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Very Short Introductions #115
Kafka: A Very Short Introduction
Franz Kafka is among the most intriguing and influential writers of the last century. During his lifetime he worked as a civil servant and published only a handful of short stories, the best known being The Transformation . His other three novels, published after his death, helped to found his reputation as a uniquely perceptive interpreter of the twentieth century.
Discussing both Kafka's crisis-ridden life and the subtleties of his art, Ritchie Robertson provides an intriguing and accessible look at the life of this fascinating author. Using Metamorphosis as a recurring example, Robertson shows how Kafka's work explores such characteristically modern themes as the place of the body in culture, the power of institutions over people, and the possibility of religion after Nietzsche had proclaimed "the death of God."
Discussing both Kafka's crisis-ridden life and the subtleties of his art, Ritchie Robertson provides an intriguing and accessible look at the life of this fascinating author. Using Metamorphosis as a recurring example, Robertson shows how Kafka's work explores such characteristically modern themes as the place of the body in culture, the power of institutions over people, and the possibility of religion after Nietzsche had proclaimed "the death of God."
152 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 44 reviews
May 13, 2014
By writing, he could escape futile self-analysis through assuming a higher perspective.
I was tempted to pick this up as I struggled through . This VSI presents a minutely personal and deliberately non-literary exploration of Kafka. The literary works are treated as works of self-analysis. I am not qualified to comment on the correctness of this approach, but I can say that it was quite unsatisfactory.
In any case, it would have been impossible to decode Kafka or say baldly what Kafka’s work is ‘about�. There is no way into Kafka except by reading Kafka and puzzling over Kafka.
July 3, 2010
Usually I avoid these sorts of "introductions" and especially anything "for dummies," but this is published by the Oxford University Press, so I have high hopes.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
High hopes justified! This was like a mini course on Kafka's life and major themes in his work. On the whole, very helpful.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
High hopes justified! This was like a mini course on Kafka's life and major themes in his work. On the whole, very helpful.
June 4, 2022
so good (i accidentally deleted this from my bookshelves so i lost my original review ☹️)
October 17, 2022
kaffkaa...
detailed and relevant facts and overall a pleasure to read. mainly because it's about kafka :)
detailed and relevant facts and overall a pleasure to read. mainly because it's about kafka :)
April 8, 2021
Is Ritchie Robertson obsessed with sex or is Kafka obsessed with sex? Who knows. Men don’t understand religion, it seems.
August 5, 2021
Kafka’s life story presents us with one of the greatest literary counterfactuals: What if Kafka’s friend, Max Brod, had honored the writer’s deathbed wish to burn his novels and other unpublished works? After all, Kafka had an outsized influence on modern literature; “The Trial� and “The Metamorphosis� alone have had profound reverberations across the world of literature. It’s with this hook that we are pulled into Kafka’s short, tragic, but brilliant life.
This book presents sketches of both the life and the body of work of Kafka, but subsequent chapters apply three different lenses to Kafka’s canon. The first of these is the body. It’s easy to see this theme’s influence in “The Metamorphosis� (in which the protagonist wakes up to find he’s a huge bug,) but Robertson shows us how the body cuts through other works and was influenced by skinny Kafka’s turbulent relations with his imposing father as well as by his difficulties in intimate relationships.
The second lens is institutions. Again, one of Kafka’s more famous works springs to mind, “The Trial,� but we also see that this, too, is a recurring theme -- not only with respect to government / bureaucratic institutions (e.g. “In the Penal Colony�) but otherwise, as well. The final lens is religion and secularity. Kafka was living in the wake of Nietzsche and other nihilist and existentialists, and the atheist worldview was coming to dominate among the erudite segment of society. But Kafka straddled a line; the spiritual had appeal for him, but his life felt governed by nihilistic patterns.
I learned a great deal from this book. I think it offers important insight into Kafka and his writings.
This book presents sketches of both the life and the body of work of Kafka, but subsequent chapters apply three different lenses to Kafka’s canon. The first of these is the body. It’s easy to see this theme’s influence in “The Metamorphosis� (in which the protagonist wakes up to find he’s a huge bug,) but Robertson shows us how the body cuts through other works and was influenced by skinny Kafka’s turbulent relations with his imposing father as well as by his difficulties in intimate relationships.
The second lens is institutions. Again, one of Kafka’s more famous works springs to mind, “The Trial,� but we also see that this, too, is a recurring theme -- not only with respect to government / bureaucratic institutions (e.g. “In the Penal Colony�) but otherwise, as well. The final lens is religion and secularity. Kafka was living in the wake of Nietzsche and other nihilist and existentialists, and the atheist worldview was coming to dominate among the erudite segment of society. But Kafka straddled a line; the spiritual had appeal for him, but his life felt governed by nihilistic patterns.
I learned a great deal from this book. I think it offers important insight into Kafka and his writings.
January 4, 2017
After reading this I think I understand Kafka's books a bit better and feel motivated to reread them. I have a better sense of his intellectual sources, why his major themes were so important to him, and the historical context. But I also feel very weirdly about Kafka himself, who is the focus of this book. On the one hand, I now dislike him more than I previously did. He is an eminently weak person. He exhibited guilt, indecisiveness and fear. He was privileged, yet anxious. He was like a rich bohemian artist kid who was a disappointment to his family. He sucked with women and was self-loathing. Yet, if you brought any of this up with him he would probably agree with you. He was very self-aware about all of this. And in a way that makes me admire him more. He really embraced his own psychology and laid it bare on the page (although, he did want to have those pages burned, but that nonwithstanding...) He was weak, confused, indecisive and frightened on our behalf. Through his suffering, he allows us to occasionally introspect on the negative aspect of our own psychology without fully committing to it like he did. So thanks Kafka, the messiah of horrific existential confusion.
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March 12, 2021Short but tough. Ugh.
February 27, 2018
Good reference, especially the chapter on "How to read Kafka."
April 23, 2021
1. A good start for reading Kafka
2. love the excerpt from different Kafka’s novels
3. I read the traditional Chinese version, nice typesetting as Oxford always do
4. Can finish it within an afternoon
2. love the excerpt from different Kafka’s novels
3. I read the traditional Chinese version, nice typesetting as Oxford always do
4. Can finish it within an afternoon
December 10, 2021
"Do you feel - this is the main thing - unbroken connections between yourself and some reassuringly remote, possible infinite, height or depth? Anyone who constantly feels that does not have to run around like a lost dog, looking around beseechingly but mutely, he need not feel the desire to slip into the grave as thought it were a warm sleeping-bag and life a cold winter night, and when he climbs the stairs to his office, he does not have to think he sees himself simultaneously falling from above down the entire staircase, shimmering in the uncertain light, revolving with the rapidity of his motion, shaking his head with impatience." - letter from Kafka to Felice, 1913
This reminds me of one of my favorite poems, excerpted below:
". . . It is morning, Senlin says, I ascend from darkness
And depart on the winds of space for I know not where,
My watch is wound, a key is in my pocket,
And the sky is darkened as I descend the stair.
There are shadows across the windows, clouds in heaven,
And a god among the stars; and I will go
Thinking of him as I might think of daybreak
And humming a tune I know. . ." - Morning Song of Senlin, by Conrad Aiken, 1889
This reminds me of one of my favorite poems, excerpted below:
". . . It is morning, Senlin says, I ascend from darkness
And depart on the winds of space for I know not where,
My watch is wound, a key is in my pocket,
And the sky is darkened as I descend the stair.
There are shadows across the windows, clouds in heaven,
And a god among the stars; and I will go
Thinking of him as I might think of daybreak
And humming a tune I know. . ." - Morning Song of Senlin, by Conrad Aiken, 1889
May 23, 2015
I had tried reading Kafka about a year back and couldn't complete.
This book made me revisit Kafka again. The great depth in his literature is explained and contemplated in this introduction. His work really has dizzying depth and very wide scope for personal interpretation.
(I guess this is where David Lynch gets his inspiration from, to be willingly obscure so as to let individual perception of the audience thrive.)
Worthwhile my time. Bought more books of Kafka to read again! :)
This book made me revisit Kafka again. The great depth in his literature is explained and contemplated in this introduction. His work really has dizzying depth and very wide scope for personal interpretation.
(I guess this is where David Lynch gets his inspiration from, to be willingly obscure so as to let individual perception of the audience thrive.)
Worthwhile my time. Bought more books of Kafka to read again! :)
September 13, 2020
This is one of the best Very Short Introductions I have read. It covers many of Kafka's works and studies them from various angles (and does not even shy away from the autobiographical element). I found the links to other writers like Foucault and to the Yiddish theatre particularly interesting. In my view Ritchie Robertson is far and away the best English-speaking Kafka expert. If you have to study Kafka (or you are just interested in him and his art), start here!
March 18, 2014
Good introduction. Confusing at times, but then so was Kafka.
April 22, 2022
I have read several books about Kafka. But this 136 pages book seemed the best.
February 27, 2023
A lively look into the different ways to read, understand, and think about the work of Franz Kafka. Ritchie Robertson gives a brief account of Kafka's life but spends most of the work discussing how one might understand Kafka's corpus without giving a definitive reading. Throughout the text you will come to know more about the life and times of Kafka. his eccentric interests, his more common likes, and some things you didn't care to know (like his time in the nudist colony).
As the greatest author of the 20th century, the ways of understanding Kafka are inexhaustible. Robertson does, however, give a great account of the many different ways one might read his works. There are very common ways (but great nonetheless) and some less well-known. I'm excited to re-read Kafka again, armed with some new ways to interpret his texts with newfound respect for some texts I disliked at first. Of course, Kafka isn't perfect, and the account Robertson gives of his more, for lack of a better word, spiritual reading leaves a lot to be desired. It's clearly not disdain but Robertson does have an odd way of slighting Kafka the artist here and there that was odd.
Overall, a really good introduction and one I would easily recommend to others. As far as VSI go, it was pretty good but the bibliography at the end leaves a lot to be desired. About 2-3 books per chapter are suggested and they're often not even directly related to Kafka. For the chapter on Institutions, for example, Robertson recommends Foucault's Discipline and Punish. Certainly, a way to read Kafka but far from related to him.
As the greatest author of the 20th century, the ways of understanding Kafka are inexhaustible. Robertson does, however, give a great account of the many different ways one might read his works. There are very common ways (but great nonetheless) and some less well-known. I'm excited to re-read Kafka again, armed with some new ways to interpret his texts with newfound respect for some texts I disliked at first. Of course, Kafka isn't perfect, and the account Robertson gives of his more, for lack of a better word, spiritual reading leaves a lot to be desired. It's clearly not disdain but Robertson does have an odd way of slighting Kafka the artist here and there that was odd.
Overall, a really good introduction and one I would easily recommend to others. As far as VSI go, it was pretty good but the bibliography at the end leaves a lot to be desired. About 2-3 books per chapter are suggested and they're often not even directly related to Kafka. For the chapter on Institutions, for example, Robertson recommends Foucault's Discipline and Punish. Certainly, a way to read Kafka but far from related to him.
May 1, 2021
RR writes with sincerity and clarity on KK, and to me any such effort on the topic is likely to be engaging. This book is worth a read even for those who need no introduction, although it comes without much reference to the contents of superb collection The Burrow or, naturally, the recent Lost Writings, which I am now looking forward to reading.
I didn’t know that the name Josef K. originated from an error in a hotel booking, nor that Kafka was associates with the lover of Frieda Weekely, who was later DH Lawrence’s wife and a friend of Frida Kahlo. I like that kind of detail, although the final part to it was gleaned from internet.
The most impressive part of the book comes when Robertson ties together his analysis of ‘institutions� by observing that the Barnabas family ‘are the victims of their own belief in the authority of the Castle� (93). Amalia and her family fail to defy the Castle because they live in fear of the repercussions of her single defiance � it is astutely noted that no repercussions ever actually materialise. The true power of the institution is the terror which blooms organically in the mind of its subject.
Among the disappointments are some awkward formulations and a few generic observations on things such as ‘capitalism�. And I have not found here, or yet elsewhere, satisfying discussion of the spread of Kafka’s texts after his death and the impression that this has left on the literary world.
I didn’t know that the name Josef K. originated from an error in a hotel booking, nor that Kafka was associates with the lover of Frieda Weekely, who was later DH Lawrence’s wife and a friend of Frida Kahlo. I like that kind of detail, although the final part to it was gleaned from internet.
The most impressive part of the book comes when Robertson ties together his analysis of ‘institutions� by observing that the Barnabas family ‘are the victims of their own belief in the authority of the Castle� (93). Amalia and her family fail to defy the Castle because they live in fear of the repercussions of her single defiance � it is astutely noted that no repercussions ever actually materialise. The true power of the institution is the terror which blooms organically in the mind of its subject.
Among the disappointments are some awkward formulations and a few generic observations on things such as ‘capitalism�. And I have not found here, or yet elsewhere, satisfying discussion of the spread of Kafka’s texts after his death and the impression that this has left on the literary world.
March 30, 2025
This is a great introductory text on Kafka. The first two chapters are on his life and wider reception, as well as how to read Kafka. The latter three chapters are thematic: bodies, institutions, religion. The thematic chapters were certainly the best, and I was most impressed by the discussions of law and guilt in Kafka’s writing.
The author does a great job pushing back against myths and misconceptions (e.g. that Kafka was totally unknown in his life), and I found a lot here that I could relate to in my own life. I also loved the author’s discussion of Kafka’s “as if� statements in his writing—I find them hilarious and so descriptive.
In short, this volume does a great deal to add further dimension to his short stories, allowing me to appreciate his writing better than before.
The author does a great job pushing back against myths and misconceptions (e.g. that Kafka was totally unknown in his life), and I found a lot here that I could relate to in my own life. I also loved the author’s discussion of Kafka’s “as if� statements in his writing—I find them hilarious and so descriptive.
In short, this volume does a great deal to add further dimension to his short stories, allowing me to appreciate his writing better than before.
February 1, 2021
For those who wished to understand who is Kafka or what is meant by Kafkaesque in the world of literature may find this a complementary read. Looking at the life of Franz Kafka, it also dissects the works of Kafka and how his life, philosophy and environment shaped his style.
I read this book not having read any of his works yet (do have his works on to-read), so I did not so much immersed in reading (it is not necessary to read his works or have a background in Kafka though) but I am quite familiar with the Kafkaesque style seen in writers such as Haruki Murakami. This (very) short introduction gave me the understanding of Kafka's style.
I read this book not having read any of his works yet (do have his works on to-read), so I did not so much immersed in reading (it is not necessary to read his works or have a background in Kafka though) but I am quite familiar with the Kafkaesque style seen in writers such as Haruki Murakami. This (very) short introduction gave me the understanding of Kafka's style.
October 28, 2018
Very nice introduction which I read most of while in Prague. Many connections to philosophy and spirituality that resonates with me, including Nietzsche and the Embodied Mind.
Especially the references to form: exploration, aphorism, ideal and real.
A surprise was the reference to my fellow Fielding scholar Evi Beck. I knew she studied Kafka, which was one reason for wanting to read more about him. But I did not know she was so famous for having explored his relationship to Kaballism that she would be quoted here.
Especially the references to form: exploration, aphorism, ideal and real.
A surprise was the reference to my fellow Fielding scholar Evi Beck. I knew she studied Kafka, which was one reason for wanting to read more about him. But I did not know she was so famous for having explored his relationship to Kaballism that she would be quoted here.
September 7, 2023
I read this to help my essay about "Der Heizer" for an essay competition. It gave me some interesting insights but also felt a little bit too clever. Maybe it would've helped if I'd read some of the books he was referring to. Anyway, "The Castle" sounds really cool so I've ordered a copy to read soon. :).
June 16, 2021
A useful introduction to Kafka's life and work.
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March 5, 2023I don't agree with most of Kafka's views on theology, sociology, philosophy, etc., but the book was incredibly interesting. New favorite fact on Kafka: he was a nudist for 2 weeks. (??)
May 1, 2023
Chapter 1: Life and myth
Chapter 2: Reading Kafka
Chapter 3: Bodies
Chapter 4: Institutions
Chapter 5: The last things
Chapter 2: Reading Kafka
Chapter 3: Bodies
Chapter 4: Institutions
Chapter 5: The last things
July 26, 2023
A good short introduction. I liked the detail and it will get me to read more.
December 28, 2023
Illuminates a lot of Kafka's works, but I still don't like his works very much.
January 22, 2024
So boring
November 19, 2024
Biografía entendible y acertada sobre Kafka, aunque un poco sesgada por lo que respecta al impacto de Brod y del padre.
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