The Night in Lisbon — Erich Maria Remarque

The Night in Lisbon is a novel by German writer Erich Maria Remarque that focuses on the fate of European refugees during the Second World War. The story takes place in Lisbon, one of the last safe ports from which people attempted to escape war and persecution.

The narrator meets a mysterious stranger who offers him two tickets on a ship to America in exchange for listening to his life story. Over the course of a single night, the man recounts his escape from Nazi persecution and the hardships he endured.

The novel explores themes of exile, love, survival, and moral choice. Through the personal story of the protagonist, Remarque portrays the suffering and resilience of those forced to leave their homeland.