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'in Recent Decades, Interest In Hunger Artists Has Greatly Diminished.' Kafka Published Two Collections Of Short Stories In His Lifetime, A Country Doctor: Little Tales (1919) And A Hunger Artist: Four Stories (1924). Both Collections Are Included In Their Entirety In This Edition, Which Also Contains Other, Uncollected Stories And A Selection Of Posthumously Published Works That Have Become Part Of The Kafka Canon. Enigmatic, Satirical, Often Bleakly Humorous, These Stories Approach Human Experience At A Tangent: A Singing Mouse, An Ape, An Inquisitive Dog, And A Paranoid Burrowing Creature Are Among The Protagonists, As Well As The Professional Starvation Artist. A Patient Seems To Be Dying From A Metaphysical Wound; The War-horse Of Alexander The Great Steps Aside From History And Adopts A Quiet Profession As A Lawyer. Fictional Meditations On Art And Artists, And A Series Of Aphorisms That Come Close To Expressing Kafka's Philosophy Of Life, Further Explore Themes That Recur In His Major Novels. Newly Translated, And With An Invaluable Introduction And Notes, Kafka's Short Stories Are Haunting And Unforgettable. About The Series: For Over 100 Years Oxford World's Classics Has Made Available The Widest Range 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, Helpful Notes To Clarify The Text, Up-to-date Bibliographies For Further Study, And Much More.
The central conflict involves individuals struggling against the crushing weight of societal expectations, existential isolation, and the inherent absurdity of the human condition. Kafka presents protagonists who are often trapped by their own obsessions, professional duties, or inexplicable physical transformations. These characters navigate worlds where logic is frequently subverted by surreal events, forcing them to confront their own insignificance. The narrative framework shifts between detached observation and intimate, claustrophobic internal monologues that emphasize the alienation of the individual from the collective.
Discussion often centers on the precise, clinical prose style that contrasts sharply with the bizarre and often nightmarish subject matter. Readers frequently highlight the effectiveness of Kafka's ability to render the surreal as mundane, which intensifies the underlying sense of dread. Critics often note that the stories serve as a microcosm for the themes found in his longer novels, particularly regarding the struggle for recognition and the search for meaning in an indifferent universe. The balance between character development and symbolic action remains a primary point of interest for those analyzing his work. Many readers find the collection provides a comprehensive entry point into the author's unique philosophical perspective on existence.
Page Count:
272
Publication Date:
2012-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0191627038
ISBN-13:
9780191627033
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