#25: "The Complete Stories" by Franz Kafka (Czechia, 1971*)
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- Опубликовано: 13 май 2023
- Each episode of "Reading the World" series I discuss and analyze fiction from an author who was born or lived in a different country than the last. I read and rank 9 short stories from this Kafka collection, and am happy to finally experienced one of the most influential authors of the 20th century.
Stories discussed:
Description of A Struggle
The Country Doctor
A Little Woman
The Burrow
In the Penal Colony
Wedding Preparations in the Country
The Judgement
The Metamorphosis
A Hunger Artist
...and a few shorter works
*This collection was first published in 1971. Most individual stories were published in the early 20th century.
#booktube #franzkafka #metamorphosis #booktuber #readingchallenge #czechia #literature #readingtheworld #readtheworld
This was a very interesting discussion. I can't wait to see what you read for Romania
Thanks! Any suggestions for Romania? I haven't purchased one yet but in my initial research I thought Mircea Cărtărescu sounded interesting.
I just read Country Doctor, and, wow, you weren't kidding! Very similar to some of Poe's work. I have read many of Kafka's works, and this one truly stands out. I'm surprised I haven't seen it before. Thank you for introducing it to me.
Yes! The Country Doctor would be on the top 5 of my favorite short stories for sure. I've already read it twice over since making this video.
Great job ... And thanks!
It's been a long while since I've read some of Kafka's works but it's hard to forget that weird nightmarish atmosphere they have. Comparing his short stories to Edgar Allan Poe's is an interesting take, never thought about it but it makes a lot of sense. Also linking Metamorphosis to depression and other conditions that make one feel like Gregor Samsa brings quite a heartbreaking meaning. Oh and that line from Country doctor: 'One doesn’t know the sorts of things one has stored in one’s own house', gosh, must be one of the best shiver-down-the-spine lines! Lots to think about, thanks for an insightful review!
Thank you so much, Asta! I think the Poe comparison is limited, I can't say if or how much Kafka would have read Poe or been influenced but I felt similar feelings more than once while reading these stories. I'm glad you also connected with my interpretation of the Metamorphosis because I just can't read it any other way, yet am surprised how many other ways people interpret it. That's what marks a great work, I suppose.
@@mikereadstheworld oh yes, whether Kafka was influenced by Poe's work is understandably hard to tell but you're right to say they share some feeling that's similar. The thing that comes to mind for me is how they both treat space with very detailed descriptions and prominence and how they differ - if simplified you have huge, menacing houses in Poe's stories with something hiding in the basements or between the walls and you have stuffy domestic places in Kafka's works where you have to crouch almost. Or at least that's what my memory tells me:) in any case I feel it would be interesting to read short stories from both writers as companion pieces
@@astadidziokaite4792 Well said! That is a wonderful way to describe the difference.