Franz Kafka: The Complete Stories
by Franz Kafka
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Book Reviews of Franz Kafka: The Complete Stories
Book Review: A Treasure of Madness
Summary: 5 Stars
Kafka is still "the rage," one supposes, but it is hard to see how, now that he has become an icon. This is a fabulous collection. Updike is right that these stories are excellent. Kafka has had enormous influence on modern fiction. He may be one of a handful of highly important authors. Reading him today is especially interesting; you would think these stories had been written the day before yesterday. Kafka's subject, which is something like 'the estrangement of the soul and modern man's quest for hope in a hopeless universe' sounds awfully familiar.The truth is that little else has been said to expand on Kafka's central insight into modern man's spiritual dilemma. "There is hope, but not for us." Kafka, rather like Poe, writes creepy tales. That his world is ours is the magic of his genius. Yes, we've been there alright, but we cannot explain how it happened. We can, as they say, relate...to Kafka's narratives of anxiety, helplessness, and fear.Book Review: What the hell is in this book?
Summary: 1 Stars
A Review of the Amazon Page:
I'm reviewing neither the author nor the book but am reviewing the Amazon page for this book. The main question that I have after looking at this page is this: "what the hell is in this book?"
The product description reads as follows: "The only available collection that brings together all of Kafka's stories--those published during his lifetime and those released after his death." Why offer such cryptic and misleading descriptions of what is in this book? Why not just be upfront and list the contents of the book? I have no clue what's in it. Does it have "The Trial" and "The Castle"? Or is it just his short-stories? If so, which ones?
If you want customers to feel confident in purchasing books online, please be upfront about the contents of the book. Otherwise, how do you hope to compete with a bookstore where I can browse through the physical pages of the book before purchase?
Book Review: Kafka likes to hide.
Summary: 5 Stars
Approaching a complex writer is rarely easy. Perhaps the most influential author of the 20th century is no exception. Most people struggle with the heavy novel 'The Trial', not to mention the extremely confusing, though mind-shaking 'The Castle'. A much better option is to start with the Short stories. Join Karl Rossmann below deck on his way to 'America' or hide out with Gregor Samsa in his room, following his 'Metamorphosis'. You may be stung by the Kafka-bug, and like millions of others be mesmerized into the dreamlike world of Kafka. Anxiety, anguish, and apocalypse await those who dare enter this utterly disturbing inferno. This may sound pretty bad. However, no other writer has given me a reading experience that is even remotely similar to Kafka. He is unique! A new universe yet to unfold within your own mind. Unless your liking of Kafka is executed 'In the penal colony'....like a dog.....Book Review: one of the world's greatest
Summary: 5 Stars
It's hard to fit a review of any of Kafka's work in such a short space, but especially a review of his short fiction (or rather parables, which is more what they are). He was a master of the short story, the likes of which we have seldom seen before or since. This volume contains most of his short stories, those that aren't included here are included elsewhere, where they are more fitting (such as "The Stoker" as the first chapter of Amerika). Kafka's short story "The Metamorphosis" is possibly the best short story ever written. It is certainly the most well known. But I'd like to draw your attention to a few other stories by him--examples of what makes Kafka great: "Before the Law", "In the Penal Colony", "A Country Doctor", "A Report to an Academy", "A Hunger Artist", "The Burrow", "Josephine the Singer, or the Mouse Folk", and "Jackals and Arabs." Read this book.Book Review: interesting to say the least
Summary: 5 Stars
this book was almost everything a book could possibly be. Kafka manages to make you think more with less then a page of text then some author do with a whole book. he frustrates you with his unfinished works, his incomprehensible ones, or his simplistic, straight-foreward ones (that you know must be much deeper, but can't seem to figure out how). it is brilliant and unintelligent, it is thought-provoking, and completely void of all logic, and it is all these things at once. If this is your first trip into the world of kafka then don't be dicouraged, some of it is bizarre to say the least, and can be very frustrating, but when you find that one story that manages to change the way you think and view the world, then you will begin to see his genius. But then again that's just my opinion and it's pretty irrevilent, but read the book anyway, YOU'LL LIKE IT