This volume gathers the short stories Franz Kafka wrote and published during his lifetime, plus other pieces released after his death. Among the best known are The Metamorphosis, where a traveling salesman wakes as a giant insect, The Judgment, In the Penal Colony with its engraving machine, A Hunger Artist, and A Country Doctor. Also included are short parables and sketches such as Before the Law and Investigations of a Dog. The characters are often ordinary people drawn into situations where the rules are unclear, the authority is distant and the guilt cannot be explained.
It's a good choice for readers who want a full collection of Kafka's short work in one place. Students and general readers will find in these pieces the source of the word "Kafkaesque."
Deep, inward-looking, contemplative, open-ended and thought-provoking; a demanding read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1915
- Language
- EN
