Download or read book Kafka A Very Short Introduction written by Ritchie Robertson and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2004-10-28 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous insect ...' So begins Franz Kafka's most famous story Metamorphosis. Franz Kafka (1883-1924) is among the most intriguing and influential writers of the twentieth century. During his lifetime he worked as a civil servant and published only a handful of short stories, the best known being The Transformation. All three of his novels, The Trial, The Castle, and The Man Who Disappeared [America], were published after his death and helped to found Kafka's reputation as a uniquely perceptive interpreter of the twentieth century. Kafka's fiction vividly evokes bizarre situations: a commercial traveller is turned into an insect, a banker is arrested by a mysterious court, a fasting artist starves to death in the name of art, a singing mouse becomes the heroine of her nation. Attending both to Kafka's crisis-ridden life and to the subtleties of his art, Ritchie Robertson shows how his work explores such characteristically modern themes as the place of the body in culture, the power of institutions over people, and the possibility of religion after Nietzsche had proclaimed 'the death of God'. The result is an up-to-date and accessible portrait of a fascinating author which shows us ways to read and make sense of his perplexing and absorbing work. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Download or read book Kafka written by Ritchie Robertson and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published: Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004, as part of the Very short introduction series.
Download or read book A Hunger Artist and Other Stories written by Franz Kafka and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2012-04-12 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'In recent decades, interest in hunger artists has greatly diminished.' Kafka published two collections of short stories in his lifetime, A Country Doctor: Little Tales (1919) and A Hunger Artist: Four Stories (1924). Both collections are included in their entirety in this edition, which also contains other, uncollected stories and a selection of posthumously published works that have become part of the Kafka canon. Enigmatic, satirical, often bleakly humorous, these stories approach human experience at a tangent: a singing mouse, an ape, an inquisitive dog, and a paranoid burrowing creature are among the protagonists, as well as the professional starvation artist. A patient seems to be dying from a metaphysical wound; the war-horse of Alexander the Great steps aside from history and adopts a quiet profession as a lawyer. Fictional meditations on art and artists, and a series of aphorisms that come close to expressing Kafka's philosophy of life, further explore themes that recur in his major novels. Newly translated, and with an invaluable introduction and notes, Kafka's short stories are haunting and unforgettable. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
Download or read book Goethe written by Ritchie Robertson and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Robertson covers the life and work of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832): scientist, administrator, artist, art critic, and literary writer in a variety of genres.
Download or read book Jewish Literature A Very Short Introduction written by Ilan Stavans and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021-06-03 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of Jewish literature is a kaleidoscopic one, multilingual and transnational in character, spanning the globe as well as the centuries. In this broad, thought-provoking introduction to Jewish literature from 1492 to the present, cultural historian Ilan Stavans focuses on its multilingual and transnational nature. Stavans presents a wide range of traditions within Jewish literature and the variety of writers who made those traditions possible. Represented are writers as dissimilar as Luis de Carvajal the Younger, Franz Kafka, Bruno Schulz, Isaac Babel, Anzia Yezierska, Elias Canetti, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Irving Howe, Clarice Lispector, Susan Sontag, Philip Roth, Grace Paley, Amos Oz, Moacyr Scliar, and David Grossman. The story of Jewish literature spans the globe as well as the centuries, from the marrano poets and memorialists of medieval Spain, to the sprawling Yiddish writing in Ashkenaz (the "Pale of Settlement' in Eastern Europe), to the probing narratives of Jewish immigrants to the United States and other parts of the New World. It also examines the accounts of horror during the Holocaust, the work of Israeli authors since the creation of the Jewish State in 1948, and the "ingathering" of Jewish works in Brazil, Bulgaria, Argentina, and South Africa at the end of the twentieth century. This kaleidoscopic introduction to Jewish literature presents its subject matter as constantly changing and adapting.
Download or read book Modernism A Very Short Introduction written by Christopher Butler and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2010-07-29 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A compact introduction to modernism--why it began, what it is, and how it hasshaped virtually all aspects of 20th and 21st century life
Download or read book The Basic Kafka written by Franz Kafka and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 1979 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Published together for the first time are selections from all Kafka's writings: The Metamorphosis, Josephine The Singer, plus his short stories, parables, and his personal diaries and letters.
Download or read book Kafka written by Reiner Stach and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2021-11-09 with total page 694 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Telling the story of Kafka's final years as never before—the third volume in the acclaimed definitive biography This volume of Reiner Stach's acclaimed and definitive biography of Franz Kafka tells the story of the final years of the writer's life, from 1916 to 1924—a period during which the world Kafka had known came to an end. Stach's riveting narrative, which reflects the latest findings about Kafka's life and works, draws readers in with nearly cinematic precision, zooming in for extreme close-ups of Kafka's personal life, then pulling back for panoramic shots of a wider world blighted by World War I, disease, and inflation. In these years, Kafka was spared military service at the front, yet his work as a civil servant brought him into chilling proximity with its grim realities. He was witness to unspeakable misery, lost the financial security he had been counting on to lead the life of a writer, and remained captive for years in his hometown of Prague. The outbreak of tuberculosis and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire constituted a double shock for Kafka, and made him agonizingly aware of his increasing rootlessness. He began to pose broader existential questions, and his writing grew terser and more reflective, from the parable-like Country Doctor stories and A Hunger Artist to The Castle. A door seemed to open in the form of a passionate relationship with the Czech journalist Milena Jesenská. But the romance was unfulfilled and Kafka, an incurably ill German Jew with a Czech passport, continued to suffer. However, his predicament only sharpened his perceptiveness, and the final period of his life became the years of insight.
Download or read book German Literature A Very Short Introduction written by Nicholas Boyle and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2008-02-28 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: German writers, be it Goethe, Nietzsche, Marx, Brecht or Mann, have had a profound influence on the modern world. This Very Short Introduction illuminates the particular character and power of German literature, and examines its impact on the wider cultural world.
Download or read book Selected Short Stories of Franz Kafka written by Franz Kafka and published by . This book was released on 1952 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Franz Kafka written by Saul Friedlander and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2013-04-16 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: DIV Franz Kafka was the poet of his own disorder. Throughout his life he struggled with a pervasive sense of shame and guilt that left traces in his daily existence—in his many letters, in his extensive diaries, and especially in his fiction. This stimulating book investigates some of the sources of Kafka’s personal anguish and its complex reflections in his imaginary world. In his query, Saul Friedländer probes major aspects of Kafka’s life (family, Judaism, love and sex, writing, illness, and despair) that until now have been skewed by posthumous censorship. Contrary to Kafka’s dying request that all his papers be burned, Max Brod, Kafka’s closest friend and literary executor, edited and published the author’s novels and other works soon after his death in 1924. Friedländer shows that, when reinserted in Kafka’s letters and diaries, deleted segments lift the mask of “sainthood� frequently attached to the writer and thus restore previously hidden aspects of his individuality. /div
Download or read book Teeth A Very Short Introduction written by Peter S. Ungar and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2014-03 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teeth are a vital component of vertebrate anatomy and a fundamental part of the fossil record. It was the evolution of teeth, associated with predation, that drove the evolution of the wide array of fish, amphibians, reptiles, and then mammals. Peter S. Ungar looks at how, without teeth, none of these developments could have occurred.
Download or read book Metamorphosis written by Franz Kafka and published by Librofilio. This book was released on 2024-02-02 with total page 58 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka is a haunting and surreal exploration of existentialism and the human condition. This novella introduces readers to Gregor Samsa, a diligent traveling salesman who wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a gigantic insect. Kafka's narrative delves into the isolation, alienation, and absurdity that Gregor experiences as he grapples with his new identity. The novella is a profound examination of the individual's struggle to maintain a sense of self and belonging in a world that often feels incomprehensible. Kafka's writing is characterized by its dreamlike quality and a sense of impending doom. As Gregor's physical and emotional transformation unfolds, readers are drawn into a nightmarish world that blurs the lines between reality and illusion. "Metamorphosis" is a timeless work that continues to captivate readers with its exploration of themes such as identity, family, and the dehumanizing effects of modern society. Kafka's unique style and ability to evoke a sense of existential unease make this novella a literary classic. Step into the surreal and unsettling world of "Metamorphosis" and embark on a journey of self-discovery and existential reflection. Kafka's masterpiece challenges readers to confront the complexities of the human psyche and the enigmatic nature of existence. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Franz Kafka (1883-1924) was a Czech-born German-speaking novelist and short story writer whose works have had a profound influence on modern literature. Born in Prague, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Kafka's writing is characterized by its exploration of existentialism, alienation, and the absurdity of human existence. Kafka's most famous works include "Metamorphosis," where the protagonist wakes up one morning transformed into a giant insect, and "The Trial," a nightmarish tale of a man arrested and tried by an inscrutable and oppressive bureaucracy. His writing often delves into the themes of isolation and the struggle to find meaning in an indifferent world. Despite his relatively small body of work, Kafka's impact on literature and philosophy has been immense. His writings have been interpreted in various ways, and the term "Kafkaesque" is often used to describe situations characterized by surreal complexity and absurdity. Kafka's legacy as a literary innovator and his exploration of the human psyche continue to captivate readers and scholars alike, making him a central figure in the world of modern literature.
Download or read book Kafka in Action written by Dylan Scott and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-02-15 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kafka in Action is a practical, hands-on guide to building Kafka-based data pipelines. Filled with real-world use cases and scenarios, this book probes Kafka's most common use cases, ranging from simple logging through managing streaming data systems for message routing, analytics, and more. In systems that handle big data, streaming data, or fast data, it's important to get your data pipelines right. Apache Kafka is a wicked-fast distributed streaming platform that operates as more than just a persistent log or a flexible message queue. Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications.
Download or read book Existentialism A Very Short Introduction written by Thomas Flynn and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2006-10-12 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Existentialism was one of the leading philosophical movements of the twentieth century. Focusing on its seven leading figures, Sartre, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Kierkegaard, de Beauvoir, Merleau-Ponty and Camus, this Very Short Introduction provides a clear account of the key themes of the movement which emphasized individuality, free will, and personal responsibility in the modern world. Drawing in the movement's varied relationships with the arts, humanism, and politics, this book clarifies the philosophy and original meaning of 'existentialism' - which has tended to be obscured by misappropriation. Placing it in its historical context, Thomas Flynn also highlights how existentialism is still relevant to us today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Download or read book The Cambridge Introduction to Franz Kafka written by Carolin Duttlinger and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013-06-27 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Franz Kafka (1883–1924) is one of the most influential of modern authors, whose darkly fascinating novels and stories - where themes such as power, punishment and alienation loom large - have become emblematic of modern life. This Introduction offers a clear and accessible account of Kafka's life, work and literary influence and overturns many myths surrounding them. His texts are in fact far more engaging, diverse, light-hearted and ironic than is commonly suggested by clichés of 'the Kafkaesque'. And, once explored in detail, they are less difficult and impenetrable than is often assumed. Through close analysis of their style, imagery and narrative perspective, Carolin Duttlinger aims to give readers the confidence to (re-)discover Kafka's works without constant recourse to the mantras of critical orthodoxy. In addition, she situates Kafka's texts within their wider cultural, historical and political contexts illustrating how they respond to the concerns of their age, and of our own.
Download or read book The Cambridge Introduction to Franz Kafka written by Carolin Duttlinger and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013-06-27 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An accessible, comprehensive introduction to the work, life and times of one of the twentieth century's most important writers.
