History Literature / ConfessionsOfFelixKrull

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''Confessions of Felix Krull'' or ''Confessions of Felix Krull, Confidence Man'' (original title: ''Bekenntnisse des Hochstaplers Felix Krull'') is an unfinished [[{{Picaresque}} picaresque]] novel by German Nobel-Prize laureate [[Literature/DeathInVenice Thomas]] [[Literature/{{Buddenbrooks}} Mann]] first published in 1954. It is the beginning of the memoirs of the eponymous conman from his childhood in the ''Rheingau'' to his first forays to Paris and Lisbon during the ''Fin de siècle'' before World War I. On the way he has many amorous and other adventures and reveals more than a little of his charming and self-indulgent personality. In style, the novel is also a parody of Creator/JohannWolfgangVonGoethe's autobiography ''Dichtung und Wahrheit'' ("Poetry and Truth") and the traditional ''Bildungsroman''.

''Confessions of Felix Krull'' was adapted into movies twice in West Germany. The first one, directed by Kurt Hoffmann and with a screenplay co-written by Thomas Mann's daughter Erika, starred [[Film/OneTwoThree Horst]] [[Film/TheMagnificentSeven Buchholz]] as Felix. The second version was a five-part television mini-series (1981-1982) which was also condensed into a 125-minute movie; it starred John Moulder-Brown.

* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: It's a novel by Thomas Mann, after all! The first sentence of ''Felix Krull'' consists of 72 words in the original German. However, when Mann you listen to the recordings of Thomas Mann's public readings of two excerpts -- the muster scene and the conversation with Professor Kuckuck in the train to Lisbon -- everything is surprisingly easy to understand.

* GreekMythology: In the course of the novel Madame Houpflé likens Felix to Hermes, the Greek god of thieves. He also has a lot in common with Narcissus.

* TheMentor: What Professor Kuckuck wants to be to young Count Venosta (Felix Krull in disguise).

* GratuitousForeignLanguage: Felix Krull is fluent in French and his "Confessions" contains several short and long passages of [[GratuitousFrench French dialogue]]. He also shows off his [[GratuitousEnglish English] and [[GratuitousItalian Italian]].

''Confessions of Felix Krull'' was adapted into movies twice in West Germany. The first one, directed by Kurt Hoffmann, starred [[Film/OneTwoThree Horst]] [[Film/TheMagnificentSeven Buchholz]] as Felix. The second version was a five-part television mini-series (1981-1982) which was also condensed into a 125-minute movie; it starred John Moulder-Brown.

* PurpleProse: As a narrator and in conversation Felix Krull can indulge in this. For instance when he explains the hard times his family went through to the draft board he says things like "With a harsh knuckle ruin rapped on our door", [[ChewingTheScenery acting out the knocking for emphasis]].

* AuthorExistenceFailure: The book is subtitled: "First Part of the Memoirs"; it remained the only part due to Thomas Mann's death the following year.

Mann first started writing the novel during the years from 1910 to 1913, then put the project on ice and returned to it in 1950, completing the first part in 1954, a year before his death.

* SuicideIsShameful: Very much the prevailing attitude at the time, which is why the suicide of Felix' father is disguised as a gun-handling accident. At the muster scene, when he pretends to be over-excited Felix Krull goes on and on that "the shooting-thing went off by itself" and that he can provide documentary proof and witnesses that his father had a church funeral.

* PurpleProse: As a narrator and in conversation Felix Krull can indulge in this. For instance when he explains the hard times his family went through he says things like "With a harsh knuckle ruin knocked on our door".

* UsefulNotes/PrussiansInPickelhauben: In the fifth chapter Felix Krull is called up for national service in the army; in a hilarious scene he fools the examining military doctors into believing that he is prone to epileptic fits.

''Confessions of Felix Krull'' or ''Confessions of Felix Krull, Confidence Man'' (original title: ''Bekenntnisse des Hochstaplers Felix Krull'') is an unfinished [[{{Picaresque}} picaresque]] novel by German Nobel-Prize laureate [[Literature/DeathInVenice]] [[Literature/{{Buddenbrooks}} Mann]] first published in 1954. It is the beginning of the memoirs of the eponymous conman from his childhood in the ''Rheingau'' to his first forays to Paris and Lisbon during the ''Fin de siècle'' before World War I. On the way he has many amorous and other adventures and reveals more than a little of his charming and self-indulgent personality. In style, the novel is also a parody of Creator/JohannWolfgangVonGoethe's autobiography ''Dichtung und Wahrheit'' ("Poetry and Truth") and the traditional ''Bildungsroman''.

''Confessions of Felix Krull'' or ''Confessions of Felix Krull, Confidence Man'' (original title: ''Bekenntnisse des Hochstaplers Felix Krull'') is an unfinished [[{{Picaresque}} picaresque]] novel by German author [[UsefulNotes/DichterAndDenker Thomas]] [[Literature/{{Buddenbrooks}} Mann]] first published in 1954. It is the beginning of the memoirs of the eponymous conman from his childhood in the ''Rheingau'' to his first forays to Paris and Lisbon during the ''Fin de siècle'' before World War I. On the way he has many amorous and other adventures and reveals more than a little of his charming and self-indulgent personality. In style, the novel is also a parody of Creator/JohannWolfgangVonGoethe's autobiography ''Dichtung und Wahrheit'' ("Poetry and Truth") and the traditional ''Bildungsroman''.

* TheTrickster: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin As the title gives away]].

* UsefulNotes/PrussiansInPickelhauben: In the fifth chapter Felix Krull is called up for duty.