Life

Kafka was born on July 3, 1883, into a Jewish family living in the Josefov district, the former Jewish ghetto of Prague (Czech Republic, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire). His father, Herman (Genykh) Kafka (-), came from the Czech-speaking Jewish community in Southern Bohemia, and was a wholesale merchant of haberdashery goods. The surname "Kafka" is of Czech origin (kavka literally means "daw"). On Hermann Kafka's signature envelopes, which Franz often used for letters, this bird with a quivering tail is depicted as an emblem. The writer's mother, Julia Kafka (née Etl Levi) (-), the daughter of a wealthy brewer, preferred German. Kafka himself wrote in German, although he also knew Czech perfectly. He also had a good command of French, and among the four people whom the writer, “without pretending to compare with them in strength and intelligence,” felt as “his blood brothers,” was the French writer Gustave Flaubert. The other three are Franz Grillparzer, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Heinrich von Kleist. Being a Jew, Kafka nevertheless practically did not speak Yiddish and began to show interest in the traditional culture of Eastern European Jews only at the age of twenty under the influence of Jewish theater troupes touring in Prague; interest in learning Hebrew arose only towards the end of his life.

Kafka had two younger brothers and three younger sisters. Both brothers, before reaching the age of two, died before Kafka turned 6 years old. The sisters were named Ellie, Valli and Ottla (all three died during World War II in Nazi concentration camps in Poland). In the period from to Kafka attended primary school (Deutsche Knabenschule) and then gymnasium, from which he graduated in 1901 by passing the matriculation exam. After graduating from Charles University in Prague, he received a doctorate in law (Kafka’s work supervisor on his dissertation was Professor Alfred Weber), and then entered the service as an official in the insurance department, where he worked in modest positions until his premature retirement due to illness in the city. Work for the writer was a secondary and burdensome occupation: in his diaries and letters he admits to hatred of his boss, colleagues and clients. In the foreground there was always literature, “justifying his entire existence.” After a pulmonary hemorrhage, long-term tuberculosis ensued, from which the writer died on June 3, 1924 in a sanatorium near Vienna.

Franz Kafka Museum in Prague

Kafka in cinema

• "It's a Wonderful Life of Franz Kafka" ("Franz Kafka's 'It's a Wonderful Life'", UK, ) Blend "Transformations" Franz Kafka with "This Wonderful Life" Frank Capra. Academy Award" (). Director: Peter Capaldi Starring Kafka: Richard E. Grant
• "The Singer Josephine and the Mouse People"(Ukraine-Germany, ) Director: S. Masloboishchikov
• "Kafka" ("Kafka", USA, ) A semi-biographical film about Kafka, whose plot takes him through many of his own works. Director: Steven Soderbergh. As Kafka: Jeremy Irons
• "Lock " / Das Schloss(Austria, 1997) Director: Michael Haneke / Michael Haneke /, in the role of K. Ulrich Mühe
• "Lock"(Germany, ) Director: Rudolf Noelte, in the role of K. Maximilian Schell
• "Lock"(Georgia, 1990) Director: Dato Janelidze, as K. Karl-Heinz Becker
• "Lock "(Russia-Germany-France, ) Director: A. Balabanov, in the role of K. Nikolai Stotsky
• "The Transformation of Mr. Franz Kafka" Director: Carlos Atanes, 1993.
• "Process " ("The Trial", Germany-Italy-France, ) Director Orson Welles considered it his most successful film. As Josef K. - Anthony Perkins
• "Process " ("The Trial", Great Britain, ) Director: David Hugh Jones, in the role of Joseph K. - Kyle MacLachlan, in the role of the priest - Anthony Hopkins, in the role of the artist Tittoreli - Alfred Molina. Nobel laureate Harold Pinter worked on the script for the film.
• "Class Relations"(Germany, 1983) Directors: Jean-Marie Straub and Daniel Huillet. Based on the novel "America (Missing)"
• "America"(Czech Republic, 1994) Director: Vladimir Michalek
• "The Country Doctor by Franz Kafka" (カ田舎医者 (jap. Kafuka inaka isya ?) ("Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor"), Japan, , animated) Director: Yamamura Koji

The idea of ​​the story "Metamorphosis" has been used in films many times:

• "Metamorphosis"(Valeria Fokina, starring Evgeny Mironov)
• "The Transformation of Mr. Sams" ("The Metamorphosis of Mr. Samsa" Carolyn Leaf, 1977)

Bibliography

Kafka himself published four collections - "Contemplation", "Country Doctor", "Kara" And "Hunger", and "Fireman"- first chapter of the novel "America" ("Missing") and several other short essays. However, his main creations are novels "America" (1911-1916), "Process"(1914-1918) and "Lock"(1921-1922) - remained unfinished to varying degrees and saw the light of day after the author’s death and contrary to his last will: Kafka explicitly bequeathed the destruction of everything he had written to his friend Max Brod.

Novels and short prose

• "Description of one struggle"(“Beschreibung eines Kampfes”, -);
• "Wedding Preparations in the Village"(“Hochzeitsvorbereitungen auf dem Lande”, -);
• "Conversation with a Prayer"(“Gespräch mit dem Beter”);
• "Conversation with a Drunk Man"(“Gespräch mit dem Betrunkenen”);
• "Airplanes in Brescia"(“Die Aeroplane in Brescia”), feuilleton;
• "Women's Prayer Book"(“Ein Damenbrevier”);
• "First long journey by rail"(“Die erste lange Eisenbahnfahrt”);
• Co-authored with Max Brod: "Richard and Samuel: a short journey through Central Europe"(“Richard und Samuel – Eine kleine Reise durch mitteleuropäische Gegenden”);
• "Big Noise"(“Großer Lärm”);
• "Before the Law"(“Vor dem Gesetz,”), a parable later included in the novel “The Trial” (chapter 9, “In the Cathedral”);
• “Erinnerungen an die Kaldabahn” (, fragment from a diary);
• "School teacher" ("Giant Mole") (“Der Dorfschullehrer or Der Riesenmaulwurf”, -);
• "Blumfeld, the old bachelor"(“Blumfeld, ein älterer Junggeselle”);
• "Crypt Keeper"("Der Gruftwächter" -), the only play written by Kafka;
• "Hunter Gracchus"(“Der Jäger Gracchus”);
• "How the Chinese Wall was Built"(“Beim Bau der Chinesischen Mauer”);
• "Murder"(“Der Mord”), the story was subsequently revised and included in the collection “The Country Doctor” under the title “Fratricide”;
• "Riding on a Bucket"(“Der Kübelreiter”);
• "In our synagogue"(“In unserer Synagoge”);
• "Fireman"(“Der Heizer”), subsequently the first chapter of the novel “America” (“The Missing”);
• "In the attic"(“Auf dem Dachboden”);
• "One Dog's Research"(“Forschungen eines Hundes”);
• "Nora"(“Der Bau”, -);
• "He. Records of 1920"(“Er. Aufzeichnungen aus dem Jahre 1920”), fragments;
• “To the series “He””(“Zu der Reihe “Er””);

Collection “Punishment” (“Strafen”, )

• "Sentence"(“Das Urteil”, September 22-23);
• "Metamorphosis"(“Die Verwandlung”, November-December);
• "In the penal colony"("In der Strafkolonie", October).

Collection “Contemplation” (“Betrachtung”, )

• "Children on the Road"(“Kinder auf der Landstrasse”), detailed draft notes for the short story “Description of a Struggle”;
• "The Rogue Exposed"(“Entlarvung eines Bauernfängers”);
• "Sudden Walk"(“Der plötzliche Spaziergang,”), version of a diary entry dated January 5, 1912;
• "Solutions"(“Entschlüsse”), version of a diary entry dated February 5, 1912;
• "Walk to the Mountains"(“Der Ausflug ins Gebirge”);
• "Sorrow of a Bachelor"(“Das Unglück des Junggesellen”);
• "Merchant"(“Der Kaufmann”);
• "Looking Absently Out the Window"(“Zerstreutes Hinausschaun”);
• "Way home"(“Der Nachhauseweg”);
• "Running By"(“Die Vorüberlaufenden”);
• "Passenger"(“Der Fahrgast”);
• "Dresses"(“Kleider”), sketch for the short story “Description of a Struggle”;
• "Refusal"(“Die Abweisung”);
• "For riders to think about"(“Zum Nachdenken für Herrenreiter”);
• "Window to the Street"(“Das Gassenfenster”);
• "The desire to become an Indian"(“Wunsch, Indianer zu werden”);
• "Trees"(“Die Bäume”); sketch for the short story “Description of a Struggle”;
• "Yearning"(“Unglücklichsein”,).

Collection “The Country Doctor” (“Ein Landarzt”, )

• "New Lawyer"(“Der Neue Advokat”);
• "Country Doctor"(“Ein Landarzt”);
• "On the gallery"(“Auf der Galerie”);
• "Old Record"(“Ein altes Blatt”);
• "Jackals and Arabs"(“Schakale und Araber”);
• "Visit to the Mine"(“Ein Besuch im Bergwerk”);
• "Neighboring Village"(“Das nächste Dorf”);
• "Imperial Message"(“Eine kaiserliche Botschaft,”), the story later became part of the short story “How the Chinese Wall was Built”;
• "The care of the head of the family"(“Die Sorge des Hasvaters”);
• "Eleven Sons"(“Elf Söhne”);
• "Fratricide"(“Ein Brudermord”);
• "Dream"(“Ein Traum”), a parallel with the novel “The Trial”;
• "Report for the Academy"("Ein Bericht für eine Akademie",).

Collection “The Hunger Man” (“Ein Hungerkünstler”, )

• "First Woe"(“Ersters Leid”);
• "Small woman"(“Eine kleine Frau”);
• "Hunger"(“Ein Hungerkünstler”);
• "The Singer Josephine, or the Mouse People"(“Josephine, die Sängerin, oder Das Volk der Mäuse”, -);

Short prose

• "Bridge"(“Die Brücke”, -)
• "Knock on the Gate"(“Der Schlag ans Hoftor”);
• "Neighbour"(“Der Nachbar”);
• "Hybrid"(“Eine Kreuzung”);
• "Appeal"(“Der Aufruf”);
• "New lamps"(“Neue Lampen”);
• "Railway Passengers"(“Im Tunnel”);
• "An Ordinary Story"(“Eine alltägliche Verwirrung”);
• "The Truth About Sancho Panza"(“Die Wahrheit über Sancho Pansa”);
• "Silence of the Sirens"(“Das Schweigen der Sirenen”);
• “Commonwealth of Scoundrels” (“Eine Gemeinschaft von Schurken”);
• "Prometheus"("Prometheus", );
• "Homecoming"(“Heimkehr”);
• "City coat of arms"(“Das Stadtwappen”);
• "Poseidon"("Poseidon", );
• "Commonwealth"(“Gemeinschaft”);
• “At Night” (“Nachts”);
• "Rejected Petition"(“Die Abweisung”);
• "On the issue of laws"(“Zur Frage der Gesetze”);
• “Recruitment” (“Die Truppenaushebung”);
• "Exam"(“Die Prüfung”);
• “Kite” (“Der Geier”);
• “The Helmsman” (“Der Steuermann”);
• "Top"(“Der Kreisel”);
• "Fable"(“Kleine Fabel”);
• "Departure"(“Der Aufbruch”);
• "Defenders"(“Fürsprecher”);
• "The Married Couple"(“Das Ehepaar”);
• “Comment (don’t get your hopes up!)”(“Kommentar - Gibs auf!”, );
• "About Parables"("Von den Gleichnissen",).

Novels

• "Process "(“Der Prozeß”, -), including the parable “Before the Law”;
• "America" ​​("Missing")(“Amerika” (“Der Verschollene”), -), including the story “The Stoker” as the first chapter.

Letters

• Letters to Felice Bauer (Briefe an Felice, 1912-1916);
• Letters to Greta Bloch (1913-1914);
• Letters to Milena Jesenskaya (Briefe an Milena);
• Letters to Max Brod (Briefe an Max Brod);
• Letter to Father (November 1919);
• Letters to Ottla and other family members (Briefe an Ottla und die Familie);
• Letters to parents from 1922 to 1924. (Briefe an die Eltern aus den Jahren 1922-1924);
• Other letters (including to Robert Klopstock, Oscar Pollack, etc.);

Diaries (Tagebücher)

• 1910. July - December;
• 1911. January - December;
• 1911-1912. Travel diaries written during a trip to Switzerland, France and Germany;
• 1912. January - September;
• 1913. February - December;
• 1914. January - December;
• 1915. January - May, September - December;
• 1916. April - October;
• 1917. July - October;
• 1919. June - December;
• 1920. January;
• 1921. October - December;
• 1922. January - December;
• 1923. June.

Notebooks in octavo

8 workbooks by Franz Kafka ( - gg.), containing rough sketches, stories and versions of stories, reflections and observations.

Aphorisms

• "Reflections on Sin, Suffering, Hope and the True Path"(“Betrachtungen über Sünde, Leid, Hoffnung und den wahren Weg”, ).

The list contains more than a hundred sayings by Kafka, selected by him based on materials from the 3rd and 4th notebooks in octavo.

About Kafka

• Theodor Adorno "Notes on Kafka";
• Georges Bataille "Kafka" ;
• Valery Belonozhko “Gloomy notes about the novel “The Trial””, "Three Sagas of Franz Kafka's Unfinished Novels";
• Walter Benjamin "Franz Kafka";
• Maurice Blanchot "From Kafka to Kafka"(two articles from the collection: Reading Kafka and Kafka and Literature);
• Max Brod "Franz Kafka. Biography";
• Max Brod “Afterwords and notes to the novel “Castle””;
• Max Brod "Franz Kafka. Prisoner of the Absolute";
• Max Brod "Kafka's Personality";
• Albert Camus "Hope and absurdity in the works of Franz Kafka";
• Max Fry "Fasting for Kafka";
• Yuri Mann "Meeting in the Labyrinth (Franz Kafka and Nikolai Gogol)";
• David Zane Mairowitz and Robert Crumb "Kafka for Beginners";
• Vladimir Nabokov "The Metamorphosis of Franz Kafka";
• Cynthia Ozick "The Impossibility of Being Kafka";
• Anatoly Ryasov "The Man with Too Much Shadow";
• Nathalie Sarraute "From Dostoevsky to Kafka".

Notes

Links

• Franz Kafka "Castle" ImWerden Library
• The Kafka Project (In English)
• http://www.who2.com/franzkafka.html (In English)
• http://www.pitt.edu/~kafka/intro.html (In English)
• http://www.dividingline.com/private/Philosophy/Philosophers/Kafka/kafka.shtml (In English)

Franz Kafka
Novels	Process | Castle | America
Novels and stories	Description of one fight | Wedding in the village | Verdict | Transformation | In a correctional colony | School teacher | Brumfeld, old bachelor | Crypt Keeper | Country doctor | Hunter Gracchus | How the Chinese Wall was built | Hunger | One Dog Research | Little woman | Nora | Singer Josephine, or the Mouse People
Related Articles	Franz Kafka Museum |

Franz Kafka was one of the most important German writers of the twentieth century. He spent his entire life in his hometown of Prague, the capital of Bohemia. Kafka is famous for his grotesque stories and novels, many of which were published only posthumously, under the editorship of his close friend Max Brod. Kafka's works, spanning various literary periods, are consistently unique and popular with a wide range of readers.

Childhood

Franz Kafka was born on June 3, 1883 into a family of German-speaking Ashkenazi Jews living in a ghetto in the area of ​​present-day Prague. He was the first child of Hermann and his wife Julia, née Löwy.

His father, strong and loud-voiced, was the fourth child of Jacob Kafka, a butcher who came to Prague from Oseka, a Jewish village located in southern Bohemia. After working for some time as a sales representative, he established himself as an independent retailer of men's and women's haberdashery and accessories. About 15 people were involved in the business, and the office used the “tick” sign as its logo, representing the meaning of the surname in Czech. Kafka's mother was the daughter of Jacob Löwy, a prosperous brewer from Poděbrady, and was an educated woman.

Franz was the eldest of six children. He had two younger brothers who died in infancy, and three younger sisters: Gabrielle, Valerie and Ottla. During the week, during working hours, both parents were absent from the house. His mother helped manage her husband's business and worked 12 hours a day. The children were largely raised by a succession of governesses and servants. The warm-hearted mother was a great outlet for the children, but Franz's tendency to be lonely and withdrawn remained for many years. It was from his mother that he inherited his sensitivity and dreaminess. In his literary works, Kafka transformed the complete lack of communication and understanding in the relationship between authority figures and the little person.

He grew up in a German-speaking Jewish community, rarely interacting with Czech-speaking citizens of Prague. Despite this, throughout his life he acquired a deep knowledge of the Czech language and an understanding of literature. The guy had a serious character and was a little talkative. He spoke in a calm and quiet voice and wore mostly dark suits and sometimes a black round hat. He tried not to show his emotions publicly. Moreover, the non-believer Kafka was an outsider even within the Jewish community. Jewish identity was marked by attending a bar mitzvah at age 13 and attending synagogue with his father four times a year.

The passion for writing began in childhood. For his parents' birthdays, he composed small plays that were performed at home by his younger sisters, while he himself acted as director of home performances. He was an avid reader.

Kafka and his father

Father Herman wanted to raise his children in accordance with his ideals. He left them little room for personal development, and all social contacts of adolescents were strictly controlled. The father especially controlled Franz and his younger sister Ottla. Despite the friendly and peacemaking nature of the mother, conflicts periodically arose between Herman and the children.

In his letters, diaries and prose, the writer repeatedly addressed the topic of relationships with his father. Herman, a physically strong, energetic, strong-willed, self-satisfied choleric, served as a kind of catalyst for his children. The shy Franz became increasingly anxious, which in turn made him a target for his father's ridicule. He never managed to break this vicious circle until the end of his days.

In 1919, Kafka wrote “A Letter to My Father,” which describes his conflictual relationship with Hermann over more than a hundred pages. He strives for reconciliation with all his heart, but believes that this is impossible. There remains only hope for peaceful coexistence. His works Metamorphosis and Judgment are characterized by powerful father figures.

Years of education

From 1889, Kafka attended the boys' primary school on Masna Street. His secondary education was received at the German State Gymnasium on Old Town Square, where he studied from 1893 to 1901. It was an eight-year academic secondary school, where teaching was conducted in German, located in the Kin Palace in the Old Town. Among his first friends were the future art critic Oscar Pollak and the poet, translator and journalist Rudolf Illovi. The family lived at that time on Celetna Street. As a teenager, he told a school friend that he would become a writer. From this time his first literary attempts began.

Having passed his school final exams, Franz was admitted to the University of Prague, founded by Charles Ferdinand in 1348. The training took place from 1901 to 1906. He started studying chemistry, switched to German literature and philosophy after a couple of weeks, but switched departments to study law in the second semester. This was a kind of compromise between the father's wishes for his son to acquire a profession in order to build a successful career and a longer period of study, which gave Kafka additional time to engage in research and study art history. During his studies, he was an active participant in student life, within the framework of which many public literary readings and other events were organized. At the end of his first year of study he met Max Brod, who became his close friend throughout his life, and the journalist Felix Welch, who was also studying law. The students were brought together by a boundless love of reading and a common sense of the world. This period included a deep study of the works of Plato, Goethe, Flaubert, Dostoevsky, Gogol, Grillparzer and Kleist. Czech literature was of particular interest.

In June 1906, he received a full higher education, becoming a doctor of jurisprudence at the age of 23. In October, he began his working career with a mandatory unpaid legal practicum for graduates and spent a year working as a civil servant. For a total of 14 years he worked as a lawyer at the Workers' Accident Insurance Institute in the Czech Kingdom.

Beginning of literary activity

Franz was frustrated by the 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. work schedule, as it was extremely difficult to combine the routine processing and investigation of injured workers' compensation claims with the required focus of his work. At the same time, Kafka worked on his stories. Together with their friends Max Brod and Felix Welch, they called themselves the "close circle of Prague". Being at the same time a hardworking and diligent worker, Kafka sometimes left work early to indulge in writing. At 24, Kafka published his first works in a magazine, after which the stories were published in book form called Reflections.

The most productive years for the writer were the years after graduating from university. His works were written in the evenings after work or at night. This is how the novel “Wedding Preparations in the Countryside” was born.

Kafka spent his holiday in northern Italy on Lake Garda with Max and Otto Brod. On September 29, the Prague daily Bohemia published a short story, “Airplanes in Brescia.” In 1910, he began to write in a diary and intensively study Judaism, Zionism, Jewish literature and his own Jewish roots, and mastered Hebrew.

Two years later, he began working on the novel The Missing and wrote its first chapters. The work became famous with the light hand of Max Brod, under the name “America”. That same year, he was writing a novel and a collection of 18 short stories. His first big story, “The Verdict,” was written in one night in 1912. The story contains all the elements associated with the author's inner world, in which a bedridden, authoritarian, overbearing father condemns his principled son. His next work, completed in May 1913, was the short story "The Stoker", later included in his novel The Missing in Action and awarded the Theodore Fontane Literary Prize in 1915, his first public recognition in his lifetime.

If it were not for the efforts of his friend Brod, the world would not have known Kafka's best novels. While editing them after the author's death, Max ignored his friend's request to destroy all his unpublished works after his death.

Thus, thanks to Brod, the following works saw the light of day:

• "America";
• "Process";
• "Lock".

Mature years

Kafka never married. According to his friend's memoirs, he was overcome by sexual desire, but fear of intimate failure prevented personal relationships. He actively visited brothels and was interested in pornography. He had close relationships with several women in his life.

On August 13, 1912, Kafka met with Felice Bauer, a distant relative of Brod, who was passing through Prague. Their relationship lasted five years, interspersed with active correspondence; twice during this period they approached the point of marriage. The marriage was not destined to happen, and they separated in 1917.

That same year, Kafka showed the first symptoms of tuberculosis. During his relapses, his family supported him. He moved in with his sister Ottla in northwestern Bohemia and devoted time to studying Kierkegaard's work. He was wary of possible physical limitations caused by the disease; he impressed others with his neat and strict appearance, quiet and calm reactions, intelligence and specific humor. He begins to write down aphorisms. They were later published in the book “Reflections on Sin, Suffering, Hope and the True Path.”

In October 1918, the Austro-Hungarian Empire fell and Czechoslovakia was proclaimed. The official language in the capital became Czech. The year also brought personal turmoil to the author. Kafka fell ill with the Spanish flu. The subsequent physical weakness negatively affects the writer’s psyche. Kafka did not trust doctors. He was a supporter of naturopathy. He attributed non-specific symptoms such as insomnia, headaches, heart problems or weight loss that he suffered to psychosomatics.

At this time, a new relationship emerges with Juliek Vochrycek, who came from a modest merchant family. This connection greatly upset his father, which prompted Franz to write the appeal “Letter to My Father.” The young people were unable to rent housing. Kafka saw this as a sign and left. In the spring of 1922 he wrote The Hungry Artist and in the summer The Study of a Dog. The next passionate relationship with the translator and journalist Milena Jesenskaya did not work out. Despite her lover’s unhappy marriage, she was not ready to leave her husband. In 1923 he broke up with her. Between 1920 and 1922, Franz's health deteriorated and he was forced to quit his job.

In 1923, Kafka, while recovering on the Baltic Sea, met kindergarten teacher Dora Diamant, the twenty-five-year-old daughter of Polish Jews. Dora, who spoke Yiddish and Hebrew, charmed the writer. I was struck by the natural and modest manner of her behavior with quite mature views. Kafka left Prague at the end of July 1923 and moved to Berlin-Steglitz, where he wrote his last, relatively happy story, “Little Woman.” Dora cared for her lover in such a way that at the end of his life he finally managed to free himself from the influence of his family. It was in tandem with her that he developed an interest in the Talmud. Kafka wrote his last work, “Josephine, or the Folk of Mouse,” which was included in the collection “The Hunger Man.” However, his health is rapidly deteriorating. He returned to Prague three months before his death on June 3, 1924. In April he goes to a sanatorium, where the diagnosis is confirmed. For treatment he goes to the University Clinic of Vienna, then to the sanatorium of Dr. Hugo Hoffmann in Klosterneuburg. Dora Diamant takes care of and supports Kafka in every possible way, who is rapidly losing weight, has difficulty swallowing food and cannot speak. On June 3 around noon, Kafka died. The writer was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Prague.

Franz Kafka is one of the brightest phenomena in world literature. Those readers who are familiar with his works have always noted some kind of hopelessness and doom in the texts, seasoned with fear. Indeed, during the years of his active work (the first decade of the 20th century), all of Europe was carried away by a new philosophical movement, which later took shape as existentialism, and this author did not stand aside. That is why all of his works can be interpreted as some attempts to understand one’s existence in this world and beyond. But let's go back to where it all started.

So Franz Kafka was a Jewish boy. He was born in July 1883, and, it is clear that at that time the persecution of this people had not yet reached its apogee, but there was already a certain disdainful attitude in society. The family was quite wealthy, the father ran his own shop and was mainly involved in wholesale trade in haberdashery. My mother also did not come from poor backgrounds. Kafka's maternal grandfather was a brewer, quite famous in his area and even rich. Although the family was purely Jewish, they preferred to speak Czech, and they lived in the former Prague ghetto, and at that time in the small district of Josefov. Now this place is already attributed to the Czech Republic, but during Kafka’s childhood it belonged to Austria-Hungary. That is why the mother of the future great writer preferred to speak exclusively in German.

In general, while still a child, Franz Kafka knew several languages ​​perfectly and could speak and write in them fluently. He gave preference, like Julia Kafka (mother) herself, to German, but he actively used both Czech and French, but he practically did not speak his native language. And only when he reached the age of twenty and came into close contact with Jewish culture, the writer became interested in Yiddish. But he never began to teach him specifically.

The family was very large. In addition to Franz, Hermann and Julia Kafka had five more children, a total of three boys and three girls. The eldest was just the future genius. However, his brothers did not live to be two years old, but his sisters remained. They lived quite amicably. And they weren’t allowed to quarrel over various little things. The family highly respected centuries-old traditions. Since “Kafka” is translated from Czech as “jackdaw,” the image of this bird was considered the family coat of arms. And Gustav himself had his own business, and the silhouette of a jackdaw was on the branded envelopes.

The boy received a good education. At first he studied at school, then moved to a gymnasium. But his training did not end there. In 1901, Kafka entered Charles University in Prague, from which he graduated with a Doctor of Laws degree. But this, in fact, was the end of my professional career. For this man, as for a true genius, the main work of his whole life was literary creativity, it healed the soul and was a joy. Therefore, Kafka did not move anywhere along the career ladder. After university, he accepted a low-level position in the insurance department, and left the same position in 1922, just two years before his death. A terrible disease plagued his body - tuberculosis. The writer struggled with it for several years, but to no avail, and in the summer of 1924, just a month before his birthday (41 years old), Franz Kafka died. The cause of such an early death is still considered not to be the disease itself, but exhaustion due to the fact that he could not swallow food due to severe pain in the larynx.

Character development and personal life

Franz Kafka as a person was very complex, complex and quite difficult to communicate with. His father was very despotic and tough, and the peculiarities of his upbringing influenced the boy in such a way that he only became more withdrawn into himself. Uncertainty also appeared, the same one that would appear more than once in his works. Already from childhood, Franz Kafka showed a need for constant writing, and it resulted in numerous diary entries. It is thanks to them that we know how insecure and fearful this person was.

The relationship with the father did not work out initially. Like any writer, Kafka was a vulnerable person, sensitive and constantly reflective. But the stern Gustav could not understand this. He, a true entrepreneur, demanded a lot from his only son, and such upbringing resulted in numerous complexes and Franz’s inability to build strong relationships with other people. In particular, work was hell for him, and in his diaries the writer more than once complained about how difficult it was for him to go to work and how fiercely he hated his superiors.

But things didn’t go well with women either. For a young man, the time from 1912 to 1917 can be described as first love. Unfortunately, it was unsuccessful, like all the subsequent ones. The first bride, Felicia Bauer, is the same girl from Berlin with whom Kafka twice broke off his engagement. The reason was a complete mismatch of characters, but not only that. The young man was insecure in himself, and it was mainly because of this that the novel developed mainly in letters. Of course, distance was also a factor. But, one way or another, in his epistolary love adventure, Kafka created an ideal image of Felicia, very far from the real girl. Because of this, the relationship collapsed.

The second bride was Yulia Vokhrytsek, but with her everything was even more fleeting. Having barely concluded the engagement, Kafka himself broke it off. And literally a few years before his own death, the writer had some kind of romantic relationship with a woman named Melena Yesenskaya. But here the story is rather dark, because Melena was married and had a somewhat scandalous reputation. She was also the main translator of the works of Franz Kafka.

Kafka is a recognized literary genius not only of his time. Even now, through the prism of modern technology and the fast pace of life, his creations seem incredible and continue to amaze quite sophisticated readers. What is especially attractive about them is the uncertainty characteristic of this author, the fear of existing reality, the fear of taking even one step and the famous absurdity. A little later, after the death of the writer, existentialism made a solemn procession around the world - one of the directions of philosophy that tries to understand the significance of human existence in this mortal world. Kafka saw only the emergence of this worldview, but his work is literally saturated with it. Probably, life itself pushed Kafka to just such creativity.

The incredible story that happened to the traveling salesman Gregor Samsa in 1997 has many similarities with the life of the author himself - a closed, insecure ascetic prone to eternal self-condemnation.

Absolutely “The Process”, which actually “created” his name for the culture of world postmodern theater and cinema of the second half of the 20th century.

It is noteworthy that during his lifetime this modest genius did not become famous in any way. Several stories were published, but they brought nothing but a small profit. Meanwhile, novels were collecting dust on the tables, the very ones that the whole world would talk about later and would not stop talking to this day. This includes the famous “Trial” and “Castle” - all of them saw the light of day only after the death of their creator. And they were published exclusively in German.

And this is how it happened. Just before his death, Kafka called his client, a person quite close to him, a friend, Max Brod. And he made a rather strange request to him: to burn all the literary heritage. Leave nothing, destroy to the last sheet. However, Brod did not listen, and instead of burning them, he published them. Surprisingly, most of the unfinished works were liked by the reader, and soon the name of their author became famous. However, some of the works never saw the light of day, because they were destroyed.

This is the tragic fate of Franz Kafka. He was buried in the Czech Republic, but in the New Jewish Cemetery, in the family grave of the Kafka family. The works published during his lifetime were only four collections of short prose: “Contemplation”, “The Village Doctor”, “Gospodar” and “Punishments”. In addition, Kafka managed to publish the first chapter of his most famous creation “America” - “The Missing Person”, as well as a small part of very short original works. They attracted virtually no attention from the public and brought nothing to the writer. Fame overtook him only after his death.

The biography of Franz Kafka is not full of events that attract the attention of writers of the current generation. The great writer lived a rather monotonous and short life. At the same time, Franz was a strange and mysterious figure, and many of the secrets inherent in this master of the pen excite the minds of readers to this day. Although Kafka's books are a great literary heritage, during his lifetime the writer did not receive recognition and fame and did not know what real triumph is.

Shortly before his death, Franz bequeathed to his best friend, journalist Max Brod, to burn the manuscripts, but Brod, knowing that in the future every word of Kafka would be worth its weight in gold, disobeyed his friend’s last will. Thanks to Max, Franz's creations saw the light of day and had a tremendous impact on the literature of the 20th century. Kafka's works, such as "Labyrinth", "America", "Angels Don't Fly", "The Castle", etc., are required reading in higher education institutions.

Childhood and youth

The future writer was born as the first-born on July 3, 1883 in the major economic and cultural center of the multinational Austro-Hungarian Empire - the city of Prague (now the Czech Republic). At that time, the empire was inhabited by Jews, Czechs and Germans, who, living side by side, could not coexist peacefully with each other, so a depressed mood reigned in the cities and sometimes anti-Semitic phenomena could be traced. Kafka was not worried about political issues and ethnic strife, but the future writer felt thrown to the margins of life: social phenomena and emerging xenophobia left an imprint on his character and consciousness.

Franz’s personality was also influenced by his parents’ upbringing: as a child, he did not receive his father’s love and felt like a burden in the house. Franz grew up and was brought up in the small quarter of Josefov in a German-speaking family of Jewish origin. The writer's father, Herman Kafka, was a middle-class businessman who sold clothing and other haberdashery goods at retail. The writer's mother, Julia Kafka, came from a noble family of the prosperous brewer Jacob Levy and was a highly educated young lady.

Franz also had three sisters (two younger brothers died in early childhood, before reaching the age of two). While the head of the family disappeared in the cloth shop, and Julia watched the girls, young Kafka was left to his own devices. Then, in order to dilute the gray canvas of life with bright colors, Franz began to come up with short stories, which, however, were of no interest to anyone. The head of the family influenced the formation of literary lines and the character of the future writer. Compared to the two-meter man, who also had a deep voice, Franz felt like a plebeian. This feeling of physical inferiority haunted Kafka throughout his life.

Kafka Sr. saw his son as the heir to the business, but the reserved, shy boy did not meet his father’s requirements. Herman used harsh parenting methods. In a letter written to his parent, which did not reach the recipient, Franz recalled how at night he was forced onto a cold and dark balcony because he asked for water. This childhood resentment gave rise to a feeling of injustice in the writer:

“Years later, I still suffered from the painful image of how a huge man, my father, a higher authority, for almost no reason at night could come up to me, pull me out of bed and carry me out onto the balcony - that means what a nonentity I was to him,” Kafka shared his memories.

From 1889 to 1893, the future writer studied in elementary school, then entered the gymnasium. As a student, the young man took part in university amateur performances and organized theatrical performances. After receiving his matriculation certificate, Franz was accepted into the Faculty of Law at Charles University. In 1906, Kafka received his doctorate in law. The leader of the writer’s scientific work was Alfred Weber himself, a German sociologist and economist.

Literature

Franz Kafka considered literary activity the main goal in life, although he was considered a high-ranking official in the insurance department. Due to illness, Kafka retired early. The author of The Trial was a hard worker and highly regarded by his superiors, but Franz hated this position and spoke unflatteringly about managers and subordinates. Kafka wrote for himself and believed that literature justified his existence and helped him escape from the harsh realities of life. Franz was in no hurry to publish his works because he felt himself mediocre.

All his manuscripts were carefully collected by Max Brod, whom the writer met at a meeting of a student club dedicated to. Brod insisted that Kafka publish his stories, and in the end the creator gave in: in 1913 the collection “Contemplation” was published. Critics spoke of Kafka as an innovator, but the self-critical master of the pen was dissatisfied with his own creativity, which he considered a necessary element of existence. Also, during Franz's lifetime, readers became acquainted with only a small part of his works: many of Kafka's significant novels and stories were published only after his death.

In the autumn of 1910, Kafka went to Paris with Brod. But after 9 days, due to acute abdominal pain, the writer left the country of Cezanne and Parmesan. At that time, Franz began his first novel, “The Missing,” which was later renamed “America.” Kafka wrote most of his works in German. If we turn to the originals, the bureaucratic language is present almost everywhere without pretentious turns of phrase or other literary delights. But this dullness and triviality are combined with absurdity and mysterious unusualness. Most of the master’s works are saturated from cover to cover with fear of the outside world and the highest court.

This feeling of anxiety and despair is transmitted to the reader. But Franz was also a subtle psychologist, or rather, this talented man scrupulously described the reality of this world without sentimental embellishment, but with impeccable metaphorical turns. It is worth remembering the story “Metamorphosis”, based on which a Russian film was made in 2002 with the leading role.

Evgeny Mironov in the film based on Franz Kafka's book "Metamorphosis"

The plot of the story revolves around Gregor Samsa, a typical young man who works as a traveling salesman and financially helps his sister and parents. But the irreparable happened: one fine morning Gregor turned into a huge insect. Thus, the protagonist became an outcast, from whom his family and friends turned their backs: they did not pay attention to the wonderful inner world of the hero, they were worried about the terrible appearance of the terrible creature and the unbearable torment to which he unknowingly doomed them (for example, he could not earn money, clean up on his own in the room and scared the guests).

Illustration for Franz Kafka's novel "The Castle"

But during preparation for publication (which never materialized due to disagreements with the editor), Kafka issued an ultimatum. The writer insisted that there should be no illustrations of insects on the cover of the book. Hence, there are many interpretations of this story - from physical illness to mental disorders. Moreover, Kafka, following his own style, does not reveal the events before the metamorphosis, but confronts the reader with a fact.

Illustration for Franz Kafka's novel "The Trial"

The novel “The Trial” is another significant work of the writer, published posthumously. It is noteworthy that this creation was created at a time when the writer broke off his engagement to Felicia Bauer and felt like an accused person who owed everyone. And Franz compared the last conversation with his beloved and her sister to a tribunal. This work with a non-linear narrative can be considered unfinished.

In fact, initially Kafka worked on the manuscript continuously and wrote short fragments of “The Trial” in a notebook, where he wrote down other stories. Franz often tore out pages from this notebook, so it was almost impossible to restore the plot of the novel. In addition, in 1914, Kafka admitted that he was visited by a creative crisis, so work on the book was suspended. The main character of The Trial, Joseph K. (it is noteworthy that instead of a full name, the author gives his characters initials) wakes up in the morning and finds out that he has been arrested. However, the true reason for the detention is unknown, this fact dooms the hero to suffering and torment.

Personal life

Franz Kafka was picky about his own appearance. For example, before leaving for university, a young writer could stand in front of the mirror for hours, scrupulously examining his face and combing his hair. In order not to be “humiliated and insulted,” Franz, who always considered himself a black sheep, dressed according to the latest fashion trends. Kafka impressed his contemporaries as a decent, intelligent and calm person. It is also known that the thin writer, fragile in health, kept himself in shape and, as a student, was fond of sports.

But his relationships with women did not go well, although Kafka was not deprived of the attention of lovely ladies. The fact is that the writer remained in the dark about intimacy with girls for a long time, until his friends forcibly brought him to the local “lupanarium” - the red light district. Having experienced carnal pleasures, Franz, instead of the proper delight, experienced only disgust.

The writer adhered to the line of behavior of an ascetic and, like , ran away from the aisle, as if afraid of serious relationships and family obligations. For example, with Fraulein Felicia Bauer, the master of the pen broke off the engagement twice. Kafka often described this girl in his letters and diaries, but the image that appears in the minds of readers does not correspond to reality. Among other things, the eminent writer had an amorous relationship with journalist and translator Milena Jesenskaya.

Death

Kafka was constantly tormented by chronic illnesses, but it is unknown whether they were of a psychosomatic nature. Franz suffered from intestinal obstruction, frequent headaches and lack of sleep. But the writer did not give up, but tried to cope with his illnesses with a healthy lifestyle: Kafka followed a balanced diet, tried not to eat meat, played sports and drank fresh milk. However, all attempts to bring his physical condition into proper shape were in vain.

In August 1917, doctors diagnosed Franz Kafka with a terrible disease - tuberculosis. In 1923, the master of the pen left his homeland (went to Berlin) together with a certain Dora Diamant and wanted to concentrate on writing. But at that time, Kafka’s health only worsened: the pain in his throat became unbearable, and the writer could not eat. In the summer of 1924, the great author of works died in hospital.

Monument "Head of Franz Kafka" in Prague

It is possible that the cause of death was exhaustion. Franz's grave is located in the New Jewish Cemetery: Kafka's body was transported from Germany to Prague. In memory of the writer, more than one documentary film was made, monuments were erected (for example, the head of Franz Kafka in Prague), and a museum was erected. Also, Kafka's work had a tangible influence on writers of subsequent years.

Quotes

• I write differently than I speak, I speak differently than I think, I think differently than I should think, and so on to the darkest depths.
• It is much easier to oppress your neighbor if you know nothing about him. Then your conscience doesn't bother you...
• Since it couldn't get any worse, it got better.
• Leave me my books. That is all I have.
• Form is not an expression of content, but only a bait, a gate and a path to content. Once it has an effect, the hidden background will be revealed.

Bibliography

• 1912 - “The Verdict”
• 1912 - "Metamorphosis"
• 1913 - “Contemplation”
• 1914 - “In the penal colony”
• 1915 - “The Trial”
• 1915 - “Punits”
• 1916 - "America"
• 1919 - “The Country Doctor”
• 1922 - “Castle”
• 1924 - “The Hunger Man”

(estimates: 1 , average: 5,00 out of 5)

Franz Kafka was born on July 3, 1883, becoming the first child in the family of successful merchant Hermann Kafka. He, the father, became the most terrible punishment not only of the writer’s childhood, but of his entire life. From infancy, Kafka learned what a father's strong hand was. One night, while still very young, Franz asked his father for water, after which he got angry and locked the poor boy on the balcony. In general, Herman completely controlled his wife and children (there were three more girls in the family), mocked and put moral pressure on the household.

Due to constant pressure, Franz early began to feel his own insignificance and guilt towards his father. He tried to find a way to hide from the evil reality, and found it - oddly enough, in books.

While studying at a classical gymnasium, Kafka began writing, and in recent years he constantly created new works. In the circle of liberal Jewish students at the University of Prague, where Franz studied jurisprudence, he met Max Brod. This energetic, strong fellow soon becomes the young writer's best friend, and later will play the most important role in conveying Kafka's creative legacy to the public. Moreover, it is thanks to Max that Franz continues to live, despite the dull work of a lawyer and the general lack of inspiration. Brod, in the end, almost forces the young writer to begin publishing.

Father's pressure did not stop even after Franz became an adult. He constantly reproached his son for earning very little. As a result, the writer gets a job...in an asbestos factory. Wasting his energy and time in vain, Kafka begins to seriously think about suicide. Fortunately, the performances of the Lviv nomadic theater distract him from such thoughts.

His father’s ban on intimate relationships with women had such a strong impact on Franz’s psyche that he, already on the threshold of married life, backed away. This happened twice - the first time with Felicia Bauer, and the second time with Yulia Vokhrytsek.

In the last year of his life, Kafka met his best friend, Dora Diamant. For her sake, one might say, he finally matured, leaving his parents in Prague and going to live with her in Berlin. Even the short time left for the couple, they could not live happily: attacks became more frequent, tuberculosis progressed. Franz Kafka died on June 3, 1924, after he could not eat anything for a week and completely lost his voice...

Franz Kafka, bibliography

All books by Franz Kafka:

Novels
1905
"Description of one struggle"
1907
"Wedding Preparations in the Village"
1909
"Conversation with a Prayer"
1909
"Conversation with a Drunk Man"
1909
"Airplanes in Brescia"
1909
"Women's Prayer Book"
1911
Co-authored with Max Brod: "The First Long Journey by Rail"
1911
Co-authored with Max Brod: "Richard and Samuel: a short journey through Central Europe"
1912
"Big Noise"
1914
"Before the Law"
1915
"School teacher"
1915
"Blumfeld, the old bachelor"
1917
"Crypt Keeper"
1917
"Hunter Gracchus"
1917
"How the Chinese Wall was Built"
1918
"Murder"
1921
"Riding on a Bucket"
1922
"In our synagogue"
1922
"Fireman"
1922
"In the attic"
1922
"One Dog's Research"
1924
"Nora"
1931
"He. Records of 1920"
1931
“To the series “He””
1915
Collection "Kara"
1912
"Sentence"
1912
"Metamorphosis"
1914
"In the penal colony"
1913
Collection “Contemplation”
1913
"Children on the Road"
1913
"The Rogue Exposed"
1913
"Sudden Walk"
1913
"Solutions"
1913
"Walk to the Mountains"
1913
"Sorrow of a Bachelor"
1908
"Merchant"
1908
"Looking Absently Out the Window"
1908
"Way home"
1908
"Running By"
1908
"Passenger"
1908
"Dresses"
1908
"Refusal"
1913
"For riders to think about"
1913
"Window to the Street"
1913
"The desire to become an Indian"
1908
"Trees"
1913
"Yearning"
1919
Collection “The Country Doctor”
1917
"New Lawyer"
1917
"Country Doctor"
1917
"On the gallery"
1917
"Old Record"
1914
"Before the Law"
1917
"Jackals and Arabs"
1917
"Visit to the Mine"
1917
"Neighboring Village"
1917
"Imperial Message"
1917
"The care of the head of the family"
1917
"Eleven Sons"
1919
"Fratricide"
1914
"Dream"
1917
"Report for the Academy"
1924
Collection "The Hunger"
1921
"First Woe"
1923
"Small woman"
1922
"Hunger"
1924
"The Singer Josephine, or the Mouse People"
Short prose
1917
"Bridge"
1917
"Knock on the Gate"
1917
"Neighbour"
1917
"Hybrid"
1917
"Appeal"
1917
"New lamps"
1917
"Railway Passengers"
1917
"An Ordinary Story"
1917
"The Truth About Sancho Panza"
1917
"Silence of the Sirens"
1917
"Commonwealth of Scoundrels"
1918
"Prometheus"
1920
"Homecoming"
1920
"City coat of arms"
1920
"Poseidon"
1920
"Commonwealth"
1920
"At night"
1920
"Rejected Petition"
1920
"On the issue of laws"
1920
"Recruitment"
1920
"Exam"
1920
"Kite"
1920
"Steering"
1920
"Top"
1920
"Fable"
1922
"Departure"
1922
"Defenders"
1922
"The Married Couple"
1922
“Comment (don’t get your hopes up!)”
1922
"About Parables"
Novels
1916
"America" ​​("Missing")
1918
"Process"