Diksia.com - Franz Kafka was one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. His novels and stories explored themes of alienation, existentialism, and absurdity, often featuring isolated protagonists facing surreal or bureaucratic situations.
His works have inspired countless writers and artists, and have given rise to the term “Kafkaesque” to describe situations that are nightmarish, illogical, or oppressive.
Kafka was born in 1883 in Prague, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was a German-speaking Jew who struggled with his identity and his relationship with his father.
He studied law and worked as an insurance officer, writing mostly in his spare time. He suffered from various health problems, including tuberculosis, which eventually killed him in 1924 at the age of 40.
Kafka was very self-critical and burned most of his manuscripts. He also instructed his friend and literary executor Max Brod to destroy his unfinished works after his death. Brod ignored this request and published Kafka’s novels and stories posthumously, making him famous worldwide.
Kafka wrote three novels: The Trial, The Castle, and Amerika. He also wrote dozens of short stories, such as The Metamorphosis, In the Penal Colony, A Hunger Artist, and The Judgment. He also left behind diaries, letters, aphorisms, and sketches.
In this article, we will introduce some of Kafka’s most important works and explain why they are worth reading.
The Metamorphosis
The Metamorphosis is Kafka’s most famous work and one of the landmarks of modern literature. It tells the story of Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman who wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a giant insect. He is rejected by his family and confined to his room, where he gradually loses his humanity and dies.
The Metamorphosis is a powerful allegory of alienation, isolation, and dehumanization. It explores the themes of identity, family, work, and society. It also reflects Kafka’s own feelings of being trapped in a meaningless and oppressive existence.
The Metamorphosis is a short novella that can be read in one sitting. It is a masterpiece of style, symbolism, and imagination that will haunt you long after you finish it.
The Trial
The Trial is Kafka’s first novel and one of his most acclaimed works. It tells the story of Josef K., a bank clerk who is arrested one day for an unspecified crime. He is subjected to a series of absurd and incomprehensible trials by a mysterious court system that operates behind the scenes of society. He tries to defend himself but finds no logic or justice in the process.
The Trial is a dark satire of bureaucracy, law, and authority. It exposes the absurdity and futility of human existence in a world that is governed by irrational and arbitrary rules. It also explores the themes of guilt, paranoia, and freedom.
The Trial is an unfinished novel that was edited and published by Max Brod after Kafka’s death. It is divided into ten chapters that vary in length and coherence. It is a complex and challenging work that requires careful attention and interpretation.
The Castle
The Castle is Kafka’s last novel and one of his most enigmatic works. It tells the story of K., a land surveyor who arrives in a village that is dominated by a mysterious castle on a hill. He tries to gain access to the castle but faces constant obstacles and delays from the villagers and the castle officials. He becomes obsessed with reaching the castle but never succeeds.
The Castle is a metaphysical quest for meaning and identity. It explores the themes of bureaucracy, religion, sexuality, and power. It also reflects Kafka’s own struggle with his Jewish heritage and his relationship with his father.
The Castle is an unfinished novel that was edited and published by Max Brod after Kafka’s death. It consists of twenty chapters that are incomplete or fragmentary. It is a dense and ambiguous work that invites multiple interpretations.
Other Works
Besides these three novels, Kafka wrote many other works that are worth reading. Some of them are:
- The Judgment: A short story about a young man who receives a shocking verdict from his father.
- In the Penal Colony: A short story about a torture device that inscribes the sentence on the body of the condemned.
- A Hunger Artist: A short story about a professional fasting artist who starves himself for public entertainment.
- Letters to Felice: A collection of letters that Kafka wrote to his fiancée Felice Bauer between 1912 and 1917.
- The Zürau Aphorisms: A collection of aphorisms that Kafka wrote on small pieces of paper while staying at his sister’s farm in Zürau.
- The Blue Octavo Notebooks: A collection of notes and sketches that Kafka wrote in eight small notebooks between 1917 and 1919.
Conclusion
Kafka is one of the most influential and original writers of the 20th century. His works are timeless and universal, and they resonate with anyone who has ever felt alienated, oppressed, or confused by the world. Reading Kafka is not easy, but it is rewarding and enlightening. If you want to discover the works of this genius, you can start with any of the books mentioned in this article.
