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It's been a century since Franz Kafka published his breakthrough story, "The Judgement." The Times Literary Supplement has a great essay on his impact on literature, and embedded in it are reviews of five recent books about Kafka. It's a feast.
"We are probably no nearer to understanding that or any other of his works today than his first readers were, nor should we expect to be."
As an example of the intense and unique way Kafka looked at language, consider this, from his diary:
"In general, the spoken sentence starts off from the speaker with its initial capital letter, curves in its course, as far as it can, out to the audience, and returns with the period to the speaker. But if the period is omitted then the sentence, no longer held in check, falls upon the listener immediately with full force.”
Anybody got Kafkaesque thoughts?
"We are probably no nearer to understanding that or any other of his works today than his first readers were, nor should we expect to be."
As an example of the intense and unique way Kafka looked at language, consider this, from his diary:
"In general, the spoken sentence starts off from the speaker with its initial capital letter, curves in its course, as far as it can, out to the audience, and returns with the period to the speaker. But if the period is omitted then the sentence, no longer held in check, falls upon the listener immediately with full force.”
Anybody got Kafkaesque thoughts?