Is anyone out there reading Kafka these days? Ot at least watching the film, Kafka? I used to teach a course we had, called “Existentialism,” and we would always stew over some Kafka. I’ve always thought he is the most excellent exemplar of the philosophically-inclined fictionalist. Borges is great, as is Camus and Sartre, but no one cuts to the bone like ol’ Franz Kafka. There is something about the eastern-European mentality, that sees through the horror and tragedy, and manages to smirk, or even laugh, at all the nonsense we take to be vital.
Anyway, if you’re not reading Kafka, you should immediately find some and not stop reading until the feelings it expresses are second nature to you. If you don’t, you cannot fail to be a poser.
Advertisements
Isn’t that the guy who wrote something about the trial of a giant cockroach?
LikeLike
If I remember correctly I believe it was more the giant trials of a rather regular sized cockroach. Depending on which Army barracks building it is residing in though it could be quite monstrous.
LikeLike
Wonderful advice. In addition to his better-known works, I would also mention The Zürau Aphorisms, a fairly recent publication brought into existence by Roberto Calasso (who, in addition toThe Marriage of Cadmus and Haromy, which features some astute invocations of Nietzsche, has authored K, a book-length treatment of Kafka).
The Zürau Aphorisms
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl/9780805212075.html
K
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400076123
LikeLike