Franz Kafka

[Chap]

So, anyone read anything by this poor soul?
I've read his 3 main books (The Castle, The Process and Amerika? not sure about the english titles) and some of his diary/letters/short stories.
Personaly I loved the books, they are strange, unusual (same thing?) and have a very good atmosphere that makes me want to come back to them.
But they are quite hard to read IMO, the pages doesn't exactly fly by.

[obscurejude]

I took a graduate seminar on him and Thomas Mann last year and really enjoyed it. I don't have time to elaborate right now because I'm about to head to class, but perhaps later.

I will say that I wrote some papers on Nietzsche's influence...

Hopefully this thread will take off. Kafka was a depressing fella, but endearing.

[Chap]

Looking forward to reading your elaborations later :)
Thomas Mann was the guy who published Kafkas work after he (Kafka) died, right? Maybe I'm mixing things up.

anyway, yes he was a depressing fella - but I can relate to that, hehe.

[obscurejude]

Thanks for starting the thread Chap. I think Jean is a big fan too and I look forward to hearing his thoughts, though I don't mean to put him on the spot.

[idk, my bff jill?]

I haven't read any of his novels, just The Metamorphosis, which I loved, but I don't know if that's a novel or a short story.
I want to read more, but I keep forgetting to look for the other three novels. ><

[bluelph24]

i ahve read the metamorphosis and several other stories. they are good, but not particularly readable. i will read his novels eventually, but they aren't at the top of my list because of his difficulty

[Ruthful]

So, anyone read anything by this poor soul?
I've read his 3 main books (The Castle, The Process and Amerika? not sure about the english titles) and some of his diary/letters/short stories.
Personaly I loved the books, they are strange, unusual (same thing?) and have a very good atmosphere that makes me want to come back to them.
But they are quite hard to read IMO, the pages doesn't exactly fly by.

I think you mean "The Trial." Although, it might be entitled differently in different countries.

I've read that and The Castle, but have never read Amerika. In fact, I have yet to read The Stoker, i.e. the first part of that novel. It's hard to judge Kafka by his longer novels, since all of them are unfinished, but he is one of my favorite 20th century writers.

I have the Shocken editions of most of his published works, but I haven't been able to get through the diaries. This could just be a personal quirk, but I find that you have to be an exceptional writer in order to be a compelling diarist, which Kafka was, but not in that specific way. For every Samuel Pepys there's ten hundred Kurt Kobains, and even very strong writers, such as Kafka, delve into repetitive and boring subject matter, which even the most attentive reader will tire of rather quickly.

[Ruthful]

Looking forward to reading your elaborations later :)
Thomas Mann was the guy who published Kafkas work after he (Kafka) died, right? Maybe I'm mixing things up.

anyway, yes he was a depressing fella - but I can relate to that, hehe.


No, that was Max Brod. He was Kafka's friend-another Prague writer-who was entrusted to be the executor of his estate once Kafka had died. Kafka wrote him letters during his life affirming his wish that his extant works be destroyed after his death, but most scholars feel that he wasn't sincere in those requests.

[Chap]

I haven't read any of his novels, just The Metamorphosis, which I loved, but I don't know if that's a novel or a short story.
I want to read more, but I keep forgetting to look for the other three novels. ><
I think Metamorphosis would be classified as a short story or a novella. Not sure though, as we don't use the same terms here.



I think you mean "The Trial." Although, it might be entitled differently in different countries.

I've read that and The Castle, but have never read Amerika. In fact, I have yet to read The Stoker, i.e. the first part of that novel. It's hard to judge Kafka by his longer novels, since all of them are unfinished, but he is one of my favorite 20th century writers.

I have the Shocken editions of most of his published works, but I haven't been able to get through the diaries. This could just be a personal quirk, but I find that you have to be an exceptional writer in order to be a compelling diarist, which Kafka was, but not in that specific way. For every Samuel Pepys there's ten hundred Kurt Kobains, and even very strong writers, such as Kafka, delve into repetitive and boring subject matter, which even the most attentive reader will tire of rather quickly.

Yep, I meant the Trial indeed. Thanks!
The fact that theya re unfinished is one of the things that makes them special IMO. Like The Castle ending in mid-sentence. and yeah the diaries aren't exactly the best litterature you can find, but it gives insight into the person behind the words, and I at least understood his writing better after reading some of the diaries and letters.



No, that was Max Brod. He was Kafka's friend-another Prague writer-who was entrusted to be the executor of his estate once Kafka had died. Kafka wrote him letters during his life affirming his wish that his extant works be destroyed after his death, but most scholars feel that he wasn't sincere in those requests.
Ah that's right, thanks for correcting me (again ;) ). Knew it was something with a M in it anyway.
Any reasons why scholars thinks he wasn't sincere when he asked for his work to be destroyed?

thanks for the valuable contributions :thumbsup:

[Jean]

So, anyone read anything by this poor soul?
I read The Trial (three or four times), which I loved, and a great number of short stories, but never made it through The Castle; at least not yet.

[Ruthful]

Any reasons why scholars thinks he wasn't sincere when he asked for his work to be destroyed?

thanks for the valuable contributions :thumbsup:

A number of reasons, foremost among them the fact that he never codified his expressed wishes into any sort of will and testament. Kafka was someone who wanted to be published, and was relatively famous within Czech literary circles, if not in the broader German literary world that he aimed to conquer. He was hamstrung by external impositions, e.g. his tubercular health, bad choices and The Great War, etc., not internal restraints.

[Melike]

The Metamorphosis is very special and stunning compared to his other short stories.
Wish I will have time to read The Castle.

[Letti]

I have read The Metamorphosis and The Trial. I know his works are very depressing and dark but they can't make me depressed. I can feel the dark atmosphere but it makes me enjoy the reading even more.
I am sure I will keep reading his novels and short stories but he isn't my favourite so other books call me more.

[Chap]

The Metamorphosis is very special and stunning compared to his other short stories.
Wish I will have time to read The Castle.
There's always time :thumbsup:
I'm sort of surprised to see that "everyone" has read The Metamorphosis. In this part of the world it's probably his least known work (a side from the short stories of course). Most people around here know of/have read The Trial and maybe The Castle.
I must be hanging out with the wrong crowd :orely:


I have read The Metamorphosis and The Trial. I know his works are very depressing and dark but they can't make me depressed. I can feel the dark atmosphere but it makes me enjoy the reading even more.
I am sure I will keep reading his novels and short stories but he isn't my favourite so other books call me more.

I don't find them depressing at all. In fact I find them rather funny and releaving (SP?). And indeed the dark atmosphere (specially in the beginning of The Castle) is great.

[Melike]

The Metamorphosis is very special and stunning compared to his other short stories.
Wish I will have time to read The Castle.
There's always time :thumbsup:
I'm sort of surprised to see that "everyone" has read The Metamorphosis. In this part of the world it's probably his least known work (a side from the short stories of course). Most people around here know of/have read The Trial and maybe The Castle.
I must be hanging out with the wrong crowd :orely:

:)
Actullay, here, his most popular and known work is The Metamorphosis. In secondary school, it is a subject of the literature lessons.

[Letti]

The Metamorphosis is very special and stunning compared to his other short stories.
Wish I will have time to read The Castle.
There's always time :thumbsup:
I'm sort of surprised to see that "everyone" has read The Metamorphosis. In this part of the world it's probably his least known work (a side from the short stories of course). Most people around here know of/have read The Trial and maybe The Castle.
I must be hanging out with the wrong crowd :orely:

:)
Actullay, here, his most popular and known work is The Metamorphosis. In secondary school, it is a subject of the Literature lessons.

It's absolutely the same here.

[Chap]

The Metamorphosis is very special and stunning compared to his other short stories.
Wish I will have time to read The Castle.
There's always time :thumbsup:
I'm sort of surprised to see that "everyone" has read The Metamorphosis. In this part of the world it's probably his least known work (a side from the short stories of course). Most people around here know of/have read The Trial and maybe The Castle.
I must be hanging out with the wrong crowd :orely:

:)
Actullay, here, his most popular and known work is The Metamorphosis. In secondary school, it is a subject of the Literature lessons.

It's absolutely the same here.
That would explain it :)
we have mostly local authors here in the lower classes. A guess would be that Kafka is only tought(?) at at "high-school" and universities around here.

[Ruthful]

:)
Actullay, here, his most popular and known work is The Metamorphosis. In secondary school, it is a subject of the Literature lessons.

It's absolutely the same here.

Ditto.

It's hard to graduate from high school and college without that book being part of at least one English syllabus, although I suppose it happens-I've never read The Catcher in the Rye, which is probably right up there with The Great Gatsby in terms of being assigned in public school English classes in this country.

I agree with you, Letti. Kafka is one of my favorite writers, mostly for his dark sense of humor-some of his stories are funnier than anything I've read outside of some Ionesco plays.

[Seymour_Glass]

I read the Metamorphosis for English and loved it. Most of the kids in my class hated it. Or didn't read it.
But yeah, I'm gonna pick up the Trial.

[mae]

There is a new book I just stumbled upon at my local Barnes & Noble, while browsing after reading the so-called intros by Stephen King to the new so-called collection "Goes to the Movies" (total waste of paper, in my humble opinion, and King even states that some of these movies plain sucked). Anyway. Check this out: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0805242112/ I haven't done any research so I'm wondering if the rest of Kafka's work has received this treatment. Would be nice to have a complete works in these newly translated and annotated hardcovers.

[obscurejude]

Pablo, thanks for bringing that to our attention. :)

Its my understanding that most of his novels have received similar treatment because many are unfinished and thus heavily debated in regards to authorial intent among Kafka scholars. In a way, its cool, because his works stay fresh, but I do find it frustrating at times because of how difficult interpreting can become. Kafka's works really embody many existential precepts, particularly the journey is more important than the destination.

[Chap]

if you're talking about the translation:
I think all the books have been re-translated from the original texts (rather than the edited ones). Might be wrong though.

[obscurejude]

if you're talking about the translation:
I think all the books have been re-translated from the original texts (rather than the edited ones). Might be wrong though.

They've all been translated a number of times. If you read the description of the book that Pablo posted, this new translation is done in regards to previously unreleased outside texts concerning America.

[Chap]

if you're talking about the translation:
I think all the books have been re-translated from the original texts (rather than the edited ones). Might be wrong though.

They've all been translated a number of times. If you read the description of the book that Pablo posted, this new translation is done in regards to previously unreleased outside texts concerning America.

oups. I find amazon confusing, so I mostly look at the pictures and bold text :P

anyway, under "frequently bought together" you can also see "The Castle: A new translation based on the restored text" as well :)

[obscurejude]

if you're talking about the translation:
I think all the books have been re-translated from the original texts (rather than the edited ones). Might be wrong though.

They've all been translated a number of times. If you read the description of the book that Pablo posted, this new translation is done in regards to previously unreleased outside texts concerning America.

oups. I find amazon confusing, so I mostly look at the pictures and bold text :P

anyway, under "frequently bought together" you can also see "The Castle: A new translation based on the restored text" as well :)

I was just trying to help out. :P :couple:

[obscurejude]

I have attached a review that I wrote for a graduate seminar on an article by Ralf Nicolai discussing Nietzschean thought and Kafka. I tried to post it, but it was too long. If there's any topic that interest any of you, I'd love to talk about it. :)

Actually, Its too big to upload. Shit. Can a mod help me out, perhaps? It was only 25 KB (about 4 pages double spaced). Thanks.

[Jean]

Can you just copy and paste it, or does it contain some important formatting?

[obscurejude]

Can you just copy and paste it, or does it contain some important formatting?

When I tried to do that, It only pasted about half of it and the reply box wouldn't scroll down any further. :(

[Brice]

Would two consecutive posts work? I don't really know about file sizes and how much can be uploaded in one file. :unsure:

[obscurejude]

Would two consecutive posts work? I don't really know about file sizes and how much can be uploaded in one file. :unsure:

What kind of manager are you. :P

I might just do that Brice. Thanks for the recommendation. :couple:

[Brice]

:couple:


I really should know these things. I feel incompetent. :( Not enough to like actually find out or anything though. :lol: