HAPPY BIRTHDAY – Franz Kafka, born 3 July 1883
“A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us.”
Franz Kafka (1923)
Kafka is not a cheerful writer, but he is certainly powerful. I think his novella Metamorphosis is chilling. It is the story of a young man who wakes one morning to find he has been turned into a giant insect. The Trial is an incredibly modern novel about the power of bureaucracy, and the dehumanising of men in the industrial world.
I have visited the tiny Kafka museum in Prague, which is a fascinating place. Do go and see it if you are lucky enough to have a trip to Prague. Kafka wrote in German, so today the Czechs seem to have a rather ambivalent attitude towards him. He was Jewish which always made him feel something of an outsider – so much of his angst and alienation went into his work.
However, you do need to be feeling cheerful before reading Kafka, otherwise you will be left in a state of depression!
Franz Kafka died on 3 June 1924, aged 40.
I’d be most interested to know what you think of his work? Tell me in the comment area below.
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
The Trial by Franz Kafka
I only recommend books I have read and know. Some of these links are my affiliate links. If you buy a book by clicking on one of these links I receive a small commission. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, but does help cover the cost of producing my free newsletter.
Comments are moderated, and will not appear until approved.
[DISPLAY_ULTIMATE_PLUS]