This is the first book I've read from Böll, and from what I've gathered, it is supposed to be one of his best works. I for one did not like his writing style.

The action takes place over one day, actually over only a few hours, and there are frequent flashbacks in which he remembers a bunch of useless stuff about the people he's about to call to ask for money, his family and his lost "wife".

However there are small passages that are worth reading and that made me keep reading, otherwise I would have just abandon it. There are some debates (actually, just his opinions) about several social issues including religion, specifically Catholicism, which supposedly aroused fierce arguments, although who still consider "outrageous" to attack the Church today?

Do I recommend this book? Not really, but you should know I'm not usually into this type of books. So you might like it.