The Castle - Franz Kafka - Definitive Colection
Short Description
The Castle - Franz Kafka - Definitive Colection As relevant now as when ít was orignally published, the story of land-s...
Description
$2 95
Franz Kafka
THE IMTLE Definitive Edition with an Homage by Thomas Mann
A Modern Library Book
ML 388
mi MODERN LIBRARY BOOKS The best o f th e w o rld 's best books
Franz Kafka
THE (ASTEE Definitive Edition with an Homage by Thomas M am
As relevant now as when ít was orig¡nally published, the story of land-surveyor K's obsessive attempts to reach the Castle brilliantly examines the dilemma of the individual within a depersonalized society and, beyond that, man’s struggle against his fate, his unavailing effort to attain grace. In The Castle and The Trial Kafka created the two masterpieces of twentieth-century symbolic literature. No other writer achieved such haunting ambiguity and emotional precisión. After the English translation of Das Schloss appeared in 1930, it became certain that the Germán editions from which it had been made did not contain all of the text that Kafka had left in manuscript. Later on, Max Brod [1884-1968] — Kafka s friend, who was responsible for the preservation and publication of most of Kafka s work —
G. STUARI HAMM
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011
http://www.archive.org/details/castleOOkafk
T ranslatcd {rom the Germ án by Wil\a and Edu'in M uir wxth additional moleríais translated by E ithne Wilkins and E r n s t Kaiser
icith an H o m a g c b y T H O M A S M A N N
n jiJ T n jin jT J T rm _ n
De fin i tire Edition
MODF.k n
lirra ry
EDlTioN,
February 1969
Copyright 1930, 1941, 1954, by Atfretl A. Knopl, ¡nc. Copyright renewed C 1958 by Alfred A. Knopl, Irte. All rights reserved under Im ernational and Pan-Ameri can Copyright Conventions. Puhiishcd in thc United States by Random Uou.se, Inc., New York and simultancously in Cañada by Random llousc oí Cañada I.imitcd.T oronto. By arrangcinent witli: Alfred A. knopf, Inc.
THE MODERN LIBRARY • N ew York
Published in Germ án as Das Schloss by Kort YVoHf Vcrlag. Munich, 1926, by Schocken Vcrlag. Berlín, 1935, and by Schocken Bnoks Inc., New York, 1946 MANUFACTURFD IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
p u b l i s h e b
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
“F R Á N Z KAFKA'* ñame, so far ai I can discover, is almost unknoum to English readers. As he is considered by several of the best Germán critics to have been perhaps the mott interesting zeriter of his generation, and as he is in some ways a ttrange and disconcerting genius, it has been suggested that a short introductory note should be provided for this booJc, the first of his to be translated into English This is the first paragraph of Edwín Muir s Introductory Note pubhshed in 1930 with the first American edition of The Castle (in and Willa Muir's translation) and reprinted in all later editions. Hardly roer has the work of translators been so amply rewarded— and indeed on so large a scale of literary fame for the translated work that the quoted paragraph now reads like a histortcal curiosity. In the time between the first publication of The Castle and the present definitivo edition, Franz Kafka, though stiü a "strange and disconcerting genius," has risen to the stature of a classic of modem literature. Merely to list tke critical literature his work has evoked would próbábly mean compüing a book. In this situation, wkick in itself is the greatest tribute to the work of Franz Kafka's devoted friend and editor, Max Brod, and to his first English translators, the publisher has felt that the reader no longer requires the help offered to him by the Introductory Note and Editor's Additional Note of the previous editions— the less so as, quite v
’s n o t e
apart from much other literature on the subject, Max Bro6$
T H E
C A 6 T L E
Tht Patsages Deleité by the Author
said to her, and if she does understand it, she seems to de spise it. But all this, after all, she does not do on purpose, and one must not be cross with her; the more aloof she is, the more gently one must treat her. She is as weak as she seems to be strong. Yesterday, for instance, Barnabas said th at you would be coming today; knowjng Amalia as he does he added as a precaution that it was only a possibility th at you would come* it was not yet definite. Nevertheless, Amalia was waiting for you all day, incapable of doing anything else, and only in the evening she could not keep on her feet any longer and had to lie down.” “ Now I understand,” K. said, “why I mean something to you all, actually without any merit of my own. We are tied to each other, ju st as the messenger is to him to whom the message is addressed, but no more than th at, you people must not exaggerate; I attacb too much importance to your friendship, especially to yours, Olga, to tolérate its being endangered by exaggerated expectations; I mean in the way that you were all almost estranged from me through the fact that I hoped for too much from you. If a game is being played with you, it is not less so with me; then it is simply one single game, a game th at is amazingly all of one piece. From the stories you tell me I have even gathered the impression that the two messages Barnabas brought me are the only ones he has been entrusted with up to now.” Olga nodded. “ I was ashamed to confess it,” she said with lowered eyes, “or I was afraid that then the messages would seem to vou even more worthless than before.” “B ut you two,” K. said, “ you and Amalia, are always doing your utmost to make me have less and less confidence in the messages.” “ Yes,”
Olga said, “Amalia does so, and I imitate her. I t is this hopelessness that has us all in its grip. We believe the worthlessness of the message is so obvious that we can’t spoil anything by pointing out what is so obvious, that, on the contrary, we shall gain more trust and mercv from your side, which is in fact the only thing, at bottom, which we hope for. Do you understand me? T h at is the way our minds work. The messages are worthless, there is no strength to be gained from them directly, you are too shrewd to let yourself be deeeived in this respect, and even if we could deceive vou, Barnabas would he only a false messenger, and from faisehoods no salvation could come.” “ And so you are not frank with me,” K. said, “not even you are frank with me.” “You still don’t under stand our extremity,” Olga said, and gazed at K. anxiously, “ it is probablv our fault; being unaccustomed to assoeiating with people, we perhaps repel you, preciselv through our desperate attempts to attract you. I am not frank, you say? Nobody can be more frank than I am toward you. If I keep anything from you, it is only from fear of you, and this fear is something I don’t hide from you, but show* quite openlv. Take this fear from me and you have me utterly and completely.” “W hat fear do you mean?” K. asked. “The fear of losing you,” Olga said; “ju st think, for three years Barnabas has been fighting for bis appointmcnt, for three years we have been waiting and watching for some success in his endeavors, all in vain, not the slightest success, only disgrace, torment, tíme wasted, threats as to the future, and then one evening he comes with a letter, a letter to you. ‘A Land-Survevor has arrived, he seems to have come for our sake. I am to carry
466
467
T H E
C A S T L E
Thé Panagti Dtléttd by thé Avthor
all Communications between him and the Castle,’ Barnabas saíd. ‘There seem to be im portant things involved,’ he said. ‘Of course,’ I said, ‘a Land-Survevor! He will carrv out manv jobs, manv messages will have to be carried to and fro. Now you are a real messenger, soon vou will be given the oñicial uniform.’ ‘I t is possible,’ Barnabas said; even he, this boy who has become such a self-tormentor, said : ‘It is possible.’ T h at evening we were happy, even Amalia shared in it, in her own w ay; true, she didn’t listen to us, but she pulled her stool, on which she sat knitting, nearer to us and sometimes glanced over at us, as we sat laughing and whispering. Our happiness díd not l&st long, it carne to an end that same evening. Admittedlv, it even seemed to increase when Barnabas unexpectedly carne with you. But even then the doubts began; it was an honor for us, of course, th at you had come, but from the verv beginning it was also disturbíng. W hat did you want, we wondered. W hv did you come? Were vou really the great man for whom we had taken you, if you cared to come into our poor parlor? Why did you not stay in your own place, waiting for the messenger to come up to you, as became your dignity, sending him away instantly? Bv the fact th at you had come, did you not take awav something of the importance of Barnabas’s appointment as a messenger? Besides, thougb your clothes were foreign, you were poorlv dressed, and sadly I turned this way and th at the wet coat that I took off you that time. Was it th at we were to have bad luck with the first recipient of a message, for whom we had yearned for so long? Then, admittedlv, we could see th at you did not lower
yourself to our level, vou remained by the window, and nothing could bring you to our table. We did not turn round toward you, but we thought of nothing else. H ad you come only to test us? To see from what sort of family your messenger carne? Had you suspicions of us even on the second evening after your arrival? And was the result of the test un favorable for us, that vou re mained so taciturn, spoke no word to us, and were in a hurry to get away from us again? Your going awav was for us a proof that you despised not only us but, what was much worse, Barnabas’s messages too. We alone were not capable of recognizing their true significance; that could be done only bv you, whom they directly concerned and to whose profession they referred. And so it was actually you who taught us to doubt; from that evening on, Barnabas began to make his sad observations up there in the office. And whatever questions were left open that evening were finallv answered in the morning, when I carne out of the stable and watched you moving out of the Herrenhof with Frieda and the assistants, realizing that vou no longer set anv hopes in us and had abandoned us. Of course I did not say anvthing to Barnabas about it, he is heavilv enough burdencd with his own worries.” “And am I not here again,” K. said, “ keeping Frieda waiting and listening to stories about your misery as though it were my own?” “ Yes, you are here,” Olga said, “and we are glad of it. The hope th at you brought us was beginning to grow fainter; we were alreadv greatlv in need of your coming again.” “ For me too,” K. said, “ it was necessary to come, I see that.”
m
469
T HE
CAS T L E
The Panagei Deleted by the Anthor
“ And Amalia, of course, dicl not interfere at all, though aceording to your hints slie knows more about the Castle than you do; well, perhaps sbe is most to blame for evervthing.” “ You bave an amazing grasp of the whole situa ro n ,” Olga said, “sometimes you belp me with one word; probably it is because you come from abroad. We, on the other hand, with our sad experiences and fears, can’t Help being frightened by everv creak of the floorboards, without being able to help ourselves, and if one takes frigbt, the next one instantlv takes frigbt too, and even without knowing the real reason for it. In such a wav one can never arrive a t a proper judgment. Even if one had once had the abilitv to think evervthing out— and we women ha ve never had it—one would lose it under these conditions. W hat good luck it is for us that you have come!” I t was the first time that K, had heard such an unreserved welcome here in the village, but however much he had felt the want of it hitherto and however trustworthv Olga seemed to him, he did not like hearing it. He had not come to bring luck to anvone; he was at liberty to help of his own free wi)l, ¡f things turned out that wav, but nobody was to hail him as a bringer of luck; anvone who did that was confusing his paths, claiming him for matters for which he, being thus compelled, was never a t their disposal; with the greatest good will on bis p a rt he could not do that. Yet Olga repaired her blunder wben she continued: “ But whenever I think I could cast aside ah my worries, for you would find the explanation for every-
thing and the way out, you suddenly say something entirely, something painfully, wrong, such as for instance this: that Amalia knows more than anyone else, does not interfere, and is most to blame. No, K., we can never get near to Amalia, and least of all by means of reproaches! W hat helps you to judge evervthing else, your friendliness and your courage, makes it impossible for you to form a judgment about Amalia. Before we could daré to reproach her we should first of all bave to have an inkling of how she suíTers. Ju st lately she has been so restless, has been concealing so much—and at bottom I am su re concealing nothing but her own suffering—that I scarcelv daré to Ulk to her even about what is most necessary. When I carne in and saw you in quiet conversation with her, I was startled; in reality one cannot talk to her now, then again times come when she is quieter, or perhaps not quíeter but only more tired, but n o w it is once again at its worst. She doesn’t even seem to listen when one speaks to her, and if she does listen she doesn1t seem to understand what is said to her, and if she does understand it, she seems to despise it. But all this, after all, she does not do on purpose, and one must not be cross with her; the more aloof she is, the more gently one must treat her. She is as weak as she seems to be strong. Yesterdav, for instance, Barnabas said that you would be eoming today; knowing Amalia as he does he added as a preeaution that it was only a possibility that you would come, it was not yet definite. Nevertheless, Amalia was waiting for you all day, incapable of doing anything else, and only in the evening she could not keep on her feet any longer and had to lie down.” Again what K. heard in all this was, above all,
470
471
Pape $4$
T H E
C A S T LF .
the demands that this family was making on him. One could easily go completely wrong about this familv if one was not careful. He was only very sorry that he should be having such impossible ideas about Olga of all people, thus disturbing the intimacy th at Olga had been the first to evoke, which was very comforting to him» whieh was prim arily what kept him here and for the sake of which he would have liked best to p u t ofT his departure indefinitely. “ We shall find it diffieult to agree,” K. said, “ I see that already. As yet we have hardly touched on what really matters and even now there are contradictions here and there. If the two of us were alone, it would not be diffieult to agree, I should soon be of one mind with you, you are unselfish and intelligent; only we are not alone; indeed, we are not even the main persons, your family is there, about which we shall scarcely manage to agree, and about Amalia we shall certainly not.” 44You condemn Amalia entirelv?” Olga asked. “ W ithout knowing her, you con demn her?” “ I don’t condemn her,” K. said, “ñor am I blind to her merits, I even admit that I mav be doing her injustice, but it is very diffieult not to do her injustice, for she is haughtv and reserved, and domineering into the b arg ain ; if she were not also sad and obviously unhappy, one could not reconcile oneself to her at all.” “ Is th at all you have against her?” Olga asked, and now she herself had become sad. “ I suppose it’s enough,” K. said, and saw only now th at Amalia was back in the room again, but far away from them, at the parents* table. “There she i$,” K. said, and against his will there was in his tone the abhorrence of th at supper and all who were partakinsr of it. “ You are prejudiced against Amalia,” Olga said. “ I am,” m
Thé Pattagt* Deleted by th$ Author
K. said. “Why am I? Tell me, if you know. You are frank, I appreciate that very much, but you are frank only where you yourself are concerned, you believe you have to protect your brother and sister by keeping silence. T hat is wrong, I can’t support Barnabas if I don’t know everything that concerns him and, since Amalia is involved in everything to do with your family, everything that con cerns Amalia too. Su reí v you don’t want me to undertake something and, as a consequence of insufficiently detailed knowledge of the circumstances and for that reason only, to ruin everything and damage you and myself in a way that is beyond repair.” “ No, K.,” Olga said after a pause, “ I don’t want that and therefore it would be better if everything could be left as it was.” “ I don*t t h i n k K . said, “ that that is better, 1 don’t think that it is better for Barnabas to go on leading this shadowv existence as an alleged messenger and for you all to share this life with him, grown-up people feeding on babv-food, I don’t think that that is better than if Barnabas allied himsclf with me, let me think out the best ways and means here at my leisure, and then, trustfullv, no longer relying only on himself, under constant observation, carried out every thing himself, and to his own profit and to mine also penetrated farther into the office or perhaps did not make any headway, but learned to understand and turn to account everything in the room where he already is. I don’t think that that would be had and not worth a good dea! of sacrifice, Yet it is, of course, also possible that I am wrong and that precisely what you are keeping back is what puts you in the right. Then we shall remam good friends in spite of everything, I couldn’t manage here at all without VTS
T H E
C A S T L K
jo u r friendship, but then it is unnecessary for me to spend the whole evening here and keep Frieda waiting; only B am abas’s im portant affair, which cannot be post poned, eould have justified th at.” K. was about to get up, Olga held him baek. “Did Frieda tell you anvthing about us?” she askcd. “Nothing definite.” “ Ñor tbe landladv?” “ No, nothing.” “T h a t was what I expected,” Olga said, “ you won’t learn anvthing definite about us from anyone in the village; ou the other hand, everyone— whether he knows what it is all about or whether he knows nothing and only believes rumors going around or invented by himself— everyone will somehow try to show jn a general way that he despises us; obviously he would have to despise himself if he did not do so. T h at is how it is with Frieda and with everyone, but this contempt is only generallv and broadlv directed against us, against the famiiy, and the barh is aimed onlv at Amalia. Espeeially for this reason too I &m grateful to you, K., for despising neither us ñor Amalia, though you are under the general influence. Only you are prejudiced, at least against Barnabas and Amalia; the fact is nobodv can completely escape the influence of the world; but that vou are capable of it to such an extent is a great deal, and a large p art of my hope is based on this.” “ I am not interested in other people’s opinions,” K. said, “ and I am not eurious to know their reasons. Perhaps— it would be a bad thing, but it is possihle—perhaps that is a way in which I sball change when I m arry and settle down here, but for the present I am free; it will not be easy for me to keep this visit of mine to you concealed from Frieda or to justifv it to her, but I am still free, I can still, if something seems to me
m
The Paijagm D rltttd by the Avthor as im portant as Barnabas’s affair, occupy myself with it as exhaustively as I want to, without grave qualms. Now, however, you will understand whv í urge a very quick decisión: I am still with you, but only, as it were, till further notice, at any moment someone may come and get me, and then I don’t know when I sliall be able to come again,” “ But Barnabas isn’t here,” Olga said, “ what can be decided without him?” “I don’t need him for the time being,” K. said; “ for the time being I need other things. But before I go into that, I beg you, don’t let yourself be deceived if what I say sounds domineeríng, I am no more doniineering than I am inquisitivo, I don’t want either to subdue vou all or to rob vou of vour secrets, all I want is to treat you the way I should like to be treated myself.” “ How like a stranger you are speaking nowí” Olga said, “you were much nearer to us before, Your reservations are entirely unnecessary, I have never doubted vou and shall not do so, so don’t vou doubt me, either.” “If I speak difTerently from before,” K. said, “ that is because I want to be even nearer to *vou all than before, I want to be at home among you; either I shall attach myself to you in this way or not at all, either we shall make entirely common cause with regard to Barnabas or we shall avoid even every fieeting, objectively unnecessary contact that would compromise me and per haps all of you too. To this alliance, as I wish it to be, this alliance with the Castle in mind, there exists, admittedly, one grave obstacle: Amalia. And that is why I ask you first of all: can vou speak for Amalia, answer for her, vouch for her?” “I can partly speak for her, partív answer for her, but I cannot vouch for her.” “Won’t you 475
T H E
C A S T L E
cali her?” “ T h at would be the end. You would learn less from her than from me. She would reject any sort of alliancc and would not tolérate any condition, she would forbid even me to answer; with a skill and inexorability tliat you still have no idea that she possesses, she would forcé you to break off the discussions and go, and then, then, to be sure, when you were outside, she would perhaps collapse in a faint. T h at is what she’s like.” “ But without her everything is hopeless,” K. said, “without her we remain halfivay, in uncertaintv.” “ Perhaps,” Olga said, “you will nowr be able to estimate Barnabas's work better after all; we two, he and I, work alone; without Amalia it is as if we were building a house without foundations.”
Page 268
“ H ad he perhaps after all been officially punished on account of the aífair with the letter?” K. asked. “ Because he completely disappeared?” Olga asked. “On the contrary. This complete disappearance is a reward that the officials allegedlv do their utmost to g e t; after all, dealing with applicants is what is so tormenting for them.” “ But Sortini had scarcely had any of that sort of work even previously,” K. said; “or was that letter perhaps also p art of that dealing with applicants which so tormented him?” “ Please, K., don’t ask in that manner,” Olga said. “ Since Amalia has becn here, you have been different. W hat good can such questions do? W hether vou ask them seriously or jokingly, no one can answer them. They remind me of 476
Th« Pa*»ag$i Deleted by thé Anthor
Amalia at the begining of these years of misfortune. She hardly talked at all, but paid attentíon to everything that happened, she was much more attentive than she is now, and sometimes she would break her silence after all, and then it was with some such question, which perhaps would shame the questioner, at any rate the person questioned, and most certainly Sortini too.”
Page 269
“The Castle in itself is infinitely more powerful than you are; nevertheless there might still be some doubt whether it will win, but you don’t turn that to account; it is as though all your endeavors were aimed at establishing the victory of the Castle bevond any doubt, that is why suddenly in the midst of the fight you begin to be afraid with out any cause, thus increasing your own helplessness.”
Page 353
“ Sit down somewhere,” Erlanger said; he himself sat down at the desk and put some files, which, after a fleeting glance at the eovers, he first rearranged, into a small traveling-bag, similar to the one Bürgel had, but which turned out to be almost too small for the files. Erlanger had to take out the files that he had already put in and try to pack them again difTerentlv. “ You ought to have come long ago,” he said; he had been unfriendly even before, but now he was probably transferring his annoyance with 477
T H E
C A S T L E
Tht Pattagét D tU ttd by th« Anthor
the obstínate files to R. K,, startled out of hís weariness by the new surroundings and E rlanger’s brusque manner, which, allowing for the due difference in dignity, was a Jittle reminiscent of the schoolmaster—outwardly, too, there were little points of resemblance, and he himself was sitting here on the chair like a schoolboy all of whose schoolmates to right and to left were absent that day— answered as carefullv as possible, begínning by mentioning the fact th at Erlanger had been asleep, told him th at in order not to disturb him he had gone away, then, of course, passed over in silence what he had been doing in the meantime, resuming his account only with the incident of his confusing the doors, and concluded bv referring to his extraordinary fatigue, which he asked should be taken into consideraron. Erlanger at once discovered the weak point in this answer. “Queer,” he said, “ I sleep in order to be rested for my work, but during the same time you are roaming about I don’t know where, only to make ex cuses about being tired when the interrogaron is supposed to begin.” K. was about to answer, but E rlanger stopped him with a gesture. “ Your fatigue does not seem to diminish your garrulity,” he said. “ Ñor was the muttering going on for hours in the ncxt room exactlv the best way of showing consideration for my sleep, to which you allegedly attach so much importanee.” Once again K. was about to answer, and once again Erlanger prevented bim. “ Anvway, I sball not take up much of your time,” E rlanger said, “ I only want to ask a favor of you.” Suddenly, however, he remembered something, it now became evident th at he had all the time been vaguely thinking of something th at was distracting him and that the
Beverity with which he had spoken to K. had perhaps only been superficial and actually produced only by his ¡nattentiveness, and he p ressed the button of an electric bell on the desk. Through a side door—so Erlanger and his suite occupied several rooms—a servant instantly ap~ peared. He was obviously a beadle, one of those of whom Olga had told him, he himself had never seen such a person before. He was a fairly small but very broad man, his face was also broad and open, and in it the eyes, never wide open, seemed all the smaller. His suit was reminiscent of Klamm’s suit, though it was worn and fitted badly, this was particularly striking in the sleeves, which were too short, for the servant had fairly short arms to begin with, the suit had obviously been meant for a still smaller man, probably the servants wore the oficiáis’ castoff clothing. T hat might also contribute to the proverbial pride of all the servants; this one, too, secmed to think that bv answering the bell he had done aO the work th at could be expected of him, and gazed at K. with an expression as severe as if he had been sent for to order K. about. Erlanger, on the other hand, waited in silence for the serv ant to carry out some job or other, for which he had summoned him, as a customary one to be done without any further specific order. Since this did not happen, however, the servant onlv continuing to gaze at K. angriiv or reproachfully, Erlanger stamped irritably and almost drove K.—once again K. had to bear the consequences of annoyance for which he was not to blame— out of the room, telling him to wait outside for a moment, he would be let in again instantly. When he was then called back in a markedly more amiable tone, the servant had already gone,
478
479
T H E
C A S T L E
the only change that K. noticed in the room lay in the fact that now a wooden screen concealed the bed, washstand, and wardrobe. “One has a great deal of trouble with the servants,” Erlanger said, and, coming from his lips, this could be taken as an astonishingly confidential remark, if, of course, it was not merely soliloquy. “ And indeed plenty of trouble and worrv on all sides,” he continued, leaning back in his chair, holding his clenched fists far away from himself on the table. “ Klamm, my chief, has been a little uneasy during the last few days, at least it seems so to us who live in his proximitv and trv to work out and interpret ever? one of his utterances. I t seems so to us, that does not mean he is uneasy— how should uneasiness touch him?— but we are uneasy, we around him are uneasv# and can hardlv • conceal it from him anv • more in our work. This is, of course, a State of affairs that, if it is not to cause the greatest damage— to evervone, including vou— must, if possí ble, not be allowed to last a moment longer! We have been searching for the reasons and have discovered various things that might possibly be to blame for it. There are among them the most ridiculous things, which is not so very astonishing, for the extremely ridiculous and the extremely serious are not far removed from eacli other. Office life, in particular, is so exhausting that it can onlv» be done if all the smallest subsidiarv* circumstances are carefully watched and if possible no change is permitted in this respecta The circumstance, for instance, that an inkwell lias been shífted a hand’s-breadth from its usual place may endanger the most im portant work. To keep a watch over all this should really be the servants’ job, but unfortunately they are so little to be
The Pattaget Deleted by the Author
depended on that a large part of this work has to be done by us, not least by me, who am reputed to have a particularlv sharp eye for these things. Now, as it happens, this is a very delicate, intimate job that could be done in a twinkling by the insensitive hands of servants, but which causes me a great deal of trouble, is very remóte from the rest of my work and, by the shifting to and fro that it occ&sions, might very well completelv ruin nerves only a little weaker than mine are. You understand me?”
m
FRANZ KAFKA, thc son of a Cernían-Jewish-Rohcmian family, was born in Plague, Czechoslovakia, in 1883. He rcceivcd his doctórate in jurisprudence from the Germán university Karls-Ferdinand in Pingue in June, 1906, and from 1908 he supported himself by a scmi-governmental job with a workers' accident insurance institute—a job with good pay and short hours, which exempted him from military scrvice during the First World War. During his lifetime, he published only a few short stories. beginning with Obsemations in 1913. He worked on The Triol during the winter of 1916-17, and on The Castle in 1918, bul these novéis, togclher with Amerika and his short stories and letters, were not published until after his dcath. Kafka died of tuberculosis on June 3, 1924, and was buried in Prag-Straschnitz. The Triol and Selected Short Stories of Franz Kofkn are availablc in the Modern Library.
The Best of the World's Best Books C O M P L E T E L IS T OF T IT L E S
IN
T H E tVIODERN L I B R A R Y A series of Itandsome, cloth-bound books, formerly available only itt expensive editions. 76 310 311 10 1
A dams , H e n r y : T h e Education of Henry Adama A e s c i i y l u s : T h e Complete Greek Tragedies, vol . 1 A e s c h y l u s : T h e Complete Greek Tragedies, vol . 11 A i k e n , C onrad (editor): A Comprchensive Antholog)
of
American Poetry 12 7 145 104 259
248 228
246 160 263
264 256 299 193 245 116 22 362 184 231 285 71 282 379 64 toó 198 15
A i k e n , C onrad (editor): zoth-C entury American Poetry A l e i c h e m , S h o l o m : Selected Storics A nderson , S h e r w o o d : W inesburg, Ohio A q u in a s , S t . T h o m a s : Introducción lo St. Thomas Aquinas A ristotle : Introduction to Aristolle A h ISTOTLE : PolilíCS A r i s t o t l e : Rhetoric and Poetics A ciden , YV. H.: Selected Poetry A u c u s t i n e , S t . : Confessions A listen , J a n e : Pride and Prejudice and Seiise and Sensibilit)
241 289 136 13 195 24
B acon , F r a n c i s : Selected W ritings B a l z a c : Cousin Bette B a l z a c : Droll Slories B a l z a c : Pire Goriot and Eugénie Grandet B e e r b o h m , M ax : Zulcika Dobson B e l l a m y , E dw ard : Looking Backward B ellovv , S a ú l : T h e Adventnres of Augie Match B e n n e t t , A rn o ld : T h e Oíd W ives Tale B ercson , H e n r i : Creative Evoluiion B l a k e , VVi l l i a m : Selected Poetry and Prose B occa ccio : T h e Decameron B o s w e l l , J a m e s : T h e Life of Samuel Johnson B radford , W i l l i a m : O f Plymouth Plantation 1 6 2 0 - 16 4 7 B ro nte , C h a r l o t t e : Jane Eyre B ro nte , E m i l y : W uthering Heights B ro w nin c , R o b e r t : Selected Poetry B u c k , P e a RL: T he Good Earth fltaly B u rc k h a rd t , J a co b : T h e Civilization of the Renaissance in B u r k , J ohn N.: T h e Life and W orks of Beethoven B u r k e , E d m u n d : Selected W ritings B u t l e r , S a m u e l : Erewhon and Erewhon Revisited B u t l e r , S a m u e l : T h e W a y of A ll Flesh B yro n , L ord : Selected Poetry B yro n , L ord : Don Juan
295 51 249 352
C a e s a r , J u l i u s : T h e Gallic W ar and Other W ritings C a l d w e l l , E r s k i n e : God's Little Acre C a l d w e l l , E r s k in e : Tobacco Road C a m u s , A lber T: T h e Fall & Exile and the Kingdom
32
349 339 35 3 79 165 150 174 377
C a m u s , A l b e r t : T h e Plague C a m u s , A l b e r t : Notebooks « 9 3 5 - 19 4 2 C a m u s , A l b e r t : Resistance, Rebellion and Deaih C a p o t e , T r u m a n : Selcctcd W ritings C a r r o l l . L e w i s : Alice in W onderland, etc. C asanova , J a c q u e s : Memoirs of Casanova C e l l i n i , B e n v e n u t o : Autobiography 0/ Cellini C e r v a n t e s : D oh Q uixote C h a n d l e r , R a y m o n d : Farewell, M y Lovely and T h e Lady
16 1 17 1 50 272 279 251 235
C h a u c e r : T h e Canterbury Tales C h ekh o v , A n t ó n : Best Plays C h ek h o v , A n t ó n : Short Si oríes C i c e r o : Basic W orks C o l e r i d g e : Selecied Poetry and Prose C o l e t t e : Six Ndvels C o m m a g e r , H enry S t e e l e & N e v in s , A l l a n : A Short His-
306 186 275 34 105 194 130 370
C o n f u c i u s . T h e W isdont of Confucius C onrad , J o s e p h : Lord finí C onrad , J o s e p h : I^ostromo C onrad , J o s e p h : V id o ry C o o pe r , J a m e s F e n j m o r e : T h e Pathfinder C o r n e i l l e & R a c i n e : Six Plays by C om edle and Racine C r a n e . S t e p h e n : T h e Red Badge of Couragc C u m m i n c , R o b e r t D. (editor): T h e Philosophy of Jean-Paul
214
C u m m i n c s , E. E.: T h e Enormous Room
236 208 12 2 92
D a n a , R ichard H e n r y : T w o Years Before the Mast D a n t e : T h e Divine Comedy D e f o e , D a n i e l : M olí Flanders D e f o e , D a n i e l : Robittson Crusoe and A Journal of the
43 17 3 348 110 204 308 189 25 23 54 12 205 293 151 199 55 5 206
D e s c a r t e s , R e n e : Philosophical W ritings D e w e y , J o h n : H um an iVflfiire and C onduct D e w e y , J o h n : John Dewey on Education D ic k e n s , C h a r l e s David Copperfield D i c k e n s , C h a r l e s : Pickw ick Papers D i c k e n s , C h a r l e s : Onr M utual Friend D ic k e n s , C h a r l e s : A T ale of T w o Cities D ic k in s o n , E m i l y : Selecied Poetns D i n e s e n , I sak : O ut of Africa D i n e s e n , I s a k : Seveit Gothic Tales D o n n e , J o h n : C omplete Poetry and Selected Prose Dos P assos , J o h n : Three Soldiers D o s t o y e v s k y , F yodor : Best Short Stories D o s t o y e v s k y , F yodor : T h e Brothers Karamazov D o s t o y e v s k y , F yodor : Crime and Punishm ent D o s t o y e v s k y , F yodor : T h e Possessed D o u c l a s , N o r m a n : South W in d D o y l e . S ir A r t h u r C o n a n : T h e A dventure and Memoirs
iog
in the Lake
tory of the U nited States
Sartre
Plague Year
of Sherlock Holmes 8 69
D r e i s e r , T h e o d o r e : Sister Carrie D u m a s , A l e x a n d r e : Camille
143 227
D u m a s , A l e x a n d r e : T h e Three Musketeers Du M a u r i e r , D a p h n e : Rebecca
338 192 91 331 314 315 316
E l l is o n , R a l p h : Invisible Man E m e r so n , R a l p h VValdo : T h e Journals E m e r s o n . R a l p ii W aldo : Essays and Other W ritings E r a s m u s , D e s i d e r i u s : T h e Praise of Folly E u r í p i d e s : T h e Complete Greek Tragedies, vol . v E u r í p i d e s : T he Complete Greek Tragedies, vol . vi E u r í p i d e s : T h e Complete Greek Tragedies, v ol . vii
271 368 378 175 351 88 61 187 324 117 185 28 102 210 298 39 96
F a u l k n e r , W i l l i a m : Absalom, Absalom! F a u l k n e r , W i l l i a m : A Fable F a u l k n e r , W i l l i a m : As l Lay Djiitg F a u l k n e r , W i l l i a m : Go Down, Aloses F a u l k n e r , W i l l i a m : Intruder in the Diisl F a u l k n e r , W i l l i a m : Light in August F a u l k n e r , W i l l i a m : S«»icfnar>' F a u l k n e r , W i l l i a m : T h e Sound and the Fury F a u l k n e r , W i l l i a m : Selected Short Stories F i e l d in c , H e n r y : Joseph Andrews F i e l d in c . H e n r y : Toih Jones F l a u b e r t , G usta v e : Madame Bovary F o r e s t f r , C. S.: T he African Queen F r a n g e , A n a t o i e : Penguin Island F iiank , A n n e : Diary of a Young Girl F r a n k l in , B e n j a m í n : Autobiography, etc. F r e u d , S i c m u n d : T he ¡nterpretation of Dreams
358 36 327 17 7 40 291 20 286
G e n e t , J e a n : O nr Lady of the Flowers G e o r c e , H e n r y : Progrcss and Poverfj G ide , A ndr Ú: T h e Countcrfeiters G o e t h e : Fansl C ocol , N ic h o l a i : Dead Souls [W ritings G o l d s m it h . O l iv er : T h e Vicar of W akefield and OtJier G r a v e s , R o b e r t : I, Claudias G u n t i i e r , J o h n : Deaih Be Not Prottd
265 163 320 135 17 121 72 233 329 250 93 239 375 223 26 255 328 334
H a c k e t t , F r a n c i s : T h e Personal History of H enry the Eighth H accard , H. R i d e r : She and Ring Solomon's M ines H a m i l t o n , E d it h : T h e Greek IVny H ardy , T i i o m a s : Jude the O bscm e H ardy , T i i o m a s : T h e Mayor of Castcrbridgc H a r d y , T h o m a s : T h e R eíu m of the N ative H ardy , T h o m a s : Tess of the D Urbervilles H art & K a u f m a n : Six Plays H a r t . M o s s : Aci One H a r t e , B r e t : Best Stories H aw t h o r n e , N a t h a n i e l : T h e Scarlet Letter H e c e l . T h e Philosophy of Hegel H e l l e r , J o s e p h : C atch-zz H e l l m a n , L i l l í a n : Six Plays H e n r y , O.: Best Short Stories H erodotus : T h e Persian Wars H e r s e y , J o h n : Hiroshima H e s s e . H e r m á n : Steppenw olf
166 16 7 14 j 302 366 277 89 35 340 209 48
305 307 240 16 107 169 269 244 1 14
yo 234 355 363 124 300
H o m e r ¡ T h e ¡liad H o m e r : T h e Odyssey H o r a c e : Complete W orks H oward , J ohn T a s k e r : W o rld ’s Great Operas H o w e , I r vin c (editor): Selected Short S lories of Isaac Bashevis Singer H o w e l l s , W i l l i a m D e a n : T h e Rise of Silas Lapham H udson , W . H ,: Greeti Mansions H u c o , V í c t o r : T h e H unchback of N oire Dame H u m e , D avid: Philosophy H u x l e y , A ld o u s : A ntic Hay H u x l e y , A l d o u s : Brave N e w W orld I b s e n , H e n r i k : Six P/ays I d s en , H e n r lx : T h e W ild D uck and Oiher Plays I r v in c , W a s h in g t o n ; Selected W ritings
J a m e s , H e n r y : T h e Bostonians J a m e s , H e n r y : T h e Portrail of a Lady J a m e s , H e n r y : T h e T u t u of t h e Screw J a m e s , H e n r y : W ashington Square J a m e s , H e n r y : T h e Wings of the Dove J a m e s , W i l l i a m : T h e Philosophy of W illintn James J a m e s , W i l l i a m : T h e V arietiesof ReTrgious Experience J e f f e r SON, T i i Om a s : T h e Life and Selected W ritings J ohnso n , S a m u e l : Jahnson's Dictionary: A Modera Selection J ohnso n , S a m u e l : A Johnson Reader J o y c e , J a m e s : Dubliners
J ung , C. G.: Baste W ritings
318
K afx a , F r a n z : T h e T r ia l
283 297
K afka , F ranz : Selected Stories K an T: Critique of Puré Reason K a n t : T h e Philosophy of Kant K a u fm a n & H art : Six Plays K eat S: C om plete Poetry and Selected Prose K i e r k e c a a r d , S 0 r e n : A Kierkegaard Am hology K i p l i n g , R udyard : Kim K o e s t l e r , A r t h u r ; Darkness at N oon
266 233 273 303 99 74 262
148 128 333 68 252 221 325 56 77 95 65 321 317
L a o t s e : T h e Wisdowi of Laotse L a w r e n c e , D. H.: Lady Chatterley’s Lover L a w r e n c e , D. H.: T h e Rainbow L a w r e n c e , D. H.: Sons and Lovers L a w r e n c e , D. H.: W ow en iu Love L e w i s , S i n c l a i r : Dodsworth L e w i s , S i n c l a i r : Cass Tim berlane
L ivy : A History of Rome L o n c e e l l o w , H e n r y W .; Poems L o u y s , P i e r r e : Aphrodite L u d w ic , E m i l : Napoleón M a chiavelli : T h e Prince and T h e Discourses M ail er , N o r m a n : T h e N akcd and the üead M alamud , Bernard ; T wú Novéis
176 98 46 1 19 253 134 138 296 322 13 2 78 218
M a l r a u x , A n d r é : M an’s Late M a l t i i u s , T ii Om a s K oheiu : O jí Populalion M a n n , T h o m a s : Coufessions of Félix Krull M a n n , T h o m a s : Doctor Faustas iM arquanc , J ohn P.: J he Late Georgc Apley M a r x , K a r l : Capital and Other IPniings M a u c iia m , W- S o m e r s l T: Best Short Stories M a u g íia m , W . S o m e r s e t : Ctífícs and Ale M aUg Ii a M, W. S u m e r s ET: The Moon and Sixpence M a u c iia m , W\ S o m e r s e T: U/ Human Bondage M a u p a s s a n t , G uv d e : Best Short Stories M aurois , A ndré : Disrac/í M e jl v il l e , H e r m á n : Mohy Dick M e r e d i t u , G eorc E: I he Egoist M e r e d i t ii , G e o r c e : The ürdeal of Richard Feverel M e r e jk o w s k i , D a i i t r i : I he Romance oí Leonanio da Vinel M i c i i e n e r , J a m e s A.: Selected Wrtiings M i l l , J ohn S t u a r t ; Se/eciions M ilt q n , J o iin : Complete Poetry and Selected Prose M o l i e r e ; Lighi Plays M o n t a ig n e : Selected Lssays
343 235
N ash , ü c d e n : Verses Fram 1929 ü n N l v i n s , A llan & C u m m a c l r , H e n r y S t e e l e : A Sltorf His -
1 13 9 81
N e w m a n , C ardinal J ohn II.: Apología Pro Vita Sua N i e t z s c h e , fniEDRicii: I hus Spake Zaratkustra iN osxra Da MUS: Orneles
67 42 21 1 323 342 146
O dets , C l ii
iti
O 'N e i l l , E u c e n e : Lite Long Voyage Home: Seveii Plays of
232 123 237 267 164
P alor a ve, F rangís c^oclitor J : The Golden Treasury P a r k e r , D o r u i h y : Col icaed Short Stories P a r k e r . D o h o ih y : Collectcd Paeln P a r k m a n , I r a n c i s : T/icOregou Trail P a s c a l , B l u s e : Pernees and The Provincial Lctters P a t e r , W a l t e r : Lite Renaissance P e p y s , S a m u e l : Passages | rom the üiary P e r e l m a n , S. J.: The Best 0/ S. }. Perelman P l a t o : The Republic P l a t o ; The Works of Plato P o e , E dgar A l l a n : Selected Poetry and Prose P ulo , M arco : The Tracéis of AJarco Polo P o p e , A l e x a n d e r : Se/ccted Wor/cs P o r i e h , K a t iie r in e A n n e : Floweriug Judas P uhteh , K atherlne A n n e : Palé Horse, Palé Rider P o w er s , J. F.: ilíorfe d'Urban PfíOiiST, M a r c e e : 7 /ic Caplive
33 309 36a 365 182
202 14
2ja 2j
tory of the United States
eord ;- Si.v Plays O 'H ara , J o iin : Appointment in Somarra O 'H ara , J o h n : Selected Short Stories O H ara , J o h n : Btttterfteld 8 O 'N e i l l , L u c e n t ; A h , Wilderness! and Tw c Ol/icr Plays O 'N e i l l , E u c e n e : J he Emperor Jones, Amia Chrislic and
1 he
86
103 247 153 18 1 82 196 257 284 45 371 120
Huiry Ape
¡the Sea
220 213 278 59 260 17 2 372
P r o u s t , M a r c e l : Cities of the Plafrt P r o u s t , M a r c e l : T h e C ucrmantes W ay P r o u s t , M a r c e l : T h e Past Recapiured P r o u s t , M a r c e l : Suw iti's W ay P r o u st , M a r c e l : T h e Sw eet Cheat Gone P r o u s t , ¡VIa r c e l ; W ith in a Pudding Grove P ynchon, T h o m a s: V .
194 62 215 140 336 10
H
200 154
374 243 53 137
280 301 90 292 335 370 52 281 2,3 4,5 6 7 19
294 112 319 274 366 15 9
acine
&C
o rneille
:
S xx Plays hy C om edle and Hacine
R ea De , C h a r l e s : T h e Cloister and ihe Hearth e e d , J o h n : T en Uays T h a t Shook ihe W orld R e n á n , E r n e s t : T h e Lile of Jesús R
T h e Lasi of ihe W in e j c u a r d s o n , S a m u e l : C ¡arissa R odgers & H a MMERSTEIN: Six Plays R o sta n d , E d m o n d : Cyraito de Bergerac RoTiir'PniLiP: Goodbye, C ohtm bus R o u s s e a u , J éan J a c q u e s : l he Lonfessions R u n y o n , D a m o n : Famous Stories R u s s e l l , B e r t r a n d : Seiected Papen of Betrand liussell R R
en a u lt
, M
ary
:
S ari : SLori Síories S a l j n g e r , J, D,: N itic Stories S a l i n c e r , J. D,: T h e Caicher ín ihe Ilye S a n t a y a n a , G e o r g e : T h e Scnse of Beauty S a r t r e , J e a n -Pa u l : T h e Age of Reaso 11 S a r t r e , J e a n -p a u l : T h e Philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre S c i i o p c n h a u e h : T h e Philosophy of Schopenhauer S c u u l b e r c , B udd : W h a t Alnkcs Síliuiuy R ihj ? S h a k e s p e a r e , W i l l i a m : Tragedies— complete, 2 vols. S h a k e s p e a r e , W i l l i a m : Comedies—complete. 2 vote. S h a k e s p e a r e , W i l l i a m ; Histories ( ■ v S h a k e s p e a r e , W il l ia m : Histories, Poetas J Cü,n!■ ■ **- - ' 31 S ha W, B e r n a r d : Fonr PÍ íij s fand ihe Lion
S h aw , B ernard : Saint Joan, Majar Barbara, and Atidrocles SliAvv, I r v v i n : T Í ic Young Lions S ha W, lnwiN : Seiected Short Stories S h e l l e y : Seiected Poetry and Prose S i n c e r , I saac B a s i i e v i s : Seiected Short Stories S m o l l e t t , T o b ía s : H u m p h ry C linker
312
SoPirocLES I: C omplete Greek Tragadles,
313 373
S o pho cles II: Complete Greek Tragedies, vol . iv S p a r k , M u r i e l : M em ento Mori and T h e Bailad of Peckham
vol . iii
60 332 115 29 216 15 7 147 254 31
S p in o z a : T h e Philosophy of Spiuoza S t e i n , G e h t r u d e : Seiected W ritings S t e i n b e c k , J o h n : I ii Dubious Battle S t e i n b e c k , J o h n : O f M ice and M en S t e i n b e c k , J o h n : Tortilla Fiat S t e n d h a l : T h e Red and ihe Black S t e r n e . L a u r e n c e : Tristram Shandy
11 261
S t o n e , I rving : Lust for Life
R ye
S tew a rt , G eorce R ,: Storni S t o k e r , B r a m : Dracula S t o w e , H a r r i e t B e e c i i e r : U nele Tom 's Cabin
212 369 351 188 100
49
S t r a c h e y , L y t t o n : Ewinent Vktorians S t r in d b e r g : The Plays of Strindherg , v o l . 1, Translated by Michael Meyei S t y r o n , W i l l i a m : Lie Down in Darkness S u e t o n i u s : Livcs of the Twelve Caesars SwiFT, JoNATHAN: Gidlivers T reveis and Gther Writings S ym o nd s , J ohn A.: The Life of Michelangelo
162
T a c i t u s : Complete Works T e n n y s o n : Seiected Poetry T h a c k e r a y , W i l l i a m : Henry Esm&nd T h a c k e r a y , W i l l i a m : Vanity Fnir T h o m p so n , F r a n c i s : Complete Poems T ho reau , H enry D a v id : WaJdcn and Other Writings T i i u c y d i d e s : Complete Writings T h u r b e r . J a m e s ; The Thurber Carnival T o lst oy . L e o : Amin Karenina tr, revised T o lst oy , L e o : Selecfed Esjays T o lst o y . L e o : SIjoií Novéis T o l s t o y , L e o : Short Novéis , vol . 11 T o lst o y , L e o : Short Stories T o lst o y , L e o : Slaorí Siorics, v o l . h T ro l l o pe , A n t h o n y : Rnrchcster Towers and ¡ he Warden T u r c e n e v , I v a n : Fathers and Sons T w a in , M a r k : A Connecticut Yankee in Kiug Arthnr's Comí
357
U p d ik e , J o h n : The Poorhouse Fair and Habbit, Ruu
igo
V a s a r i , G ion cio: Lives of the Aíost Eminent Painters, Scnlp-
63 156 75 47
V e d l e n , T h o r s t e in : The Theory of the Leisurtí CI íiss V i n c i , L eonardo D a : T h e Notebooks V i r c i l : The Aencid , Eclagues and Georgics V o lt a ] RE: Candido and Other W rilings
178 170 21 y 225 197 290 299 97 125 83 84 126
W a l p o l e , M u c i i : Fortitude W a r k e n , R obert P e n n : AH The Kiug's Alen W e b b , M a r y : Prcclous B íiiic W e i d m a n , J e r o m e : l Cau Get It for You Wholesale W e l l s , H. G-: Tono Buttgay W e l t y , E udora : Selccled Slories W hartó n . E d i t u : The Age of Innocence W h i t m a n , W a l t : Leaves of Crnss W i l d e , O s c a r : The Picture of Dorian Cray W i l d e , O s c a r : The Plays of Oscar W ilde W i l d e , O sc a ii : Poems and Fairy Tales W o b f h o u s e , P. J.: Sclec/cd Stories W o rd sw o rtii : Seiected Poetry
222 230
8a 13 1 38 155 58 85 37 347 354 367 346 361 41
21
tors and Architects
268 179
Y e ATS, VV. B. (ediior): Irish Fairy and Folk Tales Y oung , G. F.: The M edid
207 142
Z i matean . A l p r e d : The Greek Connnonwealth Z o l a , E m i l e ; Nana
44
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
288 330 326 201 87 18 129
A n Anthology of Irish Literatura Anthology of Medieval Lyrics T h e Apocrypha T h e Arabian N ights' Entertainments Best American H umorous Short Stories Best Bussian Short Stories Best Spanish Stories C omplete Greek Tragedies 31 0 vol . 1 (Aeschylus I); 3 1 1 vol . ii (Aeschylus II); 3 1 2 vol . 111 (Sophoclcs I); 3 1 3 vol . iv (Sophocles II); 31 4 vol . v ( E u lipides I); 31 5 vol . vi (Eurípides I I ) 359 Complete Poents and Selected Lctters of Michelangelo i a i A Comprehensiva Anthology of American Poetry 226 T he Consolation of Philosophy 94 Eight Fantous Elizabelhan Plays 345 Eight Spanish Plays of the Golden Age 224 Eighteenth-C entury Plays 73 Eamous Ghost Stories 139 T h e Federalist 30 Five Great Modern Irish Plays 144 Fourteen Great Detective Stories 108 Great Germán Short N ovéis and Stories 168 Great M odern Short Stones 238 Great Tales of the American W est 203 T h e Greek Poets 356 Helicmstic Philosophy 364 T h e Hitidu Tradition 217 T h e Lathi Poets 149 T h e M aking of M an: A n O utline of Anthropology 183 M aking of Socieiy 344 Medieval Philosophy 133 Medieval Romances 1 T h e M odern Library Dictionary 258 N ew Voices in the American Theatre 152 O utline of Abnormai Psychology 66 O utline of Psychoanalysis 376 fíe*iaissance Philosophy 287 Bestoration Plays 337 Pomatt Coiwedies 158 Sevew FamoNs Greek Plays 57 T h e Short Bible 276 Six Modern American Plays 38 Six American Plays for Today 1 1 8 Stories of M odern Italy 127 Twewlieth-CeMfiiry America*! Poetry —revised 341 Twewty G ennan Poets
(continuéd Irom tront flap) released for publication additional ma terial and unfinished sections of the book. This edition of The Castle — hall again as long over all as the first Ameri can edition — is based on the greatly expanded text of the definitive Germán edition. It contains an Appendix that ¡ncludes fragments, variant readings, and material originally deleted by the author. Willa and Edwin Muir translated the earlier versión of The Castle. The new materials have been translated by Eithne Wilkins and Ernst Kaiser.
FRANZ KAFKA, the son of a GermanJewish-Bohemian family, was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1883. He received his doctórate in jurisprudence from the Germán university Karls-Ferdinand in Prague in June, 1906, and from 1908 he supported himself by a semi-governmental job with a workers’ accident insurance institute — a job with good pay and short hours, which exempted him from military service during the First World War. During his lifetime, he published only a few short stories, beginning with Observations in 1913 (Selected Short Stories ot Franz Kafka is available in the Modern Library). He worked on The Trial (also available in the Modern Library) during the winter of 1916-17, and on The Cas tle in 1918, but these novéis, together with Amerika and his short stories and letters, were not published until after his death. Kafka died of tuberculosis on June 3, 1924, and was buried in PragStraschnitz.
mi
FOR THE MODERN READER The Best of the World’s Best Books ¡n:
Classics of Literature T H E C O M P L E T E N O V E I S O F J A N E ALISTEN— G 58 D O N Q U I X O T E — Miguel de C ervantes— G I 5 TH E BROTHERS KARAM AZOV— F y o d o r Dostoyevsky— 15 1 LES M IS E R A B L E S — V íctor H ugo— G J W A R A N D PF.ACE— Leo T olstoy— G l A N N A K A R E N I N A— Leo T olstoy— G 23 L O R D J I M — Joseph C o n r a d — 186 T H E R E D B A D G E O F C O O R A G E — Stophcn C ra n c — 130 D A V ID C O P P E R F I E L D — Charles Dickcns— I 10 T O M J O N E S — H cnry Ficlding — 185 M ADAM E BOVARY— G ustave F lau h ert— Fruncís Steegmuller (Tr )— 28 F A LIST— G o e th e — 177 D E A D SOLJLS— Nikolai G o g o l— Bcrnard G uilbert G u crney (T r .)— 40 D IA R Y O F A Y O C N G G IR I — Anne F ra n k — 298 O C T O F A F R I C A — Isak Dinesen — 23 T H E C O L L E C T E D T A L E S & P I.A Y S O F N IK O L A I G O G O L — Lconard J Kent (Ed.)— Ü 73 S E L E C T E D S H O R T S T O R IE S — F ranz K a fk a — 283 T H E CASTLFy— F ran z K afka — 388 T H E T R I A L — F ran z K afka — 318 M O B Y D IC K — H erm án Mclville— I 19 C N C L E TOM*S C A B 1N — Harríet Beecher Stowe — 261 G C L L I V E R S TR A V F.LS & O T I I E R W R IT I N G S Jo n ath an Swift — 100 F A T H E R S A N D S O N S — Ivan T urgenev — 21 T H E PIC T L IR E O F D O R IA N G R A Y — Oscar W ildc— I 25 B U L F I N C H ’S M Y T H O L O G Y — G 14 A N A N T H O L O G Y O F F A M O O S A M E R IC A N S T O R IE S — G 77
394-60388-5
View more...
Comments