franz kafka vol 1

Albert Camus once said that "the whole of Kafka's art consists in compelling the reader to re-read him." Since the interpretations of Kafka are many and the search for the meaning of his stories seemingly endless, the reader will return to the story itself in the hope of finding guidance from within. Thus a second reading will --hopefully -- become a commentary on the first, and subsequent readings will -- again hopefully -- shed light on the preceding ones. It is the purpose of this volume to provide ready access to the entire corpus of Kafka's stories; they, rather than the novels, constitute the very core of his brief life's work.

Franz Kafka (July 3, 1883 - June 3, 1924) was a Czech novelist and short-story writer, widely considered one of the most important literary figures of the 20th century. His selected published works include Meditation (1913), The Metamorphosis (1915), A Hunger Artist (1922), The Trial (1925), The Castle (1926), Amerika, or The Man who Disappeared (1927).