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The Aphorisms of Franz Kafka

By Franz Kafka
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In 1917 and 1918, Franz Kafka composed over 100 aphorisms in the Bohemian village of Zrau. These enigmatic writings delve into profound philosophical themes such as truth, morality, and the spiritual versus sensory realms. This bilingual edition, newly translated and annotated by eminent Kafka biographer Reiner Stach with translations by Shelley Frisch, presents each aphorism alongside insightful commentary. The aphorisms, marked by their condensed language and original metaphors, offer a window into Kafka's complex mind and are closely connected to his wider literary cosmos.
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Format: Hardback
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Ideal for readers with an interest in literary philosophy, Kafka enthusiasts, scholars of modernist literature, and those who appreciate rich, compact insights into human existence and thought.

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The Aphorisms of Franz Kafka

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In 1917 and 1918, Franz Kafka wrote a set of more than 100 aphorisms, known as the Zrau aphorisms, after the Bohemian village in which he composed them. Among the most mysterious of Kafka's writings, they explore philosophical questions about truth, good and evil, and the spiritual and sensory world. This is the first annotated, bilingual volume of these extraordinary writings, which provide great insight into Kafka's mind. Edited, introduced, and with commentaries by preeminent Kafka biographer and authority Reiner Stach, and freshly translated by Shelley Frisch, this beautiful volume presents each aphorism on its own page in English and the original German, with accessible and enlightening notes on facing pages.

The most complex of Kafka's writings, the aphorisms merge literary and analytical thinking and are radical in their ideas, original in their images and metaphors, and exceptionally condensed in their language. Offering up Kafka's characteristically unsettling charms, the aphorisms at times put readers in unfamiliar, even inhospitable territory, which can then turn luminous:

'I have never been in this place before: breathing works differently, and a star shines next to the sun, more dazzlingly still.'

Above all, this volume reveals that these multifaceted gems aren't far removed from Kafka's novels and stories but are instead situated squarely within his cosmos – arguably at its very core. Long neglected by Kafka readers and scholars, his aphorisms have finally been given their full due here.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Ben Hutchinson, Times Literary Supplement: "Kafka’s mistrust of self-scrutiny, and his equal need for it, are nowhere more dazzlingly displayed than in this jewel of twentieth-century literature."
John Banville, Irish Times: "Stach’s commanding knowledge of Kafka’s life and work richly informs his interpretations of these hitherto generally neglected masterpieces. The aphorisms are as enigmatic as they are beautiful and arguably contain the essential Kafka."
Max Norman, Wall Street Journal: "Taut translations. Indispensable commentary."
This edition is praised for its comprehensive commentary and careful translation, providing invaluable guidance through Kafka’s challenging but luminous aphorisms.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780691205922

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 19 April 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: Princeton University Press

Illustration: 9 b/w illus.

Contributors:

  • Translated by Shelley Frisch
  • Edited by Reiner Stach

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 256

Collections

Arts & Culture Education & Reference European History Franz Kafka History & Archaeology History & Military Non-Fiction Science & Nature

About the Author

Reiner Stach is the author of the definitive three-volume biography of Franz Kafka: Kafka: The Early Years; Kafka: The Decisive Years; and Kafka: The Years of Insight (all Princeton). He is also the author of Is That Kafka? 99 Finds.

Shelley Frisch is an award-winning translator whose work includes Stach's Kafka biography, Karin Wieland's Dietrich & Riefenstahl, and Billy Wilder on Assignment (Princeton), among many other books.

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