The love story in the works of Heinrich Boll

Abstract

Using as example a number of works by Böll, one of the most significant West German writers, the article shows the manner of giving form to a love story and Böll's complex conception of the theme of love as one of the most important issues in his aesthetic of the humane. Böll does not separate bodily from spiritual love because neither exists without the admixture of the other. By attributing metaphysical qualities to sexual love he confirms its humanity and ability to resist false forces.