Reiner Stach is an author and biographer of Franz Kafka, focusing on in-depth analysis of his work and life. His work is characterized by meticulous research and an effort to understand Kafka's inner world and literary legacy. Stach's approach illuminates the complexity of Kafka's texts and their lasting influence on modern literature. Readers appreciate his ability to present Kafka's work in a fresh and engaging manner.
These are also the years of Kafka's fascination with early forms of Zionism and the Yiddish theater despite his longing to be assimilated into the minority German culture in Prague; of his off-again, on-again engagement to Felice Bauer; of his long friendship with Max Brod; and of the outbreak of World War I, a war whose horrors Kafka's own writings sometimes seemed to prefigure."--BOOK JACKET.
This volume "tells the story of the final years of the writer's life, from 1916 to 1924 - a period during which the world Kafka had known came to an end"--Dust cover.
The final volume of Reiner Stach's definitive biography of Franz Kafka delves into the complex personal, political, and cultural circumstances that shaped Kafka from his birth in Prague in 1883 to the onset of his literary career in 1910. This narrative explores the formative years leading up to his breakthrough with masterpieces like "The Metamorphosis." Rich in vivid details, it provides an intimate look at Kafka's German Jewish merchant family, his education, psychological growth, and sexual maturation, drawing from a wealth of sources, including unpublished family letters and early diaries of his friend Max Brod. Stach paints a colorful panorama of Kafka's world, highlighting the tumultuous politics and culture of pre-World War I Prague, where Kafka navigated a society on the brink of modernity yet rife with conflict. The biography captures the adolescent Kafka's experiences with anti-Semitism and nationalism, as well as his burgeoning interests in new technologies like film and aviation. It also examines his inclination towards the back-to-nature movement, rooted in the anxieties of his environment rather than mere eccentricity. This volume stands as a masterful account of how a boy from an old Central European monarchy evolved into a pivotal figure in modern literature.
Now in paperback, a wunderkammer of 99 delightfully odd facts about Kafka