accomplished a feat, letting a woman into his bristling inner world. Love transforms the hero, he becomes sensitive, attentive and even happy, his cynicism gives way to sentimentality. However, all his hopes for the future die after the death of Patricia.
2. Patricia Holman - the main character of the novel "Three Comrades", Robert's beloved. A painfully beautiful woman with delicate features and a slender figure. External fragility is explained by the fact that Pat is ill with tuberculosis. As a child, she experienced deprivation, malnutrition, and as a result, like hundreds of such children, she acquired death hidden in her chest. The girl, however, is cheerful and open to new experiences. She sincerely loves and gives all of herself without a trace. Sense of humor, love of life, responsiveness and openness make her faithful friend comrades of Lokamp.
3. Gottfried Lenz is one of the comrades, a "paper romantic". A young man with a light and cheerful disposition, a ringleader and a choleric. Always in high spirits. A little talkative, often ironic, jokes and expresses a general opinion. Judging by a huge number photos from different countries, traveled a lot, possibly served in intelligence. It also has a rich front-line past. He tragically dies at a fascist rally, where he is mortally wounded by mistake.
4. Otto Kester is a serious and thoughtful person, the most pedantic character in the novel Three Comrades. During the war he was a pilot, and after that he became interested in amateur racing, converting a Cadillac into a racing car. It is he who owns the workshop where all the comrades work. He has a practical mind and a strong-willed character, more than once helps friends less adapted to existence out of trouble. Responsive and kind, he perceives Robert's misfortune as his own, and plunges into his problems with his head, although he himself lives no better. His generosity Pat owes the last months of his life, with difficulty wrested from the disease.
5. Carl (Cadillac racing car) - Kester's invention, a phenomenally fast car that won races more than once. He also helps his comrades in any emergency and is sensitive to emotional condition driver.

The meaning of the work

Remarque wanted to show how war gives rise to a lost generation, how it cripples the lives of innocent people on both sides of the barricades. Although young people fought on the side of the aggressor, they themselves did not want world domination, but they fully knew the retribution for the ambitions of their state. The decline in all spheres of society, depicted in the novel, is the result of the defeat of Germany in the First World War. Hence all the troubles of the three comrades: complete disorder, internal crises, poverty, lack of prospects, problems with alcohol and disappointment. Lenz became a victim of a social cataclysm (nascent fascism); On the fate of the heroes, the writer depicted the black mark of war, so the main idea of ​​​​the novel "Three Comrades" can be considered an anti-militarist, humanistic message to eternity, a warning to posterity about how ugly and terrible the carnage really is. When the spectacular battles are over, people are left milled in the millstones of history.

Issues

1. The problem of post-war depression in society: an economic, social and personal crisis. War never brings anything good and useful. It only sows chaos and destruction. And our heroes knew it like no one else. The hardest attempts to rise from the universal bottom, to climb against the laws of time, to try to increase the pennies that are, finally, to save oneself - this was the meaning of the existence of German society at the beginning of the 20th century. Many of those who were lucky enough to have their own corner could at least not pay for it, or simply rent it out in order to have a little more money. Others earned as best they could, including not the most humane methods, fluctuating between petty scams and outright robbery. The only places that enjoyed obvious success were bars and cafes, in which people sat because of their hopelessness and desire to forget themselves. But over time, the money ran out, and even at these establishments, regular guests were replaced by empty chairs.
2. The problem of the marginalization of society and the emerging fascism is not accidentally posed in the novel "Three Comrades". The aggressive regime persecuted the author and expelled him from Germany. Within this environment, there were many people who not only started the law, but also lost their self-esteem. It is through the fault of one of these people that one of the comrades Gottfried Lenz becomes a victim of a skirmish at a fascism rally, who, apparently, by his activity attracted the attention of supporters of the new regime. On this day, Robert, Kester and Pat lose one of their friends. However, the last of them never knew about it.
3. The problem of total hopelessness. The fate of Robert himself is very sad. Tired of the endless veil of death before his eyes, our hero continues to receive blows of fate one after another. First, Lenz dies, then the money runs out and their already meager business collapses. You have to donate to the workshop. And when it is discovered that Pat is also seriously ill, in order to save one friend, Otto and Robert have to sacrifice another. They are selling Carl, their racing car, which they so carefully collected bit by bit, because, of course, they did not have money for a new car. And even with the help, Pat's powers are getting weaker and weaker. Robert had just met his man, whom he fell in love with, when she immediately began to literally melt before our eyes. He himself, Robert, understood that he was unable to reverse this process. The serious illness of Patricia Holman sucked strength from her, pulled her into that world, which Lokamp knew firsthand. And he didn't want to let her go anywhere. But man is not omnipotent. In this situation, the hero could not change anything. Just like in your ruined life. As in the life of Lenz. Nothing could be done.
4. Loss problem loved one. In the book "Three Comrades" a special place is occupied by Robert's experiences about the gradual loss of his beloved woman. And they become aggravated with every moment, grow, and after Pat’s death, they seem to subside and freeze, as if one, left and forgotten by the whole Universe, the light of a small star suddenly decided to go out, leaving behind neither an explosion nor anything else. Only huge black hole sucking the human soul into oblivion.
5. The Problem of Irreligion: The Death of God in the 20th Century. And in this sense, the loss of faith in God by Robert and other inhabitants of Germany is very easily explained. Even at the rally, friends made it clear that society needs a kind of "religion". And who would have thought that in another ten years this religion would become a totalitarian regime that would put their compatriots to flight? God is dying in the hearts of people in the 20th century. There remain only wounds from the thundering earlier, but now silent guns. Robert very well characterizes faith in God at that time "... the gray endless sky of a crazy god who invented life and death to have fun." Without a deity, the abandoned world began to look for the meaning of life and moral support in the extravagant theories of the ideologists of the Third Reich. This depressing trend is only guessed in the near future, which we feel in the novel "Three Comrades".
6. Loss of meaning in life. Beloved Robert, gradually fading away, seems to leave him alone with this chaos in which he does not see the light. With the hostility of the country in which he lives, with a lack of faith in something. There is no place for the hero here, the only meaning for him was Pat. But then she dies, and Lokamp, ​​left by God, the country and his woman, is already not easily torn to shreds, sick and trying to make ends meet. He loses all meaning of being, and the absence of a continuation of the story after the death of Patricia Holman dryly and firmly tells us that the life thread of a person has been cut off.
7. Friendship issue. I would like to mention the title of the work, because, in fact, there were not three comrades at all. After reading the novel, I found many more friends there. This is Alphonse, who treated the guests with warmth of heart, the driver Gustav, who became a friend to Robert and subsequently provided him with considerable support. Even the Karl car is the main thing vehicle of our heroes, even he was a comrade, you just need to remember how warmly Remarque introduced his descriptions, often personifying a reliable friend in the car who always helped out three comrades. But main reason According to which the book could be called "Four Comrades", was, of course, Lokamp's beloved Patricia Holman. My review is largely devoted to her - as one of the central characters of the novel. Pat was not only a great friend to his friends, she managed to become a friend to Robert himself. This is where the theme of love comes into play. This is a sensual, cordial connection, and next to it, friendship stands firmly on its feet, in no way inferior in strength to the relationship between three comrades-in-arms. And Robert himself was already beginning to tell Pat not that she was cute and all those other compliments that are so nice to listen to girls. He called her "Pat-buddy", as if trying thereby to emphasize how significant and multifaceted this woman was for him. She was the fourth friend.

ending

The book, of course, is tragic, filled with deep meaning, first of all, about that sublime feeling that has always worried all of humanity and has not lost its relevance. This feeling was Robert's fatal love for Patricia. With it, life dies in him. The woman in the novel symbolizes hope: after her death, the country is destined to plunge again into the darkness of fruitless ambitions. statesmen, and her people in the person of Robert will fall to the lot of hopeless longing for a peaceful sky. Pat was that oasis in the midst of chaos. Looking at her, even Robert's friends felt renewed and joyful, but they have no place in a world where war is brewing again: we see fascist rallies that will soon develop into the bloodiest event of the 20th century. So gracefully, through a love story, Erich Maria Remarque, who is an eyewitness and participant in the events, expresses a gloomy prediction to his country. Now we know that it came true, and Robert and Otto failed to build new life. The end of the book "Three Comrades" remained an open ending, where the tragedy is only felt, and not literally transmitted.

Criticism

"Three Comrades" is the third novel by Remarque, a writer who, by the time of its release, was world famous. He became the voice of a lost post-war generation, unsettled, disillusioned and cynical. However, not everyone liked this voice. The sentimental stories of Wehrmacht soldiers clearly could not be to the liking of the Nazis. The militarists, by conviction, rejected the peaceful message of the author, it seemed to them that he was spoiling society, which needed to gather all its strength for revenge. That is why after the publication new job the writer was deprived of German citizenship.

In the United States, where he fled from persecution, his work was rated higher. In Hollywood, they immediately took up the adaptation of the novel, and such literary sharks of the pen as Hemingway personally met the emigrant and expressed their delight about the new work. Remarque is favorably accepted by the press, reviews of his work are extremely positive, but in Germany they were executed for family ties with the author (for example, his sister was killed, and he was sent an invoice for the execution by mail).

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Patricia Holman

Plot

The action takes place in Germany around 1928. Three comrades - Robert Lokamp (Robbie), Otto Kester and Gottfried Lenz run a small car repair shop. The main character, auto mechanic Robbie met a charming girl Patricia Holman (Pat). Robbie and Pat, people of different backgrounds and from different walks of life, fell in love with each other. The economic crisis has left the workshop without orders, comrades are left without work and plans for the future. Pat turned out to be ill with tuberculosis. Desperate actions, selling the last property for money for treatment do not save the girl - she dies in Robbie's arms

Issues

People who have gone through the crucible of war cannot escape the ghosts of the past. War memories constantly torment the protagonist. Hungry childhood caused the illness of his beloved. But it was the military fraternity that rallied the three comrades Robert Lokamp, ​​Otto Köster and Gottfried Lenz. And they are ready for anything for the sake of friendship. Despite the death that soaked it, the novel speaks of a lust for life.

Heroes

• Robert Lokamp (Robbie) is the protagonist of the novel. Beloved of Patricia Holman (Pat). Friend of Gottfried Lenz and Otto Köster.

• Otto Koester- one of the main characters. In the past, he was a military man, in the novel he was the owner of a car repair shop where the main characters worked. In addition, he was an amateur race car driver, participated in ongoing races in the Carl car, where he won several times.

• Gottfried Lenz is one of the main characters in the novel. He served in the army, traveled a lot around the world, as evidenced by his suitcase, pasted over with all kinds of postcards, stamps and other things. He worked in a car repair shop with Kester and Lokamp. Very light, positive person, "soul" of the company. Outwardly, he stood out in the crowd with a straw mop of hair. Friends called him the last, or "paper" romantic. In the novel, he died from an accidental bullet in a brawl.

• Patricia Holman (Pat)- beloved protagonist. The story of this love is the basis of the plot of the work.

Productions and film adaptations

Notes

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Alien patrician Album Oak Gaai Release date 1997 Recorded ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Three comrades (meanings). Three Comrades Drei Kameraden ... Wikipedia

Three Comrades Drei Kameraden Author: Erich Maria Remarque Genre: drama Original language: German Translator: I. Schreiber, L. Yakovlenko "Three Comrades" novel, drama by Erich Maria Remarque, which was written in 1937-1938 and published in 1938. In Russian ... Wikipedia

"Three Comrades" tells about the friendship of three friends who, in post-war years show all their dedication for the sake of its preservation. The feeling of mutual help and support for each other is very well described by the author of "Three Comrades" (summary), where, despite any obstacles in life, friends do not despair and are ready to support not only each other, but also those who need their help.

Robert Lokamp, ​​Otto Kester and Gottfried Lenz have been inseparable friends since their school days. Together they also passed. After graduation, they decide to open their own auto repair shop. Even if the salary is small, it was enough to live on. Memories of the past war sometimes did not leave friends, and often they remembered the dead comrades.

The proud property of friends was the car they purchased, which they called "Karl". Sometimes, rolling along the roads, they had fun on it, periodically overtaking other cars. In one of these "distillations" they meet Patricia Holman, who later becomes part of their company. Soon her friends called her Pat for short. Robert took a liking to Patricia and took her out to dinner from time to time. Although he somehow lacked the courage to start a conversation, but spending time in a bar, he gained courage with the help of alcohol. Robert shows affection to Patricia all the time, such as teaching her how to drive. In this regard, Robert was helped by his friends, sending her flowers on his behalf. When they go to the amusement park, they win all kinds of prizes there, surrounding themselves with a crowd of fans.

Soon, Kester, a master of auto racing, signs up to participate in races where the Nutcracker was the main competitor of "Karl". After painstaking work, the car was ready for the race and everyone was waiting for victory. And she was. For some time, their company gained popularity after the victory. Robert and Patricia gradually became close to each other, meeting frequently and secluding each other.

Due to the lack of a permanent income, friends decide to buy a taxi at an auction and take turns earning money on it. While working as a taxi driver, Robert meets Gustav. Later, Robert visits Patricia's apartment for the first time. In a conversation, she told Robert about her past and that she was alone in this world.

A little later, Robert profitably sold the refurbished Cadillac. His friends were very happy with this deal. After that, Robert and Patricia go on vacation to the sea. There, lying on the beach, Robert remembers his colleagues, with whom he also spent time on the seashore. During one of the evening walks in the car, Patricia becomes ill, and the next day she started bleeding. Friends find Dr. Jaffe, who undertakes to treat her.

So that Patricia does not get bored during her illness, Robert brings her a puppy - a gift from his friend Gustav. Working as a taxi does not bring any profit and Gustav invites Robert to go to the races, where he wins. "Karl" began to prepare for races again in order to earn even more money.

The cold season has come. Jaffe asks Robert to immediately send Patricia to the mountains, where his friend will take care of her. They stayed there for a week. Soon, due to debts, friends have to sell their auto repair shop. Soon, Robert also learns that Patricia's condition is deteriorating and he gets drunk with grief. But Kester comes to the rescue and helps him calm down.

Lenz goes to the demonstration. Robert and Kester go looking for him. At the rally there was the usual fascist propaganda, where promises rained down on people. Friends find Lenz, but when they leave, they shoot at him and he dies. Kester rushes to find the killer. But soon the killer was punished. Then a telegram was received from Patricia asking her to come as soon as possible. On their "Karl" Robert and Kester came to Patricia. The doctor began to comfort them, talking about the miraculous recovery of patients, but for friends such consolations were familiar.

Patricia knows she doesn't have long, but she tries to hide it from her friends. Friends have yet to say anything about the murder of Lentz. Soon Kester leaves and after a while sends money. Robert realizes that "Karl" is sold. Robert's despair knew no bounds. Robert spends more time with Patricia, allowing her to enjoy moments of happiness in the short remaining time. But every day she was getting weaker. She died soon after.

This is how Remarque presented the plot “Three Comrades” (summary), where he left an excellent standard of friendship and mutual assistance for generations.