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Steven Godin's Reviews > The Castle
The Castle
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What a crying shame Kafka never got to finish what probably would have been his finest achievement. Certainly on an emotional level anyway. Kafka had a greater poignancy and a deeper feeling for his characters in The Castle when compared to the other works of his I have read, so it was extremely frustrating for this book to end right in mid-sentence. Damn!
I knew it was going to happen, but how can one truly prepare one's self for a novel without an ending?
Parts of me felt like it would have been better not reading it at all, to spare the pain of getting to the final few words, and screaming to the heavens - NO!
The three star rating reflects more on the way it made me feel at the end (or non-end in this case)
rather than what went before, which was mostly great.
What was to become of K.? I can only guess how things would have gone, and haven't a clue just how much more Kafka planned to write to get to his finale. So if there are any of my fine and helpful GR brothers and sisters who are well knowledged when it comes to The Castle, and have any ideas, then I'd love to know.
I'm now off to drown my Kafka sorrows with a cocktail or two.
I knew it was going to happen, but how can one truly prepare one's self for a novel without an ending?
Parts of me felt like it would have been better not reading it at all, to spare the pain of getting to the final few words, and screaming to the heavens - NO!
The three star rating reflects more on the way it made me feel at the end (or non-end in this case)
rather than what went before, which was mostly great.
What was to become of K.? I can only guess how things would have gone, and haven't a clue just how much more Kafka planned to write to get to his finale. So if there are any of my fine and helpful GR brothers and sisters who are well knowledged when it comes to The Castle, and have any ideas, then I'd love to know.
I'm now off to drown my Kafka sorrows with a cocktail or two.
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Reading Progress
April 7, 2017
– Shelved
September 27, 2019
–
Started Reading
September 30, 2019
–
30.71%
"There is no separate telephone connection to the Castle and no switchboard to forward our calls; when anyone here calls the Castle, all the telephones in the lowest-level departments ring, or all would ring if the ringing mechanism on nearly all of them were not, and I know this for certain, disconnected."
page
86
October 2, 2019
–
67.14%
"Father set off in the morning there were at least a few coins in his pocket for him to jingle. Of course we were hungry all day, whereas all we achieved with the money was to keep father in a certain state of joyous hope. But this was hardly an advantage. He tormented himself on his rounds, and so what would have come to a well-deserved end, had it not been for the money, dragged on in this way."
page
188
October 4, 2019
–
Finished Reading
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Nicolas
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rated it 4 stars
Oct 04, 2019 09:28AM
I like to think it would have all turned out rosy for K. but something tells me it wouldn't have. With Kafka probably ending things on a sad note.
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Maybe three cocktails will surely help! Sorry I cannot help with any reference to Kafka. Truth to tell I have constantly avoided any encounter with him till now, guess I am not willing to absorb any (additional) sorrow ;(
MihaElla wrote: "Maybe three cocktails will surely help! Sorry I cannot help with any reference to Kafka. Truth to tell I have constantly avoided any encounter with him till now, guess I am not willing to absorb an..."These are mighty strong cocktails MihaElla, so two is about my limit.
Otherwise I'd most likely end up on the floor in no time!
Don't know how close it came to being completed, but it's believed that it would have ended with K. dying in the village.
Olivier wrote: "Don't know how close it came to being completed, but it's believed that it would have ended with K. dying in the village."Thanks Olivier! If indeed true then it was the opposite to what I was hoping.
Poor old K.
MilagroB wrote: "You might try to control your emotions. K doesn't care."Actually he does. I bumped into him once. He cares like Jesus cares.
Oh, really! But then sorrow will say its good-by faster. Just be sure you have someone close around - in case sorrow feels like having a chat too. I attended recently a party and I found I could drink endlessly -even mixed- and I am getting nowhere farther than my real time/sense. I was a bit disenchanted, as I was expecting to take myself on a flight ;))
This has been on my to-read list for too-long
Josh wrote: "This has been on my to-read list for too-long"It's difficult whether or not I would recommend this Josh. On the one hand it's some of Kafka's best writing, but on the other, the fact it doesn't have an ending is a real problem.
MihaElla wrote: "Oh, really! But then sorrow will say its good-by faster. Just be sure you have someone close around - in case sorrow feels like having a chat too. I attended recently a party and I found I could d..."
Mixing drinks is generally the best way to take that flight MihaElla, so that surprises me. You must be one tough girl!
I am, and thanks Steven! I was expected to be a boy, and in line with my parents expectation I seem to have been endowed with more than I needed to (laughing). My first legally paid job was short-lived (one year and half) with a beverages company. One time per month, after work hours were ended on Saturdays-there used to be organized “happy Fridays� with all the employees - and I used to drink champange with a straw like it was fresh orange juice. I recall one time I reached home after mid-night, very much walking on my feet (there was only 25 min distance away) and instead of crying with laughter I was actually crying with tears, feeling like the most unhappy ever. All those drinks served me no good - that was not the aim of having a party time.
Nowadays - I take opportunity with the company events (2-3 times per year) and do all kinds of mix but nothing new happened, effect is just the same, which is good eventually. Drinks by themselves do not cooperate well with me in reaching a joyful and relaxing mood.
MihaElla wrote: "I am, and thanks Steven! I was expected to be a boy, and in line with my parents expectation I seem to have been endowed with more than I needed to (laughing). My first legally paid job was short-..."
I look forward to your memoirs!
Laughing...I have to go 22 years till pension - to fufill age criterion, while luckily a bit less for labour aging. By then, hopefully, my memoirs will be better elaborated - more intense and more descriptive ;)
Can't put in any sensible answer to your question, Steven, since after I read 'The Trial' I never dared to read another Kafka novel. It was too confrontational for me. My nightmares described in exact detail!
Hanneke wrote: "Can't put in any sensible answer to your question, Steven, since after I read 'The Trial' I never dared to read another Kafka novel. It was too confrontational for me. My nightmares described in ex..."Compared to the The Metamorphosis this is more of a normal dream
than it is a surreal nightmare. I get your point on him being too confrontational in the Trial.
Great review Steven - in some ways I think this one had a perfect ending. It was a never ending nightmare - and as such, is probably still being perpetuated right now!! Loved it.
