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賳丕賲賴 亘賴 倬丿乇 賴賲乇丕賴 亘丕 鬲賲孬蹖賱賴丕 賵 賱睾夭賵丕乇賴鈥屬囏�
An assessment of the works of Franz Kafka aimed at a definiton of the basic components of his style
154 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1935
18 people are currently reading
1148 people want to read
About the author
Franz Kafka
3,214听books35.7k听followersPrague-born writer Franz Kafka wrote in German, and his stories, such as "
The Metamorphosis
" (1916), and posthumously published novels, including
The Trial
(1925), concern troubled individuals in a nightmarishly impersonal world.
Jewish middle-class family of this major fiction writer of the 20th century spoke German. People consider his unique body of much incomplete writing, mainly published posthumously, among the most influential in European literature.
His stories include "The Metamorphosis" (1912) and " In the Penal Colony " (1914), whereas his posthumous novels include The Trial (1925), The Castle (1926) and Amerika (1927).
Despite first language, Kafka also spoke fluent Czech. Later, Kafka acquired some knowledge of the French language and culture from Flaubert, one of his favorite authors.
Kafka first studied chemistry at the Charles-Ferdinand University of Prague but after two weeks switched to law. This study offered a range of career possibilities, which pleased his father, and required a longer course of study that gave Kafka time to take classes in German studies and art history. At the university, he joined a student club, named Lese- und Redehalle der Deutschen Studenten, which organized literary events, readings, and other activities. In the end of his first year of studies, he met Max Brod, a close friend of his throughout his life, together with the journalist Felix Weltsch, who also studied law. Kafka obtained the degree of doctor of law on 18 June 1906 and performed an obligatory year of unpaid service as law clerk for the civil and criminal courts.
Writing of Kafka attracted little attention before his death. During his lifetime, he published only a few short stories and never finished any of his novels except the very short "The Metamorphosis." Kafka wrote to Max Brod, his friend and literary executor: "Dearest Max, my last request: Everything I leave behind me ... in the way of diaries, manuscripts, letters (my own and others'), sketches, and so on, [is] to be burned unread." Brod told Kafka that he intended not to honor these wishes, but Kafka, so knowing, nevertheless consequently gave these directions specifically to Brod, who, so reasoning, overrode these wishes. Brod in fact oversaw the publication of most of work of Kafka in his possession; these works quickly began to attract attention and high critical regard.
Max Brod encountered significant difficulty in compiling notebooks of Kafka into any chronological order as Kafka started writing in the middle of notebooks, from the last towards the first, et cetera.
Kafka wrote all his published works in German except several letters in Czech to Milena Jesensk谩.
Jewish middle-class family of this major fiction writer of the 20th century spoke German. People consider his unique body of much incomplete writing, mainly published posthumously, among the most influential in European literature.
His stories include "The Metamorphosis" (1912) and " In the Penal Colony " (1914), whereas his posthumous novels include The Trial (1925), The Castle (1926) and Amerika (1927).
Despite first language, Kafka also spoke fluent Czech. Later, Kafka acquired some knowledge of the French language and culture from Flaubert, one of his favorite authors.
Kafka first studied chemistry at the Charles-Ferdinand University of Prague but after two weeks switched to law. This study offered a range of career possibilities, which pleased his father, and required a longer course of study that gave Kafka time to take classes in German studies and art history. At the university, he joined a student club, named Lese- und Redehalle der Deutschen Studenten, which organized literary events, readings, and other activities. In the end of his first year of studies, he met Max Brod, a close friend of his throughout his life, together with the journalist Felix Weltsch, who also studied law. Kafka obtained the degree of doctor of law on 18 June 1906 and performed an obligatory year of unpaid service as law clerk for the civil and criminal courts.
Writing of Kafka attracted little attention before his death. During his lifetime, he published only a few short stories and never finished any of his novels except the very short "The Metamorphosis." Kafka wrote to Max Brod, his friend and literary executor: "Dearest Max, my last request: Everything I leave behind me ... in the way of diaries, manuscripts, letters (my own and others'), sketches, and so on, [is] to be burned unread." Brod told Kafka that he intended not to honor these wishes, but Kafka, so knowing, nevertheless consequently gave these directions specifically to Brod, who, so reasoning, overrode these wishes. Brod in fact oversaw the publication of most of work of Kafka in his possession; these works quickly began to attract attention and high critical regard.
Max Brod encountered significant difficulty in compiling notebooks of Kafka into any chronological order as Kafka started writing in the middle of notebooks, from the last towards the first, et cetera.
Kafka wrote all his published works in German except several letters in Czech to Milena Jesensk谩.
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July 3, 2019
Ya no es novedad mi amor incondicional hacia la literatura de Franz Kafka. Luego de leer toda su obra se ha transformado en mi escritor preferido junto con Fi贸dor Dostoievski. Lo quiero, lo admiro y aprendo a partir de su inmensa sabidur铆a. Podr铆a releer sus libros de un modo infinito (como revela el contenido de su obra) siempre encontrando cosas nuevas ya que eso es lo que genera Kafka en el lector: descubrir en sus escritos una fuente inagotable de conocimientos.
Este peque帽o librito de menos de cien p谩ginas encierran algunas de sus tantas par谩bolas y paradojas y se disfruta de principio a fin. Tambi茅n posee relatos, reflexiones y pensamientos del gran escritor checo que nos invitan a pensar, a ver el otro costado de las cosas, de la vida y de las personas; todo ello explicado a su manera y con su sello indiscutible.
Si buscamos la definici贸n de los dos t茅rminos, encontraremos que la "La par谩bola designa una forma literaria que consiste en un relato figurado del cual, por analog铆a o semejanza, se deriva una ense帽anza relativa a un tema que no es el expl铆cito. Es en esencia, un relato simb贸lico o una comparaci贸n basada en una observaci贸n veros铆mil. Al igual que la f谩bula, la par谩bola suele narrar una acci贸n simple, singular y consistente, sin detalles extra帽os ni circunstancias que conlleven a la distracci贸n. Una par谩bola es como una met谩fora que ha sido extendida para conformar una ficci贸n breve y coherente."
Para graficar esto f谩cilmente, encontramos este di谩logo hecho por el propio Kafka:
"Con referencia a esto, dijo un hombre una vez:
-驴Por qu茅 tantas reservas? Si ustedes s贸lo se limitan a seguir las par谩bolas, ustedes mismos se volver铆an par谩bolas y de ese modo se desembarazar铆an de todos sus cuidados diarios.
Otro dijo:
-Apuesto a que esto tambi茅n es una par谩bola.
El primero dijo:
-Ha ganado.
El segundo dijo:
-Pero desafortunadamente s贸lo en par谩bola.
El primero dijo:
-No; en realidad. En par谩bola usted ha perdido.
Con respecto a la paradoja, se afirma que "La paradoja es una figura de pensamiento que consiste en emplear expresiones que aparentemente envuelven contradicci贸n. Concretamente en ret贸rica, es una figura literaria que consiste en emplear expresiones o frases que implican contradicci贸n, es decir, en la paradoja se niega lo mismo que se afirma."
En este caso, la amplitud de Kafka es incre铆ble en este sentido, no s贸lo en este libro sino en el resto de su obra porque es su especialidad. Encontraremos much铆simas referencias parad贸jicas en sus novelas y cuentos, adem谩s de reflexiones que son en s铆 mismas paradojas realmente interesantes. Cito algunas:
"El hombre es una ci茅naga infinita. Pero a veces lo ataca el entusiasmo, y parece como si en un punto determinado de esa ci茅naga se viera a una rana que se zambulle, produce una peque帽a turbulencia y desaparece."
"Si apenas fuera posible que alguien se detenga un instante, una palabra, a la vista de la verdad. Pero parece imposible: todo el mundo, yo inclusive, nos aproximamos a la verdad y la derrumbamos a fuerza de centenares de palabras."
"驴No es incre铆ble que hasta el m谩s duro de los conservadores sea capaz de aceptar el radicalismo de la muerte?"
Qu茅 afortunado me siento cuando abro un libro de Franz Kafka. Leer su obra, inclusive sus escritos m谩s oscuros, le da un brillo muy especial a mis d铆as.
Felices 136, Franz...
Este peque帽o librito de menos de cien p谩ginas encierran algunas de sus tantas par谩bolas y paradojas y se disfruta de principio a fin. Tambi茅n posee relatos, reflexiones y pensamientos del gran escritor checo que nos invitan a pensar, a ver el otro costado de las cosas, de la vida y de las personas; todo ello explicado a su manera y con su sello indiscutible.
Si buscamos la definici贸n de los dos t茅rminos, encontraremos que la "La par谩bola designa una forma literaria que consiste en un relato figurado del cual, por analog铆a o semejanza, se deriva una ense帽anza relativa a un tema que no es el expl铆cito. Es en esencia, un relato simb贸lico o una comparaci贸n basada en una observaci贸n veros铆mil. Al igual que la f谩bula, la par谩bola suele narrar una acci贸n simple, singular y consistente, sin detalles extra帽os ni circunstancias que conlleven a la distracci贸n. Una par谩bola es como una met谩fora que ha sido extendida para conformar una ficci贸n breve y coherente."
Para graficar esto f谩cilmente, encontramos este di谩logo hecho por el propio Kafka:
"Con referencia a esto, dijo un hombre una vez:
-驴Por qu茅 tantas reservas? Si ustedes s贸lo se limitan a seguir las par谩bolas, ustedes mismos se volver铆an par谩bolas y de ese modo se desembarazar铆an de todos sus cuidados diarios.
Otro dijo:
-Apuesto a que esto tambi茅n es una par谩bola.
El primero dijo:
-Ha ganado.
El segundo dijo:
-Pero desafortunadamente s贸lo en par谩bola.
El primero dijo:
-No; en realidad. En par谩bola usted ha perdido.
Con respecto a la paradoja, se afirma que "La paradoja es una figura de pensamiento que consiste en emplear expresiones que aparentemente envuelven contradicci贸n. Concretamente en ret贸rica, es una figura literaria que consiste en emplear expresiones o frases que implican contradicci贸n, es decir, en la paradoja se niega lo mismo que se afirma."
En este caso, la amplitud de Kafka es incre铆ble en este sentido, no s贸lo en este libro sino en el resto de su obra porque es su especialidad. Encontraremos much铆simas referencias parad贸jicas en sus novelas y cuentos, adem谩s de reflexiones que son en s铆 mismas paradojas realmente interesantes. Cito algunas:
"El hombre es una ci茅naga infinita. Pero a veces lo ataca el entusiasmo, y parece como si en un punto determinado de esa ci茅naga se viera a una rana que se zambulle, produce una peque帽a turbulencia y desaparece."
"Si apenas fuera posible que alguien se detenga un instante, una palabra, a la vista de la verdad. Pero parece imposible: todo el mundo, yo inclusive, nos aproximamos a la verdad y la derrumbamos a fuerza de centenares de palabras."
"驴No es incre铆ble que hasta el m谩s duro de los conservadores sea capaz de aceptar el radicalismo de la muerte?"
Qu茅 afortunado me siento cuando abro un libro de Franz Kafka. Leer su obra, inclusive sus escritos m谩s oscuros, le da un brillo muy especial a mis d铆as.
Felices 136, Franz...
January 20, 2020
危鈥� 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰, 慰 螝维蠁魏伪 蔚蟺喂位苇纬蔚喂 渭蠉胃慰蠀蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 螒蟻蠂伪委伪 螘位位维未伪, 蟿慰 螜蟽蟻伪萎位, 蟿畏谓 螒谓伪蟿慰位萎 魏伪喂 蟿畏 螖蠉蟽畏, 蟿慰蠀蟼 慰蟺慰委慰蠀蟼 尉伪谓伪纬蟻维蠁蔚喂 魏伪喂 蟽蠂慰位喂维味蔚喂 渭蔚 蟿蟻蠈蟺慰 蟺伪蟻维未慰尉慰, 未喂伪蟽魏蔚未伪蟽蟿喂魏蠈 魏伪喂 蟺喂伪蟽维蟻喂魏慰.
危蠀渭蟺蔚蟻喂位伪渭尾维谓慰谓蟿伪喂 蔚蟺委蟽畏蟼 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委蔚蟼 魏伪喂 蟽魏苇蠄蔚喂蟼 蟿慰蠀 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪 蟺慰蠀 渭伪蟼 蟺蟻慰魏伪位慰蠉谓 谓伪 蟽魏蔚蠁蟿慰蠉渭蔚 魏伪喂 谓伪 未慰蠉渭蔚 蟿畏谓 维位位畏 蟺位蔚蠀蟻维 蟿蠅谓 蟺蟻伪纬渭维蟿蠅谓, 蟿畏蟼 味蠅萎蟼 魏伪喂 蟿蠅谓 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺蠅谓, 蟽蠉渭蠁蠅谓伪 蟺维谓蟿伪 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 慰蟺蟿喂魏萎 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 伪未喂伪渭蠁喂蟽尾萎蟿畏蟿畏 蟽蠁蟻伪纬委未伪 蟿慰蠀 螝维蠁魏伪.
螢蔚蠂蠋蟻喂蟽伪 蟿慰 芦螠蟺蟻慰蟽蟿维 蟽蟿慰 螡蠈渭慰禄 蟺慰蠀 渭喂位维蔚喂 纬喂伪 蟿慰 谓蠈渭慰 魏伪喂 蟿喂蟼 蟺蔚蟻喂蟺位慰魏苇蟼 蟿慰蠀 -伪纬伪蟺畏渭苇谓慰 胃苇渭伪 蟿慰蠀 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪.
螒谓 魏伪喂 苇谓慰喂蠅蟽伪 蟿慰 渭蔚纬伪位蔚委慰 蟿慰蠀 螝维蠁魏伪 谓伪 伪谓伪蟿蟻苇蟺蔚喂 蟿慰 蟽蠀谓畏胃喂蟽渭苇谓慰 魏伪喂 慰喂魏蔚委慰, 慰渭慰位慰纬蠋 蠈蟿喂 渭慰蠀 蠁维谓畏魏蔚 魏维蟺蠅蟼 魏伪蟿伪谓伪纬魏伪蟽蟿喂魏蠈 谓伪 蟺蟻苇蟺蔚喂 谓伪 未喂伪尾维蟽蠅 蟿蠈蟽伪 渭喂魏蟻维 魏蔚委渭蔚谓伪 蟺慰蠀 蟿慰 魏伪胃苇谓伪 伪蟺伪喂蟿慰蠉蟽蔚 谓伪 渭蟺蔚喂蟼 蟽蔚 渭委伪 维位位畏 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委伪. 危伪蠁蠋蟼 蟺蟻慰蟿喂渭蠋 蟿伪 尾喂尾位委伪 蟺慰蠀 蟿伪 未喂伪蟿蟻苇蠂蔚喂 渭喂伪 魏蔚谓蟿蟻喂魏萎 喂未苇伪, 蟽蔚 尾维味慰蠀谓 蟽喂纬维 蟽喂纬维 蟽蟿慰谓 魏蠈蟽渭慰 蟿慰蠀蟼 魏伪喂 未蔚谓 伪蟺伪喂蟿慰蠉谓 蟿蠈蟽畏 蔚纬魏蔚蠁伪位喂魏萎 魏伪喂 渭蠈谓慰 蟺蟻慰蟽蟺维胃蔚喂伪.
危蠀渭蟺蔚蟻喂位伪渭尾维谓慰谓蟿伪喂 蔚蟺委蟽畏蟼 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委蔚蟼 魏伪喂 蟽魏苇蠄蔚喂蟼 蟿慰蠀 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪 蟺慰蠀 渭伪蟼 蟺蟻慰魏伪位慰蠉谓 谓伪 蟽魏蔚蠁蟿慰蠉渭蔚 魏伪喂 谓伪 未慰蠉渭蔚 蟿畏谓 维位位畏 蟺位蔚蠀蟻维 蟿蠅谓 蟺蟻伪纬渭维蟿蠅谓, 蟿畏蟼 味蠅萎蟼 魏伪喂 蟿蠅谓 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺蠅谓, 蟽蠉渭蠁蠅谓伪 蟺维谓蟿伪 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 慰蟺蟿喂魏萎 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 伪未喂伪渭蠁喂蟽尾萎蟿畏蟿畏 蟽蠁蟻伪纬委未伪 蟿慰蠀 螝维蠁魏伪.
螢蔚蠂蠋蟻喂蟽伪 蟿慰 芦螠蟺蟻慰蟽蟿维 蟽蟿慰 螡蠈渭慰禄 蟺慰蠀 渭喂位维蔚喂 纬喂伪 蟿慰 谓蠈渭慰 魏伪喂 蟿喂蟼 蟺蔚蟻喂蟺位慰魏苇蟼 蟿慰蠀 -伪纬伪蟺畏渭苇谓慰 胃苇渭伪 蟿慰蠀 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪.
螒谓 魏伪喂 苇谓慰喂蠅蟽伪 蟿慰 渭蔚纬伪位蔚委慰 蟿慰蠀 螝维蠁魏伪 谓伪 伪谓伪蟿蟻苇蟺蔚喂 蟿慰 蟽蠀谓畏胃喂蟽渭苇谓慰 魏伪喂 慰喂魏蔚委慰, 慰渭慰位慰纬蠋 蠈蟿喂 渭慰蠀 蠁维谓畏魏蔚 魏维蟺蠅蟼 魏伪蟿伪谓伪纬魏伪蟽蟿喂魏蠈 谓伪 蟺蟻苇蟺蔚喂 谓伪 未喂伪尾维蟽蠅 蟿蠈蟽伪 渭喂魏蟻维 魏蔚委渭蔚谓伪 蟺慰蠀 蟿慰 魏伪胃苇谓伪 伪蟺伪喂蟿慰蠉蟽蔚 谓伪 渭蟺蔚喂蟼 蟽蔚 渭委伪 维位位畏 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委伪. 危伪蠁蠋蟼 蟺蟻慰蟿喂渭蠋 蟿伪 尾喂尾位委伪 蟺慰蠀 蟿伪 未喂伪蟿蟻苇蠂蔚喂 渭喂伪 魏蔚谓蟿蟻喂魏萎 喂未苇伪, 蟽蔚 尾维味慰蠀谓 蟽喂纬维 蟽喂纬维 蟽蟿慰谓 魏蠈蟽渭慰 蟿慰蠀蟼 魏伪喂 未蔚谓 伪蟺伪喂蟿慰蠉谓 蟿蠈蟽畏 蔚纬魏蔚蠁伪位喂魏萎 魏伪喂 渭蠈谓慰 蟺蟻慰蟽蟺维胃蔚喂伪.
March 7, 2025
---
If
---
The flat has an impression of furniture and movement: the sofa is composed of discarded sports jerseys wrapped in duct tape, a cabinet is nothing more than wooden crates stacked upon each other. There's an oak table angled catercorner in a far right alcove with two cardboard boxes on top - one staked on the second: uneven. The boxes have handles drawn on the flaps with permanent markers and the bed is an oversized haversack filled with cotton. The golden pothos and cactus are dying on one of the several industrial style window sills. A cold draft that sounds like a wet cough comes from the wood paneling.
They're living in an anorexic textile factory; fabrics cut in jagged squares and circles litter the floor. There is a self-acting mule beneath the two men; weaving invisible thread, and always active: its operator is unknown. The warped floorboards assure the couple's ascension seven stories above earth.
He sits at the farthest northeast corner of the flat, back towards the other, sitting on a wicker chair, hunched over a splintering mahogany wood desk. He is always typing on an Oliver 5 typewriter.
The other sits Indian style at the southwest corner in a cocoon of polyester blankets that itch his skin, leaving crimson rashes: sweat falls onto a spiral notebook. The other is constantly wiping droplets off his forehead with a dirty wool nightgown that's draped across swollen legs and frostbitten feet.
They share an open and isolated space, never turning to make eye contact. However, if their curiosity looked, they wouldn't be able to see through the daylighting, as it cast a veil of dust turned to sparkles, and black into gold.
-------------
A Conversation
-------------
"Let's talk."
Fine.
"We have fragments.... say poetic. But fragments."
That sounds nice... how you say: poietic... Three. That's all. I need work.
"These fragments have meaning? Yes? But you're not always clear on their meaning. Right?"
What do you mean: right?
"It's a mistake... to be unclear. To not state your meaning."
Meaning?
"Let me put it like this. If you taught, let's say, another you, so "you" becomes "he." Would he want to confuse a pupil? Confuse students I mean. As if, you're calling a single student to the front of the class, call him Mike, and all the Mikes come, are you mocking those that share the same name? Do you follow what I'm saying... All want your attention, but only one will get it. There is one and only one to understand what you mean... My wording is making a mess."
Perhaps he had made no mistake at all, his name really was called, it having been the teacher's intention to make the rewarding of the best student at the same time a punishment for the worst one.*
"Why do this?"
The first question has been answered. Is this your second question?
"No. I'll move on. There's also fear in these fragments. Why fear? Why so much? Is it because fear "brands" memory? Do you agree?"
Your second question is more than the first. Slim it.
"Say you're a predatory animal, you naturally instill fear into your prey. In a way, your fragmented story is this animal, feeding on the minds of its prey, or students, because you're not completing the message. Besides, why make the message fear. Right? Or do you believe this helps? I fear I'm still making a mess."
If they [the students] could and if they dared, they would long ago have enticed the animal to come yet closer to them, so that they might be more frightened than ever. But in reality the animal is not at all eager to approach them, as long as it is left alone it takes just as little notice of them as of the men, and probably what it would like best would be to remain in the hiding place where it lives in the periods between the services, evidently in some hole in the wall that we have not yet discovered*... That's your second question, move on to the final one. This is tedious.
So the animal is... No... let's get to the point. I want to know if these parables and paradoxes are incomplete on purpose, which would give a limited scope, limited in vision. Aren't you binding your readers with inadequate words?
You miss my point but understand it perfectly. Yes, they bind but human nature, essentially changeable, unstable as the dust, can endure no restraint; if it binds itself it soon begins to tear madly at its bonds, until it rends everything asunder, the wall, the bonds and its very self*. Once they free themselves from the restraint, they will understand more, instead of it just handed to them... That is three. I need work.
"May I ask a fourth?"
No.
"Where are you going?"
Me? Sir... You misunderstand... There's nowhere to go.
------------
5 out of 5
------------
* Quoted text from Franz Kafka's Parables and Paradoxes
If
---
The flat has an impression of furniture and movement: the sofa is composed of discarded sports jerseys wrapped in duct tape, a cabinet is nothing more than wooden crates stacked upon each other. There's an oak table angled catercorner in a far right alcove with two cardboard boxes on top - one staked on the second: uneven. The boxes have handles drawn on the flaps with permanent markers and the bed is an oversized haversack filled with cotton. The golden pothos and cactus are dying on one of the several industrial style window sills. A cold draft that sounds like a wet cough comes from the wood paneling.
They're living in an anorexic textile factory; fabrics cut in jagged squares and circles litter the floor. There is a self-acting mule beneath the two men; weaving invisible thread, and always active: its operator is unknown. The warped floorboards assure the couple's ascension seven stories above earth.
He sits at the farthest northeast corner of the flat, back towards the other, sitting on a wicker chair, hunched over a splintering mahogany wood desk. He is always typing on an Oliver 5 typewriter.
The other sits Indian style at the southwest corner in a cocoon of polyester blankets that itch his skin, leaving crimson rashes: sweat falls onto a spiral notebook. The other is constantly wiping droplets off his forehead with a dirty wool nightgown that's draped across swollen legs and frostbitten feet.
They share an open and isolated space, never turning to make eye contact. However, if their curiosity looked, they wouldn't be able to see through the daylighting, as it cast a veil of dust turned to sparkles, and black into gold.
-------------
A Conversation
-------------
"Let's talk."
Fine.
"We have fragments.... say poetic. But fragments."
That sounds nice... how you say: poietic... Three. That's all. I need work.
"These fragments have meaning? Yes? But you're not always clear on their meaning. Right?"
What do you mean: right?
"It's a mistake... to be unclear. To not state your meaning."
Meaning?
"Let me put it like this. If you taught, let's say, another you, so "you" becomes "he." Would he want to confuse a pupil? Confuse students I mean. As if, you're calling a single student to the front of the class, call him Mike, and all the Mikes come, are you mocking those that share the same name? Do you follow what I'm saying... All want your attention, but only one will get it. There is one and only one to understand what you mean... My wording is making a mess."
Perhaps he had made no mistake at all, his name really was called, it having been the teacher's intention to make the rewarding of the best student at the same time a punishment for the worst one.*
"Why do this?"
The first question has been answered. Is this your second question?
"No. I'll move on. There's also fear in these fragments. Why fear? Why so much? Is it because fear "brands" memory? Do you agree?"
Your second question is more than the first. Slim it.
"Say you're a predatory animal, you naturally instill fear into your prey. In a way, your fragmented story is this animal, feeding on the minds of its prey, or students, because you're not completing the message. Besides, why make the message fear. Right? Or do you believe this helps? I fear I'm still making a mess."
If they [the students] could and if they dared, they would long ago have enticed the animal to come yet closer to them, so that they might be more frightened than ever. But in reality the animal is not at all eager to approach them, as long as it is left alone it takes just as little notice of them as of the men, and probably what it would like best would be to remain in the hiding place where it lives in the periods between the services, evidently in some hole in the wall that we have not yet discovered*... That's your second question, move on to the final one. This is tedious.
So the animal is... No... let's get to the point. I want to know if these parables and paradoxes are incomplete on purpose, which would give a limited scope, limited in vision. Aren't you binding your readers with inadequate words?
You miss my point but understand it perfectly. Yes, they bind but human nature, essentially changeable, unstable as the dust, can endure no restraint; if it binds itself it soon begins to tear madly at its bonds, until it rends everything asunder, the wall, the bonds and its very self*. Once they free themselves from the restraint, they will understand more, instead of it just handed to them... That is three. I need work.
"May I ask a fourth?"
No.
"Where are you going?"
Me? Sir... You misunderstand... There's nowhere to go.
------------
5 out of 5
------------
* Quoted text from Franz Kafka's Parables and Paradoxes
October 19, 2014
"De que te queixas, alma abandonada? Por que raz茫o esse voo agitado em torno da casa da vida? Porque n茫o olhas os longes que te pertencem em vez de lutar contra o que 茅 alheio? Mais vale o pombo vivo no telhado que o pardal semi-morto que, na m茫o, se debate, crispado de terror."
December 31, 2015
Amusement is likely to be the aim of most people who read this book, but those who can appreciate a deeper side, in those moments when our relationship with reality is in bad shape, might also study this book as a higher intellectual calling. If intellectuals in modern society have lost the high standing that they had when intellectuals could be expected to support basic norms, it might be due to their ability to identify with the level of mental activity evident in this book more readily than with the norms of a society in which people desperately need to believe that they are being understood. First, I would like to recommend this book to people who would like to do some original thinking in the area of religion. In my own religious history, it was surprising how well I could identify with the Edgar Allan Poe-ness of my nature, whenever ultimate problems needed to be faced. I have come to realize that, for the intellectuals of the world, the works of Edgar Allan Poe are like a collection of worn out American horse feathers compared to the depth which can be imagined by those who read the works of Kafka. I'll vouch for that, too.
February 20, 2025
鈥淨uando mais tempo hesitamos 脿 frente da porta, mais estranhos nos tornamos.鈥�
April 10, 2018
Hallucinatory, amusing, and gripping, Kafka always has his hand placed accurately on the pulse of what drives, haunts, beleaguers, and transversely propels society and humankind. I believe he used biblical and ancient Greek stories and parables, as well as more modern literary classics (Don Quixote), as the basis for each lesson/allegory and I found myself being simultaneously confused (much how I felt when I first read Don Quixote, actually) and also feeling as if I understood the gist of each story鈥檚 moral, so much so that I finished the book questioning and examining how I view modern society鈥檚 structure and my place in it. Quick and thought provoking read.
October 6, 2016
Really paradoxical ! I wouldn't say I could dive into the depth of Kafka's mind. Most of them didn't reach me. Only a few of them I could understand felt as if he talked about various political, religious & long-traditional drawbacks .
November 10, 2019
丿乇 鬲讴賴鈥屬囏ж︑� 讴賴 丿乇 鬲賲孬蹖賱賴丕 賵 賱睾夭賵丕乇賴鈥屬囏� 诏乇丿 丌賲丿賴鈥屫з嗀� 讴丕賮讴丕 亘乇禺蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏й� 丕爻丕胤蹖乇蹖 禺丕賵乇 賵 亘丕禺鬲乇 亘丕爻鬲丕賳 乇丕 丕夭 賳賵 亘丕夭噩爻鬲 賵 丿賱蹖乇丕賳賴 亘丕夭賳賵卮鬲 賵 丌賮乇蹖丿賴鈥屬囏й� 鬲禺蹖賱 禺賵丿卮 乇丕 亘乇 丌賳賴丕 丕賮夭賵丿. 賳丕賲賴 亘賴 倬丿乇貙 讴賴 賴乇诏夭 亘賴 賲禺丕胤亘卮 賳乇爻蹖丿貙 賳賲丕蹖丕賳诏乇賽 賮乇丕诏蹖乇鬲乇蹖賳 讴賵卮卮蹖 丕爻鬲 讴賴 讴丕賮讴丕 丿乇 倬蹖 賳賵卮鬲賳 蹖讴 賳賯丿 丨丕賱 氐丕丿賯丕賳賴 亘丿丕賳 丿爻鬲 蹖丕夭蹖丿. 亘賴 丕蹖賳 丨蹖孬貙 亘乇禺蹖 夭蹖乇 賱丕蹖賴鈥屬囏й� 噩丕賳 丿乇丿賲賳丿 丕賵 乇丕 丌卮讴丕乇 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 賵 賮賴賲 賲丕 乇丕 丕夭 賴賳乇賲賳丿丕賳诏蹖鈥屫ж� 睾賳丕 賲蹖鈥屫ㄘ簇�.
December 7, 2024
Human nature, essentially changeable, unstable as the dust, can endure no restraint; if it binds itself it soon begins to tear madly at its bonds, until it rends everything asunder, the wall, the bonds and its very self.
April 4, 2023
Tot i que no 茅s ni de bon tros la millor antologia de relats de Kafka, qualsevol dels textos ressona en el cap com si no es pogu茅s escriure de cap altra manera, cada text (aqu铆, de vegades, nom茅s esbossat) t'ofereix una clau de significat que al mateix temps rellisca, fuig i es perd. Entenc qui hi intueix sentits teol貌gics o socials, qui hi veu la transposici贸 simb貌lica de la biografia de l'autor, entenc, tamb茅, qui nega el valor d'aquestes interpretacions. L'edici贸 de Fl芒neur 茅s exquisida (de fet, tots els t铆tols de l'editorial ho s贸n). "Davant la Llei" i "Missatge de l'emperador" s贸n Kafka en el seu m茅s gran esplendor.
August 24, 2024
Very thought provoking. Something nice to get the ol cogs turning.
May 20, 2022
Kafka, Kafka, Kafka鈥� Suposo que vas gastar la majoria del teu talent a l鈥檋ora d鈥檈scriure 鈥淓l proc茅s鈥� i, despr茅s, tot el que va quedar empastifant la catifa, la corbata i els dits, ho vas aprofitar per tacar el paper de tinta, tinta l貌gica i paradoxal. Els alemanys tenen costums de ser 茅sser l貌gics, racionals (i mira que van inventar el romanticisme!) i Kafka, en tots aquests relats, ho corrabora.
Una literatura simple que veu dels grans mites de la cultura occidental i dels darrers missatges d鈥檜na 脌sia perduda en el temps, guardada en cer脿miques provinents de la ruta de la seda i en papirs salvats de la gran biblioteca d鈥橝lexandria. Kafka utilitza tot aquest imaginari per crear relats breus, paradoxes l貌giques que juguen amb la filosofia m茅s arrelada en el llenguatge i en la matem脿tica. El t铆tol no enganya:鈥淧ar脿boles i paradoxes鈥�, un recull d鈥檃quests textos tancats en si mateixos que guarden entre les seves linees dilemes l貌gics i enrevessats. Malgrat alguns s贸n magn铆fics i brillants en la seva ironia, altres s贸n massa l貌gics per arribar a fer-me gr脿cia o massa complicats com per ara 鈥攑recisament ara?!鈥� posar-me a pensar.
La burocr脿cia. El gran enemic de Kafka apareix diverses vegades i coincideix que d鈥檃qu铆 surten les historietes m茅s divertides i c貌miques. El fam贸s Posseid贸 encara firma permisos a calamars i sirenes mentre que el gran emperador de la Xina (suposo que en aquella 猫poca encara en restava algun d鈥檈mperador) construeix muralla i espera cartes i a la seva poblaci贸. Tamb茅 participo d鈥檃quest odi a la paperassa, a la tinta feta perdre i als Estats que t鈥檃trapen entre els seus vistosos tentacles.Malgrat tot, aquesta literatura tan te貌rica m鈥檈sgota.
Dividits en blocs tem脿tics, l鈥檈dici贸 de Flaneur recull, en versi贸 biling眉e, aquesta obra del geni de la novel路la moderna. Una edici贸 magn铆ficament cuidada i, si podeu, compreu alg煤n dels seus llibres! El m贸n editorial 茅s dif铆cil i totes les seves traduccions s贸n sublims. Es nota que tenen verdader amor per la literatura.
No s茅 si es possible aprendre alemany a trav茅s dels textos que tinc en aquest llibre per貌 quedaria molt b茅 per quan m鈥檈ntrevistin em el futur en un plat贸 de televisi贸. Jo ja vell, amb els pulmons trinxats i molt molt pedant, seuria davant del presentador. Estaria celebrant el 50茅 aniversari de la publicaci贸 d鈥檃lguna cosa segurament sobrevalorada i, a la pregunta de, Vost猫 va estudiar a la Universitat de Viena, entenc que sap parlar alemany? En aquell moment els ulls em brillaren! Fixat, hauria esperat aquesta pregunta des dels 19 anys, des d鈥檃ra mateix! Respondria, Llegint Kafka en vaig apendre. Pedant desgraciat! T鈥檃gafar茅 pel coll i et fotr茅 escales a vall! Puto vell dels cullons!
Una literatura simple que veu dels grans mites de la cultura occidental i dels darrers missatges d鈥檜na 脌sia perduda en el temps, guardada en cer脿miques provinents de la ruta de la seda i en papirs salvats de la gran biblioteca d鈥橝lexandria. Kafka utilitza tot aquest imaginari per crear relats breus, paradoxes l貌giques que juguen amb la filosofia m茅s arrelada en el llenguatge i en la matem脿tica. El t铆tol no enganya:鈥淧ar脿boles i paradoxes鈥�, un recull d鈥檃quests textos tancats en si mateixos que guarden entre les seves linees dilemes l貌gics i enrevessats. Malgrat alguns s贸n magn铆fics i brillants en la seva ironia, altres s贸n massa l貌gics per arribar a fer-me gr脿cia o massa complicats com per ara 鈥攑recisament ara?!鈥� posar-me a pensar.
La burocr脿cia. El gran enemic de Kafka apareix diverses vegades i coincideix que d鈥檃qu铆 surten les historietes m茅s divertides i c貌miques. El fam贸s Posseid贸 encara firma permisos a calamars i sirenes mentre que el gran emperador de la Xina (suposo que en aquella 猫poca encara en restava algun d鈥檈mperador) construeix muralla i espera cartes i a la seva poblaci贸. Tamb茅 participo d鈥檃quest odi a la paperassa, a la tinta feta perdre i als Estats que t鈥檃trapen entre els seus vistosos tentacles.Malgrat tot, aquesta literatura tan te貌rica m鈥檈sgota.
Dividits en blocs tem脿tics, l鈥檈dici贸 de Flaneur recull, en versi贸 biling眉e, aquesta obra del geni de la novel路la moderna. Una edici贸 magn铆ficament cuidada i, si podeu, compreu alg煤n dels seus llibres! El m贸n editorial 茅s dif铆cil i totes les seves traduccions s贸n sublims. Es nota que tenen verdader amor per la literatura.
No s茅 si es possible aprendre alemany a trav茅s dels textos que tinc en aquest llibre per貌 quedaria molt b茅 per quan m鈥檈ntrevistin em el futur en un plat贸 de televisi贸. Jo ja vell, amb els pulmons trinxats i molt molt pedant, seuria davant del presentador. Estaria celebrant el 50茅 aniversari de la publicaci贸 d鈥檃lguna cosa segurament sobrevalorada i, a la pregunta de, Vost猫 va estudiar a la Universitat de Viena, entenc que sap parlar alemany? En aquell moment els ulls em brillaren! Fixat, hauria esperat aquesta pregunta des dels 19 anys, des d鈥檃ra mateix! Respondria, Llegint Kafka en vaig apendre. Pedant desgraciat! T鈥檃gafar茅 pel coll i et fotr茅 escales a vall! Puto vell dels cullons!
Read
April 3, 2023Which one is it? The barred shut door to Paradise or the open gate that leads to infinite nowheres? Is the redemptive struggle of man a function of his animal nature, of the beasts that toil and hunt and flee and chase themselves in circles around his brain stem, or is it the tug and pull of divinity? Are we spoiled tainted by our earthly pleasures or is it the fabrication of that very disease, the misplaced guilt over our own finitude, that cuts us off from the Law? Are we meant to celebrate or cower? To obey or revolt? Is it, maybe, maybe, maybe, is it maybe the paradox itself, the great wheel yet again, the fatherless and unbearing, where the answer lies? In the unanswerable? Or is this yet another delusion by unseen rot? Are we running around in circles for a reason, or to divert us from the true and narrow path? Is the state of unknowing a natural gift or a great curse?
Kafka finds us preserved in amber while also blossoming into a thousand different directions. He measures humanity with the precise eye of a jeweler measuring a perfectly cut stone for imperfections, for the myriad forms glittering in between the bevels, to figure out whether it鈥檚 a trick of the light or an error in processing, or something perhaps more - something of an intent behind the centuries of pressure bearing down on a swirling concoction of elements that formed it into this. Whether there is or not is, of course, irrelevant. But look we must.
鈥漈he structure of a wheel [is such that] multiple sets of points [are] positioned at seemingly opposite ends of an ultimately self reinforcing circuit. But which is at the center and which at the outer edge? The ongoing churn of code sucked from the primordial marrow or the jagged spikes of instinct cracking open its casings? The stubborn old and amnesiac new ride the tides of history side by side enacting a dance of eternal destruction and rebirth.鈥�
Kafka finds us preserved in amber while also blossoming into a thousand different directions. He measures humanity with the precise eye of a jeweler measuring a perfectly cut stone for imperfections, for the myriad forms glittering in between the bevels, to figure out whether it鈥檚 a trick of the light or an error in processing, or something perhaps more - something of an intent behind the centuries of pressure bearing down on a swirling concoction of elements that formed it into this. Whether there is or not is, of course, irrelevant. But look we must.
鈥漈he structure of a wheel [is such that] multiple sets of points [are] positioned at seemingly opposite ends of an ultimately self reinforcing circuit. But which is at the center and which at the outer edge? The ongoing churn of code sucked from the primordial marrow or the jagged spikes of instinct cracking open its casings? The stubborn old and amnesiac new ride the tides of history side by side enacting a dance of eternal destruction and rebirth.鈥�
February 10, 2025
Meu primeiro contato com as obras de Kafka. N茫o sinto que 3 estrelas seja uma avalia莽茫o justa, tendo em vista de que isso se deve ao fato de eu n茫o ter entendido algumas passagens em sua completude, tenho certeza. A obra tem muitas referencias culturais, intelectuais e liter谩rias que s茫o utilizadas como base para certos fragmentos. Se voc锚 n茫o entender um nome, um personagem, o fragmento inteiro deixa de ter sentido. Percebo que s茫o pensamentos bem construidos e que constituem fontes inesgotaveis de conhecimento em pouqu铆ssimas linhas, aparentando, ainda assim, algo muito sucinto e pr谩tico, como se n茫o tivesse sa铆do de uma costura de reflex玫es acerca de obras robustas. Acho que minha avalia莽茫o s贸 vai "contar" quando eu fizer uma releitura da obra, em alguns anos, ap贸s ter consumido outros trabalhos do autor e outros referenciais aos quais ele se cercava. Por ora, posso dizer que o estilo de pequenos contos n茫o me cativou, apesar de ter alguns que apreciei mais a leitura. Muito mais interessante foi a parte final, que inicia com o "esbo莽o de autobriografia", o que me d谩 pistas de que eu provavelmente gostaria de ler os diarios publicados do autor.
Obs: vale dizer que a minha edi莽茫o 茅 de 1967.
Obs: vale dizer que a minha edi莽茫o 茅 de 1967.
February 12, 2022
I was led to pull this out of my library after reading by Nicole Krauss (she references it throughout). I bought over thirty-five years ago in an attempt to rekindle my basic knowledge of German, as this edition contains both English and German; alas, I abandoned both the language study and Kafka, my bookmark left at 25% done. This time I ignored the German and was surprised to find that Kafka was humorous and multifaceted in his exploration of both language and myth/religion. The collection, though, consisting of fragments and snippets of larger pieces, is very inconsistent, so it wasn't a great read.
August 13, 2020
Kafka's universe is a sphere whose circumference is everywhere, center nowhere. You are always on the farflung edge of infinity, waiting for something you don't remember, something that will not arrive until its arrival is superfluous. You feel desolation without sorrow, humor without joy.
If literary greatness is the perfect marriage of ubiquity and singularity, Kafka is probably the greatest writer of the 20th century. His voice is powerfully echoed in Borges, Beckett, Barthelme, and dozens of other significant writers that came after him. Indeed, as Borges argued in a wonderful paradox (Borges' paradoxes are not merely Kafkaesque, for they also derive from Wilde, Chesterton, and a keen but bemused interest in the problems of metaphysics and logic), Kafka also influenced writers that came before him.
In the essay "Kafka and His Precursors," Borges runs through a list of writers prior to Kafka, in whom he finds the voice of this writer he had thought "was as unique as the phoenix of rhetorical praise." He notes, first of all, the paradoxes of the ancient philosopher Zeno of Elea (themselves derived from the godfather of paradoxology, Parmenides), in which conceptual infinity of space denies the possibility of motion. A similar infinite regress occurs in a story in this volume, "An Imperial Message." Borges also mentions Kierkegaard, Browning, Bloy, and the fantasist Lord Dunsany. (I would like to add to this fine and miscellaneous company the name Herman Melville, not everywhere but at moments and certainly in the short story "Bartleby the Scrivener.") He concludes:
If I am not mistaken, the heterogeneous pieces I have listed resemble Kafka; if I am not mistaken, not all of them resemble each other. This last fact is what is most significant. Kafka's idiosyncrasy is present in each of these writings, to a greater or lesser degree, but if Kafka had not written, we would not perceive it; that is to say, it would not exist. . . . The fact is that each writer creates his precursors. His work modifies our conception of the past, as it will modify the future. In this correlation, the identity or plurality of men doesn't matter.
A writer like Kafka is like a great sun, whose gravity pulls objects around it, whether past or present makes no difference, into its orbit, until it describes a new system in the universe.
As for this slim volume, it would be a worthy place for the new reader to enter into this system, this labyrinth. It could just as well have been titled "Ellipses and Aporias," for the pieces here, most of which radically reinterpret ancient myths (mostly from the Greek or Jewish traditions), elevate incompleteness to a structural and thematic principle. Absence becomes sublime; the fragment is born as a major literary genre. Often this is on purpose, no doubt, but some of these pieces read simply as notebook sketches for larger works (one, perhaps the most beguiling, "Before the Law," is an excerpt from the novel The Trial). Are they? One of the fascinating things about Kafka is that we often have no way of knowing, and we must wonder what difference it makes. His three novels are all incomplete, though that is an accident. He didn't intend for them to be published, but handed them off to his friend Max Brod to be committed to the flames in an incident which itself has the aura of a myth. Not only do these works not suffer from their unfinished state, but one cannot imagine them in any other way.
If literary greatness is the perfect marriage of ubiquity and singularity, Kafka is probably the greatest writer of the 20th century. His voice is powerfully echoed in Borges, Beckett, Barthelme, and dozens of other significant writers that came after him. Indeed, as Borges argued in a wonderful paradox (Borges' paradoxes are not merely Kafkaesque, for they also derive from Wilde, Chesterton, and a keen but bemused interest in the problems of metaphysics and logic), Kafka also influenced writers that came before him.
In the essay "Kafka and His Precursors," Borges runs through a list of writers prior to Kafka, in whom he finds the voice of this writer he had thought "was as unique as the phoenix of rhetorical praise." He notes, first of all, the paradoxes of the ancient philosopher Zeno of Elea (themselves derived from the godfather of paradoxology, Parmenides), in which conceptual infinity of space denies the possibility of motion. A similar infinite regress occurs in a story in this volume, "An Imperial Message." Borges also mentions Kierkegaard, Browning, Bloy, and the fantasist Lord Dunsany. (I would like to add to this fine and miscellaneous company the name Herman Melville, not everywhere but at moments and certainly in the short story "Bartleby the Scrivener.") He concludes:
If I am not mistaken, the heterogeneous pieces I have listed resemble Kafka; if I am not mistaken, not all of them resemble each other. This last fact is what is most significant. Kafka's idiosyncrasy is present in each of these writings, to a greater or lesser degree, but if Kafka had not written, we would not perceive it; that is to say, it would not exist. . . . The fact is that each writer creates his precursors. His work modifies our conception of the past, as it will modify the future. In this correlation, the identity or plurality of men doesn't matter.
A writer like Kafka is like a great sun, whose gravity pulls objects around it, whether past or present makes no difference, into its orbit, until it describes a new system in the universe.
As for this slim volume, it would be a worthy place for the new reader to enter into this system, this labyrinth. It could just as well have been titled "Ellipses and Aporias," for the pieces here, most of which radically reinterpret ancient myths (mostly from the Greek or Jewish traditions), elevate incompleteness to a structural and thematic principle. Absence becomes sublime; the fragment is born as a major literary genre. Often this is on purpose, no doubt, but some of these pieces read simply as notebook sketches for larger works (one, perhaps the most beguiling, "Before the Law," is an excerpt from the novel The Trial). Are they? One of the fascinating things about Kafka is that we often have no way of knowing, and we must wonder what difference it makes. His three novels are all incomplete, though that is an accident. He didn't intend for them to be published, but handed them off to his friend Max Brod to be committed to the flames in an incident which itself has the aura of a myth. Not only do these works not suffer from their unfinished state, but one cannot imagine them in any other way.
July 1, 2023
鈥渁travessando as palavras h谩 restos de luz.鈥�
estamos separados de Deus por dois lados: o pecado original separa-nos dEle, a 谩rvore da vida separa-O de n贸s.
s贸 existe um destino, nenhum caminho. aquilo a que chamamos de caminho 茅 hesita莽茫o.
o que eu toco desfaz-se.
e precisamente no momento em que delas mais pr贸ximo esteve 茅 que nada delas p么de saber.
estamos separados de Deus por dois lados: o pecado original separa-nos dEle, a 谩rvore da vida separa-O de n贸s.
s贸 existe um destino, nenhum caminho. aquilo a que chamamos de caminho 茅 hesita莽茫o.
o que eu toco desfaz-se.
e precisamente no momento em que delas mais pr贸ximo esteve 茅 que nada delas p么de saber.
October 6, 2023
Eine Sammlung, die nur Kafka h盲tte schreiben k枚nnen. Die Kurzgeschichten handeln von vielen literarischen Figuren, sind aber nicht alle in ihrer Bedeutung klar. Sie werden mit Sicherheit diejenigen Kafka-Leser erfreuen, die gerne dar眉ber nachdenken, was Kafka sagen wollte. F眉r weniger engagierte Leser wechselt die Sammlung zwar von verst盲ndlich zu Kauderwelsch und wieder zur眉ck.
October 4, 2017
All the philosophical shit about life, time, humanity into one compact collection. A nice read.
August 2, 2018
I stumbled upon an old copy of this translation and didn't think different translations meant that much but this version made me look completely differently upon Kafka and this story.
May 16, 2019
Particularmente me encanta la par谩bola de Odradek.
August 18, 2020
Philosophical musings. Interesting structure. A student of writing who hasn't seen much variation byway of verbal structure would be wise to study this Kafka book.
June 23, 2024
amt kafka amt
May 5, 2011
Kafka 茅 um dos meus escritores de elei莽茫o. Assim, a pouco e pouco 茅 de prever que leia toda a sua obra. Desta vez saiu em sorte este "Par谩bolas e Fragmentos" que trata disso mesmo: um conjunto de par谩bolas e no final alguns fragmentos, ou seja algumas pequenas ideias ou pensamentos do autor. N茫o posso dizer que tenha sido uma escolha feliz. Talvez devesse ter lido este livro mais tarde, ap贸s possuir um melhor conhecimento sobre a obra kafkiana. Ou, talvez esta obra n茫o seja bem o meu g茅nero.
O poder que Kafka exerce no leitor, obrigando-o a pensar para entender as suas ideias, est谩 aqui bem patente, por茅m estas par谩bolas s茫o para mim textos demasiado pequenos, onde confesso que me sinto um pouco perdido por serem t茫o breves. Os fragmentos, s茫o isso mesmo, fragmentos de pensamentos ou ideias.
No cerne da quest茫o parece estar o mesmo de sempre. A m谩quina da vida que atropela tudo e todos sem piedade. De todas as par谩bolas, destaco uma: "脌 porta da lei". Foi a que mais gostei. Apesar de curta, deixa transparecer o que me atrai em Kafka. Fala sobre a lei e seus meandros e leva a pensar que se explorada, poderia ter levado o autor a repetir o brilharete feito com "O Processo".
Considero ent茫o este um livro que poder谩 valer a pena ler, mas apenas se o leitor estiver bem preparado para o que o espera. N茫o foi o meu caso!
P谩gs. 122
Ref. ISBN: 972-37-0899-X
Editora: Ass铆rio & Alvim
O poder que Kafka exerce no leitor, obrigando-o a pensar para entender as suas ideias, est谩 aqui bem patente, por茅m estas par谩bolas s茫o para mim textos demasiado pequenos, onde confesso que me sinto um pouco perdido por serem t茫o breves. Os fragmentos, s茫o isso mesmo, fragmentos de pensamentos ou ideias.
No cerne da quest茫o parece estar o mesmo de sempre. A m谩quina da vida que atropela tudo e todos sem piedade. De todas as par谩bolas, destaco uma: "脌 porta da lei". Foi a que mais gostei. Apesar de curta, deixa transparecer o que me atrai em Kafka. Fala sobre a lei e seus meandros e leva a pensar que se explorada, poderia ter levado o autor a repetir o brilharete feito com "O Processo".
Considero ent茫o este um livro que poder谩 valer a pena ler, mas apenas se o leitor estiver bem preparado para o que o espera. N茫o foi o meu caso!
P谩gs. 122
Ref. ISBN: 972-37-0899-X
Editora: Ass铆rio & Alvim
April 9, 2016
I didn't really want to post a review, but I feel that I should explain the low rating. I only read this because a friend thought I should and loaned it to me. I knew he wouldn't let me give it back if I told him I hadn't read it. I just didn't understand. Not sure what the point was, or if it was even "about" anything. My eyes skimmed over the text, but took very little in. I'm sure part of the problem was that I knew I wasn't really interested to begin with. The good part is that it was very fast to "read" (or skim).
November 1, 2013
This is really good. These short-short stories really show how much of a genius Kafka was. My favorite parables were those based on Greek antiquity: Prometheus, Poseidon, The Silence of the Sirens, The New Attorney, etc.
Here's one of them:
Here's one of them:
The Sirens
鈥淭hese are the seductive voices of the night; the Sirens, too, sang that way. It would be doing them an injustice to think that they wanted to seduce; they knew they had claws and sterile wombs, and they lamented this aloud. They could not help it if their laments sounded so beautiful.鈥�
September 20, 2009
This may be my absolute favorite collections of Kafka's works. Here Kafka seems to evidence his immense respect for the works of Goethe, as there are rays of optimism breach man's predicament in the many mini quests in the various parables as evidenced in the 'A Message from the Emperor' also called 'An Imperial Message'. This is an evacuation book - one of the last books that would let slip from my possession.
June 24, 2013
Yet another book I recently re-visited. An obscure collection of short pieces that read like parables, hence the title. This is a bilingual edition if one prefers to read Kafka in German. I've had this book for many years and enjoy returning to it from time to time.
One of my favorite lines from the first parable, "On Parables," reads: "If you only followed the parables you yourselves would become parables and with that rid of all your daily cares."
One of my favorite lines from the first parable, "On Parables," reads: "If you only followed the parables you yourselves would become parables and with that rid of all your daily cares."
January 16, 2017
This book, which features outtakes of various other Kafka books, might as well be called Parables and Prose Poems. Kafka's little pieces are often lyrically sustained, quirky, and surely paradoxical. With language that is both introspective and outward leaning, this collection demonstrates why he is a master of the short form and of modernist ennui.
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