Kafka

By SherLynne Beach

"What do I have in common with the Jews? I don't even have anything in common with myself." Nothing could better express the essence of Franz Kafka, a man described by his friends as living behind a "glass wall." Kafka wrote in the tradition of the great Yiddish storytellers, whose stock-in-trade was bizarre fantasy tainted with hilarity and self-abasement. What he added to this tradition was an almost unbearably expanded consciousness. Alienated from his roots, his family, his surroundings, and primarily from his own body, Kafka created a unique literary language in which to hide away, transforming himself into a cockroach, an ape, a dog, a mole or a circus artiste who starves himself to death in front of admiring crowds. David Zane Mairowitz's brilliant text and the illustrations and comic panels of the world's greatest cartoonist, Robert Crumb (himself no stranger to self-loathing and alienation), help us to understand the essence of Kafka and provide insight beyond the cliche "Kafkaesque," peering through Kafka's glass wall like no other book before it. The book is a wonderful educational tool for those unfamiliar with Kafka, including a brief but inclusive biography as well as the plots of many of his works, all illustrated by Crumb, making this newly designed edition a must-have for admirers of both Kafka and Crumb.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1560978066
• ISBN13: 9781560978060
• Release Date: August 2013
• Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.2" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Couldn't have asked for more

Item came quickly, well wrapped and in perfect condition. What more could I want? Thanks!

A Unique and Wonderful Book

Reviewed by: Tom Hendricks, Musea Review Service. Posted courtesy of the Underground Literary Alliance Book Review Blog. Tom Hendricks is a ULA member. He has probably never met Robert Crumb, but might want to. I'd like to meet Robert Crumb. What is it? : Franz Kafka's biography with text by David Mairowitz, and illustrations by celebrated underground comic artist Robert Crumb. Technical Quality: High. Book is a well made,...

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The serious student of Kafka or the neophyte will find much to admire in this rendering of the life and work of Kafka. IT is truer a retelling than Welle's The Trial. Excellent plot summaries well illustrated and very evocative. Crumb is the perfect artist to present the life and work of Mr. Kafka, with sincerity and illuminating truth. I wish Mr. Crumb would do more and full length versions of the Kafka opus

Delightful introduction to Kafka and his writings

This is a great literary biography of Franz Kafka, written by David Zane Mairowitz, that is fantastically illustrated by Robert Crumb. It is an outstanding collaboration between a writer and artist, where each person's work enhances the finished product far more than just the sum of the parts. Mairowitz is a Kafka scholar whose words come to life with the brilliant illustrations of R. Crumb. Together they trace Kafka's life,...

Kafka's Women

As I read through this delightful summary of Franz Kafka's life and work, I was struck by the fact that both the Czech writer and the cartoonist R. Crumb have the same anguished yearning for determined young women. Curiously, these all have the strong legs, broad beams, and statuesque torsos of Crumb's fantasy women from Zap Comix to today. Perhaps, Crumb and Kafka have more in common than meets the eye. They are all there:...