Kafka

I have been fascinated by this writer for a couple of months. We had him as a major topic at german classes for a whole semester, read one novel by him ("the metamorphosis") and a couple of short stories. You can read one of them here http://www.pith.net/pithfiles/b4law.htm .

What's fascinating about Kafka is that he writes in a bizarre way. His stories are surreal, unemotional, cold, cruel, sometimes dream like, sometimes written like reports. The first sentence of a novel or short story often reveals a lot of information and draws the reader instantly. Just one example:

When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed into a gigantic insect.

Then what's also special is that "unreal" situations like the transformation into an insect are often very isolated in the novel. There are no further dream like or unreal situations,and there's never an explanation,never a wondering about the bizarre event that took place.

When you have finished reading,you start thinking what the story means. You can approach it in any way you want,you can try to interpret it, and you can try to imagine what the author meant. But you are always left with questions. The story somehow teaches you something, but it doesn't say what and it's up to you to guess the meaning...or create a meaning in your mind. The meaning is open and locked at the same time.

I ordered "The trial" and "In the penal colony". I'm not sure if i will be able to read any of these novels since i have stuff to read for the next weeks (thanks to someone ;) ) but i knew i'd read Kafka again some day. Maybe it's this uncertainty and doubtfulness that always surrounded this man,his work and his life that make him interesting for people like me. He finds words for the indescribable while not telling anything at the same time. It's already impossible to describe it. There's a word for this kind of style,invented just for him,and it's called kafkaesque so that shows how special his writing style is.

Let's see if i still like him when i read these two novels...