tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383938214852108244.post976477279446765502..comments2024-03-27T16:48:21.039-05:00Comments on Wuthering <br>Expectations: Kafka's creativity - everything written down bit by bit is inferiorAmateur Reader (Tom)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13675275555757408496noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383938214852108244.post-80043504887605139162018-11-17T23:55:50.451-06:002018-11-17T23:55:50.451-06:00Ah, the stories. In English, that Collected Stori...Ah, the stories. In English, that <i>Collected Stories</i> book is worth a lot of time. Full of treasures. I suppose in German Kafka is now published every which way.<br /><br />Lining up the diaries with the stories is a worthwhile exercise, too.Amateur Reader (Tom)https://www.blogger.com/profile/13675275555757408496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383938214852108244.post-54271835684965642222018-11-17T22:35:16.119-06:002018-11-17T22:35:16.119-06:00I haven't read any Kafka for a while now - it&...I haven't read any Kafka for a while now - it's probably worth revisiting his work, especially as I rather glossed over his stories. As for blogging events, I certainly build my year around them (Shadow International Booker, WIT Month, German Literature Month). I would love to have kept up my January in Japan, but I'm just too busy at that time of year (although I always try to read some Japanese books at that time). Happy for anyone else to pick it up, though ;)Tonyhttps://tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383938214852108244.post-68064308624445786742018-11-16T13:13:28.981-06:002018-11-16T13:13:28.981-06:00What tipped me off to the link to writing was read...What tipped me off to the link to writing was reading about how writing, for Kafka, was sometimes a transcendent experience. Mystical, maybe. Intense beyond his normal life, at least. Then the search for the entry into The Castle, where Truth is found, maybe, began to look suspicious. And then lots of stories began to look suspicious.<br /><br />The later stories are terrific. Confident, clear, in their Kafkaish way. Kafka even liked them, which was rare, publishing some of them. Kafka was about to die, and knew it. Maybe that made a difference.<br /><br />Some aspects of Kafka are intimidating. He can be gnomic. He can be frustrating, with some of his circular stories, the logic-chopping.<br /><br />On the other hand, do try "Metamorphosis." It is warm, Gregor is a full, round character. It is short, which does not hurt. As I argued a couple of posts ago, there is no need to "interpret" the story if you do not want to. It is quite wonderful taken literally, as a fantastic event that for some reason happens to a real person.Amateur Reader (Tom)https://www.blogger.com/profile/13675275555757408496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383938214852108244.post-35138114097568832002018-11-16T12:23:11.080-06:002018-11-16T12:23:11.080-06:00Hi Tom, I like this interpretation of Kafka's ...Hi Tom, I like this interpretation of Kafka's work. I hadn't thought about the link between the agonies of The Trial and The Castle and the writer's own creative agonies. Those later works sound interesting too!Andrew Blackmanhttps://andrewblackman.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383938214852108244.post-26078675287675598022018-11-16T08:16:03.050-06:002018-11-16T08:16:03.050-06:00Plus, I have gained so much by reading the books i...Plus, I have gained so much by reading the books in translation themselves, not to mention the posts published for the event. Would I have come to Buddenbrooks without German Lit Month? Would I pick up Kafka on my own without it? Possibly not.Bellezza https://www.blogger.com/profile/18073864187188953633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383938214852108244.post-22742893701299791042018-11-16T08:15:00.345-06:002018-11-16T08:15:00.345-06:00Not to kidnap Tom’s post, just to mention there is...Not to kidnap Tom’s post, just to mention there is talk of the Japanese Literature Challenge again in January. Gnoe, on Instagram, wishes it to be brought back, and I would love to do so (especially after my recent trip there). Bellezza https://www.blogger.com/profile/18073864187188953633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383938214852108244.post-88533081016070079292018-11-16T08:13:51.479-06:002018-11-16T08:13:51.479-06:00I have never read Kafka, something to amend. I thi...I have never read Kafka, something to amend. I think he intimidates me.Bellezza https://www.blogger.com/profile/18073864187188953633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383938214852108244.post-87700886446848832592018-11-16T00:32:36.003-06:002018-11-16T00:32:36.003-06:00I like The establishment of traditions in The Inte...I like The establishment of traditions in The International Book Blog World. Helps create a sense of unity.,Mel uhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08714473754458914681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383938214852108244.post-10809079975644814942018-11-15T23:39:30.901-06:002018-11-15T23:39:30.901-06:00It is funny in a way because it is so arbitrary - ...It is funny in a way because it is so arbitrary - I hereby declare February to be French Literature Month - but people really value the coordination mechanism, if that is not too social-sciencish of a way to put it, and appreciate Lizzy and Caroline's enthusiasm.Amateur Reader (Tom)https://www.blogger.com/profile/13675275555757408496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3383938214852108244.post-9030992728101600322018-11-15T23:16:53.328-06:002018-11-15T23:16:53.328-06:00I think with the passing of The Japanese Literatur...I think with the passing of The Japanese Literature challenge,German Literature Month is the longest running such book blog event. As you observed certainly an accomplishment. Mel uhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08714473754458914681noreply@blogger.com