À côté des rares volumes de nouvelles qu'il publia, Kafka songea, à partir de 1917, faire paraître un recueil d'aphorismes. On trouvera ici les deux grandes séries collationnées par lui de ses “pensées” éparses, délimitées par Brod et Schoeps, et conformes à l'édition allemande. Comme en marge de la visée littéraire de Kafka, mais l'éclairant singulièrement, l'enjeu et la nature de ces aphorismes ne laisseront pas de surprendre. Et on pourrait dire, avec Claude David qui attira l'attention sur leur extrême importance, que c'est en effet, pour une réelle connaissance de Kafka, là sans doute «le fond permanent de sa pensée qui apparaît».
Une des œuvres majeures de la littérature moderne sur les cauchemars de l'existence, La transformation, ou métamorphose, de Gregor Samsa en un insecte monstrueux, semblable à un énorme scarabée, est un des jalons de la littérature universelle. Franz Kafka a écrit ce récit en 1915. Dans cette œuvre, la plus connue des cauchemars kafkaïens, le protagoniste se retrouve confronté à une réalité absurde et aliénante, symbolisant la lutte de l'individu contre un monde indifférent. La transformation de Gregor illustre les thèmes de l'isolement, de l'angoisse existentielle et de la déshumanisation. La critique souligne que l'univers de Kafka est un espace où l'homme se débat dans des situations intolérables, où la destruction de l'identité plane comme une menace inéluctable. La littérature de Kafka, à la fois cruelle et complexe, explore les profondeurs de l'âme humaine face à l'absurde et à la souffrance.
Une traduction essentielle des journaux intimes complets et non censurés de l'auteur, révélant les particularités et les aspérités de l'un des écrivains les plus influents du vingtième siècle. Datant de 1909 à 1923, ces journaux manuscrits contiennent divers types d'écrits : récits d'événements quotidiens, réflexions, observations, esquisses littéraires, brouillons de lettres, récits de rêves, ainsi que des histoires achevées. Ce volume propose une reconstruction complète des entrées de journal et fournit un contenu substantiel, y compris des détails, des noms, des œuvres littéraires et des passages de nature sexuelle qui avaient été omis dans des publications antérieures. En reproduisant fidèlement l'écriture distinctive — souvent étonnamment brute — des carnets de Kafka, le traducteur met en lumière non seulement l'utilisation des journaux pour l'expérimentation littéraire et l'expression personnelle, mais aussi leur valeur en tant qu'œuvre d'art à part entière.
Les textes réunis ici n'étaient pas destinés à la publication, comme l'a souligné Kafka à son ami Max Brod, en demandant de brûler ses écrits sans restriction. Cependant, Brod a divulgué ces documents, suscitant des opinions contrastées sur son acte, tantôt perçu comme une trahison, tantôt comme une fidélité. Ces écrits « intimes » enrichissent la voix de Kafka, la rendant unique. En parallèle de ses romans, tous ses écrits ont acquis un statut littéraire. Par exemple, les Aphorismes de Zürau, issus d'une centaine de fiches numérotées, explorent des thèmes profonds. La Lettre au père, initialement destinée à l'envoi postal, est devenue un texte autonome essentiel pour comprendre l'œuvre de Kafka. Il avait l'intention de la confier à Milena Pollak pour lui permettre de saisir sa difficulté à vivre et à aimer, une lutte également illustrée dans ses lettres à Felice Bauer. Ces lettres, souvent réduites à leurs prénoms, sont considérées comme des romans d'amour, tant par leur quantité que par leur tonalité. Elles révèlent la violence du désir de Kafka de vivre pour et par l'écriture, défiant les attentes de son père.
" Très cher père, Tu m'as demandé récemment pourquoi je prétends avoir peur de toi. Comme d'habitude, je n'ai rien su te répondre... " Réel et fiction ne font qu'un dans la lettre désespérée que Kafka adresse à son père. Il tente, en vain, de comprendre leur relation qui mêle admiration et répulsion, peur et amour, respect et mépris. Réquisitoire jamais remis à son destinataire, tentative obstinée pour comprendre, la Lettre au père est au centre de l'œuvre de Kafka.
Voici l'histoire ... excessivement répugnante, dit l'auteur d'un homme qui se réveille changé en cancrelat. Cette transformation est le châtiment imaginaire que Kafka s'inflige. Et son personnage est celui qui ne peut plus aimer, ni être aimé.
Dans la nuit du 22 au 23 septembre 1912, Kafka a écrit "Le Verdict". De la première ligne à la dernière, ce texte est empreint de vertige. Kafka nous propose la traversée périlleuse d'un pont qui mène d'une rive - l'enfance - à une auter, qui n'a pas de nom. Le père est le gardien royal de ce pont et il convient, malgré l'amour et la piété, de monter sur ses épaules pour voir plus loin, mieux et ailleurs, quelle que puisse être la douleur éprouvée.
" C'était le soir tard, lorsque K. arriva. Le village était sous la neige. La colline du Château restait invisible, le brouillard et l'obscurité l'entouraient, il n'y avait pas même une lueur qui indiquât la présence du grand Château. K. s'arrêta longuement sur le pont de bois qui mène de la route au village, et resta les yeux levés vers ce qui semblait être le vide... " K. entame là un long et harassant combat avec ce mystérieux Château, comme dans Le Procès un autre K. luttait contre un Tribunal omniprésent et pourtant insaisissable. Le fondé de pouvoir Joseph K. rêvait de se justifier. Le géomètre K. désire être reconnu et accepté. Parviendra-t-il même à prendre la mesure de son impuissance et de son ignorance ?
Franz Kafka connut d'abord Milena comme traductrice : elle établissait la version tchèque de quelques-unes de ses proses courtes. Ces relations se transformèrent en une liaison passionnée dont les lettres permettent de suivre le progrès. Cette passion ne dura q'un instant, elle tient en quelques mois à peine. Les lettres racontent d'un bout à l'autre ce roman d'amour, orgie de désespoir et de félicité, de mortification et d'humiliation. Car quelle qu'ait pu être la fréquence de leurs rencontres, leurs amours restent essentiellement épistolaires comme celles de Werther ou de Kierkegaard. Milena est morte vingt ans après Kafka, dans le camp de concentration de Ravensbrück.
L'intéret que l'on porte aux jeuneurs professionnels a beaucoup baissé au
cours des dernieres décennies. Alors qu'il était avantageux autrefois
d'organiser pour son propre compte des spectacles de cette nature, cela est
devenu aujourd'hui tout a fait impossible. C'étaient d'autres temps. A'cette
époque, toute la ville s'occupait du jeuneur ; l'intéret croissait de jour de
jeune en jour de jeune ; chacun voulait voir le jeuneur au moins une fois par
jour ; vers la fin, il y avait des abonnés qui restaient toute la journée
assis devant la petite cage grillagée...
On raconte que c'est grâce aux éditions clandestines du samizdat - et donc, sans nom d'auteur - que fut introduite en Union soviétique la traduction du Procès. Les lecteurs pensèrent, dit-on, qu'il s'agissait de l'oeuvre de quelque dissident, car ils découvraient, dès le premier chapitre, une scène familière : l'arrestation au petit matin, sans que l'inculpé se sût coupable d'aucun crime, les policiers sanglés dans leur uniforme, l'acceptation immédiate d'un destin apparemment absurde, etc. Kafka ne pouvait espérer une plus belle consécration posthume. Et pourtant, les lecteurs russes se trompaient. Le projet de Kafka n'était pas de dénoncer un pouvoir tyrannique ni de condamner une justice mal faite. Le procès intenté à Joseph K., qui ne connaîtra pas ses juges, ne relève d'aucun code et ne pouvait s'achever ni sur un acquittement si sur une damnation, puisque Joseph K. n'était coupable que d'exister.
Les dix-neuf récits et aphorismes, issus de l'œuvre posthume de Kafka, explorent des thèmes de forces lointaines et inaccessibles, de messages énigmatiques et de demandes vaines. Les personnages, souvent isolés, évoluent dans des mondes nocturnes et désespérés, soumis à des procédures complexes et à des réalités déconcertantes. Kafka parvient à capturer une dimension difficile à cerner de l'existence humaine à travers des métaphores puissantes, décrivant des expériences que peu d'auteurs ont su rendre avec une telle intensité. Dans ses récits, il évoque des sentiments de dégoût et d'étrangeté face à des événements extraordinaires, comme le cas d'un énorme taupe observé près d'un petit village, attirant des curieux de loin, mais laissant de côté ceux qui auraient dû montrer plus qu'une simple curiosité. Ces récits révèlent la profondeur et la complexité de la condition humaine, marquant un tournant dans la littérature moderne.
Lorsque, a seize ans, le jeune Karl Rossmann, que ses pauvres parents
envoyaient en exil parce qu'une bonne l'avait séduit et rendu pere, entra dans
le port de New York sur le bateau déja plus lent, la statue de fla Liberté,
qu'il observait depuis longtemps lui apparut dans un sursaut de lumieres. On
eut dit que le bras qui brandissait l'épée s'était levé a l'instant meme, et
l'air libre soufflait autour de ce grand corps...
C'est au Hradschin, le Quartier du Château de Prague, que Franz Kafka (1883-1924) a écrit ces récits, publiés de son vivant sous le titre de Un médecin rural. Dans ses textes brefs, Kafka évoque un monde à la fois irrationnel et imprévisible, mais toujours terrifiant, dont il est pratiquement impossible d'échapper. Une fois, le faux son de la cloche du médecin déclenche une série de malheurs, une autre fois, des nomades étranges apparaissent devant lesquels même l'Empereur est impuissant. Les chacals parlants ou l'Odralek presque indéfinissable entraînent le lecteur vers le surréalisme. Existe-t-il une issue à ce désarroi ? Dans la quête de la Loi, le gardien de la porte donne une réponse : "C'est possible, mais pas maintenant".
Les textes réunis ici n'étaient pas destinés à la publication, comme l'a souligné Kafka à son ami Max Brod, en demandant la destruction de ses écrits. Malgré cela, Brod a choisi de divulguer ces documents, ce qui a suscité des débats sur la trahison ou la fidélité. Ces écrits « intimes » enrichissent la voix unique de Kafka, contribuant à son statut littéraire. Parmi eux, les Aphorismes de Zürau, issus d'une centaine de fiches numérotées, explorent des thèmes profonds tels que le péché et l'espoir. La Lettre au père, initialement destinée à être envoyée, est devenue un texte autonome essentiel pour comprendre son œuvre, révélant ses luttes personnelles et sa difficulté à vivre et aimer, comme en témoignent ses lettres à Felice Bauer. Ces lettres, souvent réduites à leurs prénoms, sont considérées comme des romans d'amour, tant par leur quantité que par la puissance émotionnelle de leur écriture. Elles illustrent le désir intense de Kafka de vivre pour et par l'écriture, en opposition aux attentes paternelles. Enfin, le Journal est perçu comme une œuvre profondément personnelle, renforçant l'image de Kafka en tant qu'écrivain introspectif.
Les éditions Stroemfeld à Francfort publient actuellement les œuvres complètes de Franz Kafka. La plupart des manuscrits sont déposés à la Bodelian Library d'Oxford. On y trouve des notes, des brouillons, des copies, des fragments sans suite, des variations de récits. Cette édition consacre à chaque cahier un volume. La page d'un manuscrit est reproduite à côté de son double, avec toutes les fautes originelles, les paragraphes supprimés, les mots et les lettres raturés, et toute une gamme d'ajouts. Ainsi on découvre la lutte de Kafka avec les mots et sa manière singulière de sculpter son langage. Grâce à cette édition, Pavel Schmidt a pu extraire des passages jusque-là inédits. Dès l'an 2000, et jusqu'en 2005, donc bien avant le projet d'un livre, Pavel Schmidt a exécuté un ensemble de dessins à l'inverse des conventions de l'illustration : ce ne sont pas les dessins qui ont illustré le texte, mais les fragments inédits de Kafka qui ont été attribués aux dessins. À chaque dessin, il a ajouté le titre d'un personnage réel de la vie de l'écrivain ou celui d'un être fictif rencontré au hasard d'un récit. Pour l'amateur et le connaisseur de Kafka, cette rencontre suscitera un étonnement de plus, voire un examen nouveau ; pour le novice, elle offre un chausse-pied à cet univers inquiétant, érotique et comique.
Kniha koláží vytvořených z fotografií pražských památek. Doplněno citáty z Kafkova díla v českém, německém a francouzském jazyce. Citáty z českých vydání díla Franze Kafky vybral Jiří Kolář. Text o F. Kafkovi a německé citáty z jeho díla připravila Společnost Franze Kafky. Francouzské citáty doplnil Václav Jamek. K vydání připravila Milada Motlová. Fotografické předlohy poskytla Galerie Lelong v Paříži. Publikace vyšla pod patronací České spořitelny, a.s., u příležitosti 100. výročí historické budovy Městské spořitelny pražské, 70 let úmrtí Franze Kafky a 80. narozenin Jiřího Koláře.
Selected Stories by Franz Kafka offers new renderings of the author’s finest
work. Mark Harman’s English translations convey the uniqueness of Kafka’s
German—the wit, irony, and cadence. Expert annotations illuminate Kafka’s
cultural allusions and wordplay, while a biographical introduction places the
man and his work in historical context.
Kafka's storytelling is characterized by isolated protagonists confronting surreal and absurd situations, reflecting the complexities of modern life. In "Metamorphosis," Gregor Samsa's transformation into a giant insect serves as a profound exploration of alienation and identity. This edition includes ten additional short stories and parables, such as "In the Penal Colony" and "A Hunger Artist," showcasing Kafka's unique blend of realism and the fantastical, as well as his critique of socio-bureaucratic systems.
To view the modern world is to see it through the lens of Franz Kafka, the defining writer of the twentieth century. In his exploration, Ernst Pawel captures Kafka's essence and the complex interplay of his work and life. Kafka has become a modern myth, shaped not only by his writings but also by distortions in biographies, especially the one by his close friend Max Brod. Pawel's achievement lies in situating Kafka within his historical context, revealing a life that surpasses the myths surrounding it. This account chronicles Kafka's life while vividly depicting the milieu of affluent Germanized Jewry and the intellectual vibrancy of Central Europe before World War I, as well as the collapse of Austria-Hungary. While informed by psychological insights, Pawel avoids relying solely on them, presenting Kafka not as a mere legend of a frail clerk but as a man who navigated the world, functioning as a reluctant yet effective business executive. Pawel's nuanced readings of Kafka's Judaism, his relationships with his parents, and his tumultuous engagements reveal a figure who, while typical of his age and class, also transcended them. His interpretations of Kafka's life and relationships are both revealing and persuasive, challenging preconceived notions.
The story revolves around traveling salesman Samsa, who experiences a shocking transformation into a giant insect, blending horror with absurdity. This beautifully illustrated collector's edition features the complete text, translated by Will Aaltonen Pearson, and includes new, vibrant illustrations by Gaby Verdooren. Celebrated for its impact on literature and culture, this edition is ideal for both newcomers and seasoned readers, showcasing the work's enduring relevance. Part of the Arcturus Illustrated Classics series, it offers an elegant presentation of Kafka's masterpiece.
This collection of stories is made up of Ten original and imaginative tales by Franz Kafka including his masterpiece, "The Metamorphosis" as well as, "Children On A Country Road", "A Hunger Artist", "An Imperial Message", "A Report To An Academy", "Before The Law", "In The Penal Colony", "Jackals And Arabs", "The Great Wall Of China", & "The Hunter Gracchus".
These diaries cover the years 1910 to 1923, the year before Kafka’s death at the age of forty. They provide a penetrating look into life in Prague and into Kafka’s accounts of his dreams, his feelings for the father he worshipped, and the woman he could not bring himself to marry, his sense of guilt, and his feelings of being an outcast. They offer an account of a life of almost unbearable intensity.From the Trade Paperback edition.The Diaries of Franz Kafka 1910-13 translated from the German by Joseph KreshThe Diaries of Franz Kafka 1914-23 translated from the German by Martin Greenberg with the cooperation of Hannah Arendt
This volume contains the great works of fiction as well as the complete diaries and thus gives the reader considrable insight into the mind of this strange and powerful man.
Based on translations by leading Kafka scholar, this work includes twenty-nine stories, which accompanies annotations. The extracts from his letters, diaries and conversations offer a glimpse of Kafka's creative process. It covers ten essays on the major stories from a range of voices.
Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-language writer of novels and short stories, regarded by critics as one of the most influential authors of the 20th century. Kafka strongly influenced genres such as existentialism. Most of his works, such as "Die Verwandlung" ("The Metamorphosis"), "Der Prozess" ("The Trial"), and "Das Schloss" ("The Castle"), are filled with the themes and archetypes of alienation, physical and psychological brutality, parent–child conflict, characters on a terrifying quest, labyrinths of bureaucracy, and mystical transformations. Table of Contents: - The Metamorphosis - A Country Doctor - A Hunger Artist - A Report for an Academy - An Imperial Message - Before the Law - In the Penal Colony - Jackals and Arabs - The Great Wall of China - The Hunter Gracchus - The Trial - Up in the Gallery
Franz Kafka's writing immerses readers in a surreal and ambiguous realm where the nature of the nightmare remains elusive. His work explores themes of existential dread, alienation, and the absurdity of life, inviting deep reflection on the human condition. Kafka's unique narrative style and haunting imagery create an unsettling atmosphere that challenges perceptions of reality and identity, making his stories both compelling and thought-provoking.
An essential new translation of the author's complete, uncensored diaries - a
revelation of the idiosyncrasies and rough edges of one of the twentieth
century's most influential writers'The writing glimmers with sensitivity, and
openness to the world' - The Wall Street JournalDating from 1909 to 1923,
Franz Kafka's Diaries contains a broad array of writing, including accounts of
daily events, assorted reflections and observations, literary sketches, drafts
of letters, records of dreams, and unrevised texts of stories. This volume
makes available for the first time in English a comprehensive reconstruction
of Kafka's handwritten diary entries and provides substantial new content,
restoring all the material omitted from previous publications - notably, names
of people and undisguised details about them, a number of literary writings,
and passages of a sexual nature, some of them with homoerotic overtones.By
faithfully reproducing the diaries' distinctive - and often surprisingly
unpolished - writing as it appeared in Kafka's notebooks, translator Ross
Benjamin brings to light not only the author's use of the diaries for literary
invention and unsparing self-examination but also their value as a work of
genius in and of themselves.
(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)Franz Kafka’s imagination so far outstripped the forms and conventions of the literary tradition he inherited that he was forced to turn that tradition inside out in order to tell his splendid, mysterious tales. Scrupulously naturalistic on the surface, uncanny in their depths, these stories represent the achieved art of a modern master who had the gift of making our problematic spiritual life palpable and real.This edition of his stories includes all his available shorter fiction in a collection edited, arranged, and introduced by Gabriel Josipovici in ways that bring out the writer’s extraordinary range and intensity of vision.Translated by Willa and Edwin Muir
It is not well known that Franz Kafka liked to draw. From early on, his friend and literary executor Max Brod was of the opinion that Kafka was 'an artist of particular strength and individuality as a draughtsman too' and that it was unjust merely to regard his drawings as a 'curiosity.'
The story centers on Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman who awakens one day transformed into a giant insect. As he grapples with his new existence, he faces the alienation and horror of his family's and society's reactions. Kafka employs surrealism and symbolism to create a haunting atmosphere, exploring profound themes of isolation, identity, and the absurdity of life. This novella offers a thought-provoking examination of the human condition, prompting readers to reflect on their own perceptions of self and reality.
Featuring a meticulously curated collection of Franz Kafka's significant works, this book offers readers a comprehensive look into the themes and narratives that define his literary legacy. Known for his profound influence on world literature, Kafka's most notable pieces include "The Judgment," "The Metamorphosis," and "In the Penal Colony," among others. The collection is enhanced by a detailed and dynamic table of contents, ensuring an engaging reading experience. Kafka's works, largely published posthumously by his friend Max Brod, delve into existential and absurdist themes.
The last book published during Kafka's lifetime, A Hunger Artist (1924) explores many of the themes that were close to him: spiritual poverty, asceticism, futility, and the alienation of the modern artist. He edited the manuscript just before his death, and these four stories are some of his best known and most powerful work, marking his maturity as a writer. In addition to "First Sorrow," "A Little Woman," and "Josephine the Singer, or the Mouse People" is the title story, "A Hunger Artist," which has been called by the critic Heinz Politzer "a perfection, a fatal fulfillment that expresses Kafka's desire for permanence." The three volumes Twisted Spoon Press has published: Contemplation, A Country Doctor, and A Hunger Artist are the collections of stories that Kafka had published during his lifetime. Though each volume has its own distinctive character, they have most often appeared in English in collected editions. They are presented here as separate editions, in new translations by Kevin Blahut, each with its own illustrator from the Prague community.
Franz Kafka met Felice Bauer in August 1912, at the home of his friend Max Brod. Energetic, down-to-earth, and life-affirming, the twenty-five-year-old secretary was everything Kafka was not, and he was instantly smitten. Because he was living in Prague and she in Berlin, his courtship was largely an epistolary one--passionate, self-deprecating, and anxious letters sent almost daily, sometimes even two or three times a day. But soon after their engagement was announced in 1914, Kafka began to worry that marriage would interfere with his writing and his need for solitude.The more than five hundred letters Kafka wrote to Felice--through their breakup, a second engagement in 1917, and their final parting in the fall of that year, when Kafka began to feel the effects of the tuberculosis that would eventually claim his life--reveal the full measure of his inner turmoil as he tried, in vain, to balance his desire for human connection with what he felt were the solitary demands of his craft.
Published together for the first time are selections from all Kafka's writings: The Metamorphosis, Josephine The Singer, plus his short stories, parables, and his personal diaries and letters.
Franz Kafka's enigmatic, deadpan, and deeply pessimistic stories are central to literary modernism. In 'The Metamorphosis', the estrangement of everyday life becomes corporealized when Gregor Samsa wakes up as a giant bug and wonders how he is going to get to work on time. Kafka inverts the implied degradation of a man's transformation into an animal in 'A Report of the Academy', an ape's address to a group of scientists.
Collected after his death by his friend and literary executor Max Brod, here are more than two decades' worth of Franz Kafka's letters to the men and women with whom he maintained his closest personal relationships, from his years as a student in Prague in the early 1900s to his final months in the sanatorium near Vienna where he died in 1924.Sometimes surprisingly humorous, sometimes wrenchingly sad, they include charming notes to school friends; fascinating accounts to Brod about his work in its various stages of publication; correspondence with his publisher, Kurt Wolff, about manuscripts in progress, suggested book titles, type design, and late royalty statements; revealing exchanges with other young writers of the day, including Martin Buber and Felix Weltsch, on life, literature, and girls; and heartbreaking reports to his parents, sisters, and friends on the declining state of his health in the last months of his life.
The Trial; The Castle; America: Both Joseph K In The Trial And K In The Castle Are Victims Of Anonymous Governing Forces Beyond Their Control. Both Are Atomised, Estranged And Rootless Citizens Deceived By Authoritarian Power. Whereas Joseph K Is Relentlessly Hunted Down For A Crime That Remains Nameless, K Ceaselessly Attempts To Enter The Castle And So Belong Somewhere. Together These Novels May Be Read As Powerful Allegories Of Totalitarian Government In Whatever Guise It Appears Today. In America Karl Rossmann Is 'Packed Off To America By His Parents' To Experience Oedipal And Cultural Isolation. Here, Ordinary Immigrants Are Also Strange, And 'America' Is Never Quite As Real As It Seems.
A culturally-influential and celebrated author, Kafka is generally considered to be one of the most accomplished writers of the 20th century. In this boxed set are collected together three of his major works, including the maginificent 'Metamorphosis and Other Stories'.
Nádherná a jedinečná kniha fotografií Prahy od významného slovenského fotografa Karola Kállaye doprovázených úryvky a citáty z Kafkových dopisů v angličtině.
I have only one request," Kafka wrote to his publisher Kurt Wolff in 1913. "'The Stoker,' 'The Metamorphosis,' and 'The Judgment' belong together, both inwardly and outwardly. There is an obvious connection among the three, and, even more important, a secret one, for which reason I would be reluctant to forego the chance of having them published together in a book, which might be called The Sons."Seventy-five years later, Kafka's request is granted, in a volume including these three classic stories of filial revolt as well as his own poignant "Letter to His Father," another "son story" located between fiction and autobiography. A devastating indictment of the modern family, The Sons represents Kafka's most concentrated literary achievement as well as the story of his own domestic tragedy. Grouped together under this new title and in newly revised translations, these texts—the like of which Kafka had never written before and (as he claimed at the end of his life) would never again equal—take on fresh, compelling meaning.
Both Joseph K inThe Trialand K inThe Castleare victims of anonymous governing forces beyond their control. Both are atomized, estranged and rootless citizens deceived by authoritarian power. Whereas Joseph K is relentlessly hunted down for a crime that remains nameless, K ceaselessly attempts to enter the castle, and so belong somewhere. Both novels may be read as powerful allegories of totalitarian government. InAmerica, Karl Rossman experiences Oedipal and cultural isolation, and finds that “America” is never quite as real as it seems.
Exploring the surreal and thought-provoking realms of human existence, this collection features the masterpieces of Franz Kafka, including "The Trial" and "The Metamorphosis." Readers will encounter ordinary individuals facing absurdity and bureaucratic nightmares, all set against haunting landscapes emblematic of Kafkaesque imagination. The anthology delves into themes of existentialism and surrealism, showcasing Kafka's profound insights into the complexities of human nature. This essential collection invites readers to engage with the literary genius of one of the 20th century's most influential writers.
From one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century, the author of The Metamorphosis and The Trial: A collection that brings together the stories he allowed to be published during his lifetime, including his best-known tale of a man who wakes up transformed into an insect. To Max Brod, his literary executor, Kafka wrote: “Of all my writings the only books that can stand are these.” “Kafka’s survey of the insectile situation of young Jews in inner Bohemia can hardly be improved upon: ‘With their posterior legs they were still glued to their father’s Jewishness and with their wavering anterior legs they found no new ground.’ There is a sense in which Kafka’s Jewish question (‘What have I in common with Jews?’) has become everybody’s question, Jewish alienation the template for all our doubts. What is Muslimness? What is femaleness? What is Polishness? These days we all find our anterior legs flailing before us. We’re all insects, all Ungeziefer, now.” —Zadie Smith, bestselling author of White Teeth and On Beauty
New translation of the story of Karl Rossman, banished by his parents to America following a family scandal, and the strange experiences that lie before him as he makes his way into the interior of the great continent
At age 82, Clifton Fadiman continues his prolific publishing career, here presenting 62 of the world's best short stories from 16 countries. His criteria? "Each story had to be both interesting and of high literary merit." Fadiman fulfills both requirements and much more, offering a cornucopia of superior 20th-century writers that includes Franz Kafka, D. H. Lawrence, Isaac Babel, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, John Cheever, Sean O'Faolain, Graham Greene, Robert Penn Warren, Colette, John Updike, Donald Barthelme, and James Thurber. (Regrettably, J. D. Salinger is not included due to lack of permission.) Here is a truly remarkable collection of this century's short stories that readers from all over the world will read with delight.
"His language is crystal clear, and on the surface one observes, in a sense, no other aim than to be accurate, lucid, and suitable to the subject. And yet dreams, visions of measureless depth, are conveyed beneath the serene mirror of this pure stream of language. One peers into it and is spellbound by beauty and originality" --Max Brod in Die Neue (Rundschau 1921) Translated from German by Jon Calame and Seth Rogoff. Story index: The Judgement. A Story The Stoker. A Fragment The Bucket-Rider In the Penal Colony Great Noise The First Chapter of "Richard and Samuel" by Max Brod and Franz Kafka The Air Show at Brescia
The whole town got involved with the hunger-artist; from day to day of his starving, people's participation grew; everyone wanted to see the hunger-artist at least once a day; on the later days there were season-ticket holders who sat for days on end in front of his little cage Reading these stories by the master of the absurd is like entering a dreamworld in which nothing, and yet somehow everything, makes sense.
Students of German language and literature will welcome this dual-language edition of five stories by Franz Kafka (1883–1924). Considered one of the greatest modern writers, Kafka wrote tales that brilliantly explore the anxiety, futility, and complexity of modern life.The stories in this volume are "The Metamorphosis" (thought by many critics to be Kafka's most perfect work), "The Judgment," "In the Penal Colony," "A Country Doctor," and "A Report to an Academy." Along with the original German texts, Stanley Applebaum has provided accurate English translations on facing pages, affording students an ideal opportunity to read some of Kafka's finest stories in the original, to discover the passion and profundity of this extremely important figure in modern European literature, and to upgrade their German language skills.
The best stories by the one of the twentieth century's greatest and most influential writers No one has captured the modern experience, its wild dreams, strange joys, its neuroses and boredom, better than Franz Kafka. His vision, with its absurdity and twisted humour, has lost none of its force or relevance today. This essential collection, translated and selected by Alexander Starritt, casts fresh light on Kafka's genius. Alongside brutal depictions of violence and justice are jokes and deceptively slight, mysterious fables. These unforgettable pieces reflect the brilliance at the core of Franz Kafka, arguably most fully expressed within his short stories. Together they showcase a writer of unmatched imaginative depth, capable of expressing the most profound reality with a wry smile.
Description of a Struggle is a three-part story written by Franz Kafka between 1903 and 1907. It constitutes his oldest surviving work and was only published after his death. The first and third sections describe Prague society- and night-life from the point of view of the author and his acquaintance. The central section can be viewed as a fantastical dream sequence divided into several sub-sections. Kafka wrote two versions of this story.
After Franz Kafka's death, in perhaps the most important of all acts of
literary disobedience, his executor refused to agree to Kafka's wish that his
great mass of unpublished fiction be destroyed. This fiction included not only
The Castle and The Trial but also the amazingly varied, chilling and ingenious
short works collected in The Burrow and Other Stories. These tales, some
little more than a page, others much more substantial, are among the greatest
works of Central European literature. They vary from the tiny and horrifying
'Little Fable' to the elaborate waking nightmares of 'Building the Great Wall
of China' and the title story 'The Burrow', in which an unidentified creature
describes its creation of an endlessly elaborate burrow to protect itself from
unidentified enemies, but with every trap or tunnel only creating further
terrors and uncertainty.
In this volume, British artist David Musgrave revisits Franz Kafka's novella Blumfeld, an Elderly Bachelor , the tale of a man who arrives home one day to find two plastic balls bouncing off the ground of their own accord. To his great irritation, these balls follow Blumfeld--who is a stickler for absolute order in his universe--wherever he goes, and his attempts to divest himself of their presence are described with Kafka's customary flair for the detached observation of the extremely bizarre. Musgrave has responded to Kafka's story with a series of pencil drawings of curious artifacts and pseudo-archaeological fragments of his own invention. Combined with John Morgan's austere design--which finds the book typeset in Kafka's preferred font and large type size, which he was never able to see printed in his lifetime--this volume almost feels like a case study of some unique bygone supernatural phenomenon.
In these stories the obscure, yet terrifyingly clear world of Franz Kafka is given enigmatic force. The author's themes are not the fashionable ones of alienation, angst and existentialism; they are powerful allegories of man's spiritual exile from the reality of twentieth-century Europe.
Described by Nobel laureate Elias Canetti as, "one of the few great and perfect works of the poetic imagination," this short fable about a man who wakes up one morning transformed into a giant insect is deeply funny in its tragedy and heartbreaking in its humor.
The Trial, German Der Prozess, novel by visionary German-language writer Franz Kafka, originally published posthumously in 1925. One of Kafka’s major works, and perhaps his most pessimistic, this surreal story of a young man who finds himself caught up in the mindless bureaucracy of the law has become synonymous with the anxieties and sense of alienation of the modern age and with an ordinary person’s struggle against an unreasoning and unreasonable authority. It is often considered to be an imaginative anticipation of totalitarianism. The Metamorphosis, It is the story of a young man who, transformed overnight into a giant beetle-like insect, becomes an object of disgrace to his family, an outsider in his own home, a quintessentially alienated man. A harrowing—though absurdly comic—meditation on human feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and isolation, The Metamorphosis has taken its place as one of the most widely read and influential works of twentieth-century fiction. As W.H. Auden wrote, "Kafka is important to us because his predicament is the predicament of modern man."
The narrative explores the intricacies of human relationships and the challenges of personal growth. It delves into the lives of its characters as they navigate emotional struggles and seek connection in a rapidly changing world. Themes of resilience and self-discovery are prominent, offering readers insight into the characters' journeys toward understanding themselves and each other. The second edition brings updated perspectives and refined storytelling, enhancing the overall experience for both new readers and returning fans.
The story explores Gregor Samsa's shocking transformation into a giant insect, which leads to a profound sense of alienation. As he grapples with his new physical form, he reflects on his life as a sales representative, his familial obligations, and the burden of responsibility. The narrative delves into themes of identity, isolation, and the human condition, highlighting Gregor's struggle to adapt to his grotesque reality while confronting the expectations placed upon him by his family and society.
Featuring a collection of unfinished narratives, this compilation showcases the profound impact of Franz Kafka's storytelling on Western literature. The tales delve into themes of existentialism, absurdity, and the human condition, reflecting Kafka's distinctive style and philosophical insights. Published primarily after his death, these works offer a glimpse into the mind of a literary genius whose influence continues to resonate in contemporary thought.
A 1915 novella written by Franz Kafka and one of Kafka's best-known works
42pages
2 heures de lecture
The story follows Gregor Samsa, a salesman who awakens one morning to discover he has transformed into a massive insect. This shocking change forces him to navigate the challenges of his new existence and the impact it has on his family and identity. The novella explores themes of alienation, guilt, and the human condition, prompting varied interpretations among literary critics. Kafka's work remains a significant exploration of existential and societal issues, making it a pivotal piece in modern literature.
Exploring themes of safety and existential dread, this book invites readers into a treacherous labyrinth inspired by Franz Kafka's work. It delves into the relentless pursuit of an impenetrable refuge amidst the constant worry of both real and imagined threats. The narrative captures the essence of anxiety and the human condition as it navigates through a world fraught with dangers lurking around every corner.
The story explores the profound transformation of Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman who wakes up one morning as a giant insect. This shocking change leads to a deterioration of his relationships, particularly with his family. Initially cared for by his sister Grete, their bond deteriorates as she grows increasingly repulsed by his condition. The family's perception shifts, viewing Gregor as a burden, ultimately leading to his isolation and neglect. This novella delves into themes of identity, alienation, and familial dynamics, making it a compelling read for language learners.
The story follows Gregor Samsa, who undergoes a surreal transformation into a gigantic insect upon waking from a troubled sleep. This bizarre change leads to profound consequences for his identity and relationships, exploring themes of alienation, family dynamics, and the struggle for acceptance in a world that has become unrecognizable. The narrative delves into Gregor's internal conflict and the impact of his metamorphosis on those around him, highlighting the absurdity of existence and the fragility of human connections.
Featuring twenty-one of Kafka's finest short stories, this collection showcases both short and long tales in a comprehensive and recent translation. The narratives blend a surface of scrupulous naturalism with deeper, uncanny themes, reflecting the complexities of spiritual existence. Kafka's unique ability to render the intricacies of modern life palpable and real highlights his mastery as a storyteller. This collection offers readers a profound exploration of the human condition through the lens of one of literature's great modern masters.
