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Shabby Sunday is a weekly meme created by my dear friend, Mischenko, at ReadRantRockandRoll to highlight cherished vintage books in her own collection. Please check out a recent Shabby Sunday post of hers here: Shabby Sunday.

I moved frequently, especially during childhood and college/grad school, and it was only recently that I found a stash of my well-loved books.

My next Shabby Sunday share is another of my required summer reading books in high school, and this one is super shabby. It was used when I bought it, and it received some major love and spine breakage. First published in 1928, mine is the twelfth printing in 1991. The cover notes, “The Greatest War Novel of All Time.” If you have read it, do you agree?

 

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I think All Quiet on the Western Front can be credited with beginning my love for historical fiction. I read this the summer before 9th grade, and I felt like I was in the trenches fighting this war alongside the characters. I remember our discussion at school, and most everyone found this book noteworthy, too.

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The outer edge of the pages was dyed yellow all those years ago, but now the inside is taking a more orangey/yellow tone.

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I never break the spines on my books, even as a child or teen, but since this one was used and already had some wear, I remember living it up and enjoying opening that book. 😂 My friends and family have teased by saying that you cannot tell my books have ever been read, and if watching me read, they say I barely have the book open. How can I see the words?! 😂

Synopsis from Goodreads:

This is the testament of Paul Bäumer, who enlists with his classmates in the German army of World War I. These young men become enthusiastic soldiers, but their world of duty, culture, and progress breaks into pieces under the first bombardment in the trenches.

Through years of vivid horror, Paul holds fast to a single vow: to fight against the hatred that meaninglessly pits young men of the same generation but different uniforms against one another – if only he can come out of the war alive.

Thanks for reading my Shabby Sunday post inspired by Mischenko! Do you hold on to shabby, vintage books? Do you have any favorites from your childhood or high school years? Have you read All Quiet on the Western Front? Is it the best war novel of all time? Happy Reading! Jennifer THR