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Franz Kafka

The Poet of Shame and Guilt
Series: Jewish Lives
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
Franz Kafka by Saul Friedländer offers a compelling exploration of Kafka’s life within the context of his time, delving into his personal struggles, relationships, and creative processes. This biography uniquely fuses vivid historical background with insights into Kafka's personal experiences that influenced his enigmatic works. The narrative captures the complexities of Kafka as both a literary icon and a man navigating early 20th-century Europe.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2899
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you are fascinated by the enigmatic life and complex mind of Franz Kafka. Saul Friedländer delves deeply into Kafka's struggles, inspirations, and the societal challenges he faced, offering a nuanced portrait that intertwines personal insights with historical context. If you enjoy exploring the interplay between a writer's life and work, this biography will provide a compelling and thoughtful journey into the psyche of a literary icon.

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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

A highly original and engaging appraisal of Kafka’s life, work, legacy, and thought

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.

Series: Jewish Lives

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780300219722

Publisher: Yale University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 22 March 2016

Country: United States

Imprint: Yale University Press

Illustration: 2 b-w illus.

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 17.0mm

Width: 146.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 272g

Pages: 200

About the Author

Saul Friedländer is a renowned historian of the Holocaust and a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. He is Distinguished Emeritus Professor of History and Club 39 Endowed Chair in Holocaust Studies at UCLA. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.

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