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flo's Reviews > The Complete Stories
The Complete Stories
by ³¾´Ç°ù±ðâ€�
by ³¾´Ç°ù±ðâ€�
flo's review
bookshelves: kafkaesque-err-ism, german-austrian, stories-and-novellas-for-this-life
Jul 20, 2013
bookshelves: kafkaesque-err-ism, german-austrian, stories-and-novellas-for-this-life
I think it's a little mistake to judge Kafka considering only "The Metamorphosis". There's a whole different view on things in some of his stories. You're not going to find a nice, warm, fuzzy, Care Bear kind of book (that line made sense in my mind). But some of his stories do show another side of him. I personally like the psychological twisted, complicated, claustrophobic and absurd ones with a weird sense of humor (yes, he can be funny) and infinite interpretations. But that's just me.
I liked most of his stories, a few names come to mind (I don't know why and in no specific order): “A Hunger Artist�, a disturbing yet beautiful story about an alienated artist; “In the Penal Colony�; “Eleven sons� and its poetic descriptions; “A dream� (loved its disquieting atmosphere --is that making sense?); “The Great Wall of China�; “A Report to an Academy� (fresh air); “The Problem of Our Laws� that gives you a feeling of despair, because you find yourself being governed by people (noble people) you'll never meet with their rules that you're not supposed to understand; “A Fratricide� (kind of shocked me); "The Cares of a Family Man", short stories like that leave you thinking about what the heck he was writing about.
Kafka is a complicated writer, that's true. But the difficult ones often help you to see ordinary things from another perspective. And yes, that's not always sunshine and rainbows, but that's the other inevitable side of life. He mostly described awful, absurd, stressful, weird and confusing situations that human beings experience on daily basis. Sadly, I can relate to his labyrinths of endless bureaucracy. A lot.
This writer is not for everyone. And there's nothing wrong with that. In my humble opinion, he was a man who was able to write, among many other things, something like “Before the Law� (a parable that appears in one of my favorites novels); such a familiar feeling. So my connection with him was instantaneous. (It's a shame that mostly happens with people that died a couple or hundreds of years ago. No Lake House around here, huh? God, I hated that movie.)
Anyway, “Before the Law� is a short and great example of one of the many sides a Kafkaesque universe has.
Feb 23, 14
* Also on .
I liked most of his stories, a few names come to mind (I don't know why and in no specific order): “A Hunger Artist�, a disturbing yet beautiful story about an alienated artist; “In the Penal Colony�; “Eleven sons� and its poetic descriptions; “A dream� (loved its disquieting atmosphere --is that making sense?); “The Great Wall of China�; “A Report to an Academy� (fresh air); “The Problem of Our Laws� that gives you a feeling of despair, because you find yourself being governed by people (noble people) you'll never meet with their rules that you're not supposed to understand; “A Fratricide� (kind of shocked me); "The Cares of a Family Man", short stories like that leave you thinking about what the heck he was writing about.
Kafka is a complicated writer, that's true. But the difficult ones often help you to see ordinary things from another perspective. And yes, that's not always sunshine and rainbows, but that's the other inevitable side of life. He mostly described awful, absurd, stressful, weird and confusing situations that human beings experience on daily basis. Sadly, I can relate to his labyrinths of endless bureaucracy. A lot.
This writer is not for everyone. And there's nothing wrong with that. In my humble opinion, he was a man who was able to write, among many other things, something like “Before the Law� (a parable that appears in one of my favorites novels); such a familiar feeling. So my connection with him was instantaneous. (It's a shame that mostly happens with people that died a couple or hundreds of years ago. No Lake House around here, huh? God, I hated that movie.)
Anyway, “Before the Law� is a short and great example of one of the many sides a Kafkaesque universe has.
Feb 23, 14
* Also on .
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Cecily
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rated it 5 stars
Jul 12, 2016 01:00PM
A lovely taster of Kafka. As you say, he is a complicated writer, and yet there is also a simplicity that can speak to readers through the years, I think.
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Cecily wrote: "A lovely taster of Kafka. As you say, he is a complicated writer, and yet there is also a simplicity that can speak to readers through the years, I think."Exactly, and that is one of the reasons I find him so fascinating. Thank you for your comment, I see this review needs some editing!
Great review, Florencia! Haha it was definitely not a "fuzzy, Care Bear kind of book."Oh, and I'm also with you on this: "I personally like the psychological twisted, complicated, claustrophobic and absurd ones with a weird sense of humor (yes, he can be funny) and infinite interpretations." I have to admit, in a strange way, I couldn't help looking forward to those stories that produced the sensation of claustrophobia and being trapped and dragged along :D
Tara wrote: "Great review, Florencia! Haha it was definitely not a "fuzzy, Care Bear kind of book."Oh, and I'm also with you on this: "I personally like the psychological twisted, complicated, claustrophobic..."
Haha, welcome; happy to have you here. We're not a numerous group (at least I'm not acquainted with many) but we understand that penchant for the psychological twisted and the absurd with a dash of claustrophobia, and we support each other. Sort of a Kafka Anonymous.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting. :)
Kafka and the care bears could be a new story though...I imagine they struggle to come together only to find ultimately that they have no common language!
Jean-Paul wrote: "It's wonderful to see a write-up highlighting lesser known stories by Kafka. Your review, Florencia, is a beautiful invitation to discover some less frequently read works. 'Labyrinths of endless bu..."I second Jean-Paul's comment. Your write-up really tempts me to read this amazing writer again. Ironically, I read Kafka while I was bed-ridden, regardless whether it augmented the experience, I was really moved by his works. And now he's my ultimate favorite. Thanks for this reminder! :)
Florencia wrote: "Tara wrote: "Great review, Florencia! Haha it was definitely not a "fuzzy, Care Bear kind of book."Oh, and I'm also with you on this: "I personally like the psychological twisted, complicated, c..."
Kafka Anonymous, I love it! Coffee, donuts, and nightmarish dread-aholics peering at each other suspiciously over the tops of their books…sounds like my kind of fun! :D
And you're welcome, Florencia, it's always great to talk to a fellow literary absurdity addict ;)
Reading some of his stories now and then on Sundays recently- already enough entangled into the labyrinths of endless bureaucracy during the week - the resurfacing of your witty write-up only tempts me more to continue, Florencia (the ones with the law in the title will be next :). I chuckled at the understatement in your observation that the shift of perspective he draws us in can be quite unsettling and represents not always sunshine and rainbows. Recalling the bed in 'In the penal colony', I thought it a perfect image for life not always being a bed of roses :).
Jan-Maat wrote: "Kafka and the care bears could be a new story though...I imagine they struggle to come together only to find ultimately that they have no common language!"You have a powerful imagination!
Jean-Paul wrote: "It's wonderful to see a write-up highlighting lesser known stories by Kafka. Your review, Florencia, is a beautiful invitation to discover some less frequently read works. 'Labyrinths of endless bu..."Well, besides the love for literature and music, we also have that in common: those labyrinths are part of my reality as well. So you might be right. You might relate to Kafka's unusual voice. Thanks so much for your kind words. And I hope you accept the invitation and that you also enjoy this collection. :)
Waqas wrote: "Jean-Paul wrote: "It's wonderful to see a write-up highlighting lesser known stories by Kafka. Your review, Florencia, is a beautiful invitation to discover some less frequently read works. 'Labyri..."I'm glad to hear that you were able to connect with Kafka's work, putting aside that awful time you had to experience. I hope you enjoy his prose, if you ever decide to return to his fascinating world. Thanks so much for your kind words, Waqas.
Tara wrote: "Florencia wrote: "Tara wrote: "Great review, Florencia! Haha it was definitely not a "fuzzy, Care Bear kind of book."Oh, and I'm also with you on this: "I personally like the psychological twist..."
Glad to hear it. ;D
Ilse wrote: "Reading some of his stories now and then on Sundays recently- already enough entangled into the labyrinths of endless bureaucracy during the week - the resurfacing of your witty write-up only tempt..."Ah, those labyrinths of endless bureaucracy...
Kafka blends lights and shades so masterfully. That's one of the many elements that make his stories so captivating. I'm really glad you keep reading his works from time to time. He's definitely a writer I should also revisit. Many thanks for reading and for leaving such lovely comment. :)
