Selected Short Stories of Kafka (Illustrated Edition)

Author: (Austrian) Kafka
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: The surname Kafka consists of two resonant syllables, sounding like a resounding thud when pronounced. However, this writer of humble civil servant origins was far from the tough, resilient figure of Hemingway. In life, he was an undeniable weakling, though he fought hard on the literary path, never experiencing the joy of success. He died too young. He once said, "On Balzac's cane handle, it is written: I crush all obstacles. On my cane handle, it is written: All obstacles crush me." These are the heartfelt words of someone who truly experienced life's bitterness. However, there is another layer of meaning in these words—facing the confident literary titan who believed he could master everything, he still rolled his eyes in disdain, revealing a sense of mockery. Kafka clearly did not believe that writers could truly grasp the objective world—in the relationship between literature and reality, he followed a completely different cognitive path from Balzac. This book includes several of Kafka's short and medium-length stories.