The Clown

novel by Boll

Also known as: “Ansichten eines Clowns”

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

The Clown, novel by Heinrich Böll, published in 1963 as Ansichten eines Clowns. Set in West Germany during the period of recovery following World War II, the novel examines the hypocrisy of contemporary German society in repressing memory of the historical past in order to concentrate on material reconstruction. In the book the figure of a clown (the narrator, Hans Schnier) represents the social conscience of the society. Through conversations the clown has with members of his family and others who represent various segments of the community, Böll presents his criticism of that world, especially of the institutions of the church and industry.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.