KAFKA, FRANZ

born July 3, 1883, Prague, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary [now in Czech Republic] died June 3, 1924, Kierling, near Vienna, Austria Czech-born German-language writer of visionary fiction, whose posthumously published novelsespecially Der Prozess (1925; The Trial) and Das Schloss (1926; The Castle)express the anxieties and alienation of 20th-century man. Additional reading Useful bibliographies include Harry Jarv, Die Kafka-Literatur (1961), most comprehensive; and Angel Flores, A Kafka Bibliography 19081976 (1976). Editions The most comprehensive edition of Kafka's works (though neither critical nor complete) is the Gesammelte Werke, ed. by Max Brod, 8 vol. (195270), which includes two volumes of letters. Biography. The most important biographies are the intimate, congenial, basic (if biased) account of Max Brod, Franz Kafka (1937); and the more factual and detailed study of Kafka's youth by Klaus Wagenbach, Franz Kafka: Eine Biographie seiner Jugend, 18831912 (1958). Ernst Pawel, The Nightmare of Reason: A Life of Franz Kafka (1984), is a later biography that corrects many misinterpretations of previous biographies. Letters English translations of his letters include: E. Heller and J. Born (eds.), Briefe an Felice (1967; Letters to Felice, 1973); and Hartmut Binder and Klaus Wagenbach (eds.), Briefe an Ottla und die Familie (1974; Letters to Ottla and the Family, 1982). Critical studies. Heinz Politzer, Franz Kafka, Parable and Paradox (1962), aesthetic and psychological analyses of texts; Wilhelm Emrich, Franz Kafka (1958; Eng. trans. 1968), philosophical; Walter H. Sokel, Franz Kafka. Tragik und Ironie (1964), a psychoanalytical reading; Ronald D. Gray (ed.), Kafka: A Collection of Critical Essays (1962); Angel Flores, The Kafka Debate: New Perspective for Our Time (1977), new and reprinted essays, and including the bibliography noted above; Gunther Anders, Kafka (1951; Eng. trans. 1960); and J.P. Stern (ed.), The World of Franz Kafka (1980). Major Works: Novels (all published posthumously). Der Prozess (1925; The Trial); Das Schloss (1926; The Castle); Amerika (1927)all translated by Willa and Edwin Muir. Stories Betrachtung (1913; Meditation in In the Penal Settlement: Tales and Short Prose Works); Das Urteil (1916; The Sentence, also trans. as The Judgment); Die Verwandlung (1915; Metamorphosis in Metamorphosis and Other Stories); In der Strafkolonie (1919; In the Penal Colony in Metamorphosis and Other Stories); Ein Landarzt (1919; A Country Doctor); Beim Bau der chinesischen Mauer (published posthumously, 1931; The Great Wall of China in Description of a Struggle and The Great Wall of China).