The Clown Watches The Clock

by Micah Schnabel

Genres: Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

Published December 5, 2023

Reviews

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished it. He got me. I thought it was going to be one book, but then it was another…and then a whole other other. Well done.

In full candor: I’ve known Micah Schnabel for 20 or more years and I’m a fan of his music, his writing (this is his second novel) and his general observations on the world around him. That doesn’t take anything away from what I wrote above or my rating. (And I’m sure that he just loves the idea of rating art with little gold stars.) Anyway: go read a summary if you want and then read the book. It’s probably a little different from whatever else you’ve read lately and worthy of the effort.

[Samuel Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Due to a busy schedule, this book was read slowly over a month's time. Usually in 20 pages bursts before bed when I wasn't collapsing into an immediate slumber...What is that relevant? Well, the book does a great job of breaking itself into various situations that illuminate the path rather than redundancy and flowery prose meant to document every detail of every moment. There is a bit of a "draw your own lines" kinda vibe, which I appreciated.

PK does the full spectrum of optimistic dreamer to grumpy cynic to a capitalist wrestling with his soul and back to square one. It is a ride that is worth taking and one that leaves you evaluating your own existence, as well as your actions at various points in your life. Does the comfort and perceived control provided by money hold enough worth to betray your convictions? Do your convictions become a weapon used to judge and belittle those who are chasing financial windfalls? Is balance possible? These questions are all there in the background and PK has to jump through a lot of hoops to see where his boundaries lay.

The last 60 pages pulled me in and were blown through without a pause. Schnabel summed up a lot of our existence by pulling a bit of a switcheroo scenario. A little 12-step program-esque, except rather than giving up control full time, it's giving up control for a moment to see where you actually belong and who you are.

I definitely recommend this book.

[Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Micah Schnabel has done it again. This is his second book and he has pushed his own boundaries further than his first. This novel stars PK the Clown, a man barely scraping by doing his clown routine at birthday parties, car dealerships, and anything that pays. The setting is a slightly more dystopian present, with travel restrictions and a more present police state. It's not very central to the plot, but it does give a darker backdrop to the book.
It is a very gradual plot buildup, but the character development is fantastic and something that Schnabel excels at. You really get to know PK and some of the other central characters.
He develops a new business plan of clowning at funerals and being the vent of the deceased's grievances to those at the funeral. It's a much darker road than he was previously treading, but it is much more lucrative and in demand than his typical birthday party. He has a hard time coping with it, but he continues out of necessity and pride of actually have money for the first time in his life.
Overall the story deals with the darker aspects of modern society we may not really see, like wealth and affluence, social media addictions, and living paycheck to paycheck.
It's a fantastic book and if you haven't read his first novel, "Hello, My Name is Henry", do so. It's just as good, if not better.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to be honest: When I first heard Micah's music I had two thoughts at exactly same time they were:
1. This is horrible.
2. THIS IS AMAZING!!!!

When I started this book, my first response was: "uh oh. this isn't good" . By the time I got about 10 pages in I suddenly found myself thinking "Wait. Maybe this is going to be amazing!?!?" Then, by the last 50 pages I was so invested in the main character that I was physically feeling worried about him. I was afraid (and completely unsure) where his story would end up.

I think my initial 'this is bad' reactions to both Micah's music and writing are due to years and years of consuming polished, slick, produced, and 'professional' art. I'm not going to pretend I don't like something polished and produced which is played/written very cleanly and beautifully. Because I do.

But Micah is a very rare artist that forces you to to forget about comparisons to other music/writing. And if you're able to do that, you find that his content, his soul, and his, well...art, is so beautifully constructed and performed that it couldn't possibly work if it was 'produced' or 'slick'. The meaning and heart would be lost, which would render it useless.

This is not to say that Micah is a poor artist. It's exactly the opposite. He proves himself to be so deep and so soulful that a rough and honest presentation is required so you're not tempted to put him in that 'commercial' box. (I'm tempted to put a Dylan comparison here, but I'll refrain)

I loved this book and it really touched my heart and made me think about people, society, and hope in more visceral ways. I hope he continues to be himself and never changes...even if that means he stays 'under the radar' for the majority of people.

[Jeff Scroggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Micah Schnabel is one of my favorite artists. The incredible gift of lyricism that shapes his musical content is also very present in his literary work. My Name is Henry is a great book that stayed on my mind long after I closed the book and put it back on the shelf.

The Clown Watches The Clock takes place in a dystopian and likely not so distant future world. Police state, travel bans and social media madness rules all. The protagonist, PK is an unforgettable character, a clown for hire but not always in the way you would guess. Out of sheer necessity and survival PK embarks upon a series of “gigs” and twisted variations of the “Cameo” model as a means of income generation. The story is sad, funny, beautiful and thought provoking, exactly like Micah’s Music, which I strongly suggest listening to at high volume.

Much respect to Joe Maiocco, Vanessa Jean Speckman and Micah on this project. Looking forward to the next one.

❤️

[Corey Hillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Micah's writing shines in his book just as much as it does in his music. Anyone familiar with his music knows he's a brilliant story teller, and it translates to paper in an interesting and brilliant way. The album by the same name is an incredible companion to this novel and I cannot recommend them both enough.

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good not great.
It's mostly a great book, we follow the protagonist through ups and downs, we're sympathetic to their frustrations about just trying to get along in life and can see why they act the way they do when faced with the circumstances thrown at them. All good.
Where it falls down slightly is that it's set in the near future which is a bit distracting and doesn't really add anything - 99% of the setting is exactly the same as present day but they call their mobile [cell] phones "devices" and they need permits to travel to different areas of the country. Just didn't add anything.

Overall it's a well written book with little ups, little downs, big ups, big downs and well worth reading. I don't think it's a particularly long book - my copy had huge margins and big text!