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Product DescriptionOne of the giants of world literature, Franz Kafka in a relatively short life wrote both major modernist novels--The Trial, The Man Who Disappeared, andThe Castle--and such classics of short fiction as "The Metamorphosis," "In the Penal Colony," and "The Hunger Artist." His matchless fiction shines a light on universal moral problems of guilt, responsibility, and freedom, and it exposes the mechanisms of power by which authorities subtly coerce and subjugate the citizen, as well as the individual's scope for resisting authority. Now, inThe Kafka Collection, readers have a unique five-volume set that brings together the complete works of this renowned modernist master. Each book features a superb new translation by such well-known translators as Anthea Bell, Joyce Crick, Mike Mitchell, and Richie Robertson. In addition, each volume boasts an introduction by Ritchie Robertson, a leading Kafka scholar, who explores the many meanings of these famously enigmatic works, providing guidance with a wealth of explanatory notes. Each book includes a Biographical Preface which places Kafka within the context of his time, plus an up-to-date bibliography and chronology of Kafka's life.About the Series: For over 100 yearsOxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.About the AuthorRitchie Robertson (General Editor)(Translator,The Man Who Disappeared) is aTaylor Professor of German at Oxford University and co-director of the Oxford Kafka Research Center. He is the author ofKafka: A Very Short Introduction and the editor ofThe Cambridge Companion to Thomas Mann.Joyce Crick (Translator,The Metamorphosis and Other Stories) (A Hunger Artist and Other Stories) taught German at University College London until her retirement. Her translation of Freud'sThe Interpretation of Dreams won the Shlegel-Tieck Prize in 2000.Anthea Bell (Translator,The Castle) is a freelance translator and the winner of numerous awards for her work, including three Schlegel-Tieck Awards, the Wolff Award, and the Austrian State Prize for Literary Translation.Mike Mitchell (Translator,The Trial) taught at the universities of Reading and Stirling before becoming a full-time translator. He has translated numerous works of German fiction for which he has been eight times shortlisted for prizes. His translation of Rosendorfer'sLetters Back to Ancient China won the Schlegel-Tieck Prize in 1998.
The central conflict involves the struggle of the isolated individual against the inscrutable, often oppressive mechanisms of bureaucracy, guilt, and existential alienation. Kafka’s protagonists frequently find themselves trapped in illogical, nightmarish scenarios where the rules of reality are distorted or withheld. These narratives, often presented through a detached, clinical prose style, examine the tension between personal agency and the overwhelming weight of societal or metaphysical authority. The collection spans various narrative frameworks, ranging from the surreal transformation of a man into an insect to the labyrinthine legal proceedings of a man arrested for an unnamed crime.
Readers and critics frequently highlight the enduring relevance of Kafka’s work in articulating the anxieties of the modern age. Discussion often centers on the balance between the author's precise, almost legalistic writing style and the profound, often disturbing psychological depth of his characters. Many observers note that the effectiveness of his world-building lies in its ability to make the impossible feel inevitable and deeply unsettling. The collection is widely praised for its scholarly apparatus, which provides necessary context for navigating the enigmatic nature of these texts. Readers often find that the thematic threads of power and responsibility remain as potent today as they were during the early twentieth century.
Page Count:
5
Publication Date:
2012-10-25
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0199655677
ISBN-13:
9780199655670
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