Franz Kafka in Context

Accessible essays place Kafka in historical, political and cultural context, providing new and often unexpected perspectives on his works.

Carolin Duttlinger (Edited by)

9781107449701, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 11 July 2019

363 pages
22.9 x 15.1 x 1.8 cm, 0.5 kg

'Few recent books on Kafka have been as informative as this collection of essays, which looks at the many ways one can approach Kafka's writings. … This review cannot do justice to the scope and value of Duttlinger's collection. Highly recommended.' R. C. Conrad, Choice

Franz Kafka (1883–1924) lived through one of the most turbulent periods in modern history, witnessing a world war, the dissolution of an empire and the foundation of a new nation state. But the early twentieth century was also a time of social progress and aesthetic experimentation. Kafka's novels and short stories reflect their author's keen but critical engagement with the big questions of his time, and yet often Kafka is still cast as a solitary figure with little or no connection to his age. Franz Kafka in Context aims to redress this perception. In thirty-five short, accessible essays, leading international scholars explore Kafka's personal and working life, his reception of art and culture, his engagement with political and social issues, and his ongoing reception and influence. Together they offer a nuanced and historically grounded image of a writer whose work continues to fascinate readers from all backgrounds.

Part I. Life and Work: 1. Family Anthony Northey
2. Friendship Claudia Nitschke
3. Women Elizabeth Boa
4. Work Benno Wagner
5. Health and illness Johannes Türk
6. Writing Manfred Engel
7. Style Ritchie Robertson
Part II. Art and Literature: 8. Literary modernism Judith Ryan
9. Kafka's reading Ritchie Robertson
10. Gesture Lucia Ruprecht
11. Performance and recitation Lothar Müller
12. Film Silke Horstkotte
13. Photography J. J. Long
14. Music Thomas Martinec
15. Architecture Roger Thiel
Part III. Politics, Culture, History: 16. Prague: history and culture Marek Nekula
17. Czech language and literature Peter Zusi
18. The First World War Mark Cornwall
19. Travel, colonialism and exoticism Matthias Zach
20. Law Theodore Ziolkowski
21. Philosophy Ben Morgan
22. Religion Daniel Weidner
23. Judaism and Zionism Katja Garloff
24. Psychology and psychoanalysis Carolin Duttlinger
25. Gender and sexuality Mark M. Anderson
26. The city Andrew J. Webber
27. Childhood, pedagogy and education Katharina Laszlo
28. Ethnography and anthropology Nicola Gess
Part IV. Reception and Influence: 29. Early critical reception Ruth V. Gross
30. Critical theory Anthony Phelan
31. Deconstruction Stanley Corngold
32. Reading Kafka Emily Troscianko
33. Editions Clayton Koelb
34. Translation Mark Harman
35. Film adaptations Dora Osborne.

Subject Areas: Literary reference works [DSR], Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers [DSK], Literary studies: from c 1900 - [DSBH], Literary studies: c 1800 to c 1900 [DSBF]