Franz Kafka, página 11 de 48

A collection of Kafka's greatest short fiction, translated by Michael HofmannKafka's masterpiece of unease and black humour, Metamorphosis, the story of an ordinary man transformed into an insect, is brought together in this collection with the rest of his works that he thought worthy of publication. It includes Contemplation, a collection of his earlier short studies; The Judgement, written in a single night of frenzied creativity; The Stoker, the first chapter of a novel set in America; and an eyewitness account of an air display. Together, these stories, fragments and miniature gems reveal the breadth of his vision, his sense of the absurd, and above all his acute, uncanny wit.Translated with an introduction by Michael Hofmann

América narra las aventuras de Karl Rossman, un muchacho inmigrante de Europa de dieciséis años, que es enviado por sus padres a EE.UU. por haber mantenido relaciones con la criada que después tuvo un hijo suyo. Durante el viaje entabla amistad con el fogonero del barco al que ayuda para que no se sienta frustrado con su trabajo. Llega a Nueva York con una serie de esperanzas y que al terminar la novela (recordemos que está inconclusa) se dirige hacia no sabe dónde, habiéndose rendido ante lo inevitable pues nunca logrará alcanzar sus objetivos. La novela fue publicada después de su muerte por su amigo Max Brod en 1927.

The Castle is the story of K., the unwanted Land Surveyor who is never to be admitted to the Castle nor accepted in the village, and yet cannot go home. As he encounters dualities of certainty and doubt, hope and fear, and reason and nonsense, K.'s struggles in the absurd, labyrinthine world where he finds himself seem to reveal an inexplicable truth about the nature of existence. Kafka began The Castle in 1922 and it was never finished, yet this, the last of his three great novels, draws fascinating conclusions that make it feel strangely complete.

Frugando negli interstizi del quotidiano, Kafka modella le sue parabole con brevi pennellate dai toni quasi espressionistici, che fanno emergere il non-senso sotto l'apparenza del senso, il problematico e il precario sotto la maschera della certezza e della stabilita, la corruzione sotto lo schermo della legge. Il simbolismo kafkiano non e tale da poter essere letto in funzione di un contenuto particolare e i suoi racconti, come tutte le sue opere, vibrano di suggestive risonanze che toccano in profondita i problemi dell'esistenza come si presentano alla coscienza e agli istinti dell'uomo moderno. Introduzione di Ferruccio Masini.

Grundlos wird Josef K. an seinem 30. Geburtstag verhaftet und verhört. Die Umstände sind grotesk, niemand kennt das Gesetz, und das Gericht bleibt anonym.Die Schuld erfährt Josef K., hafte ihm an, ohne dass er dagegen etwas tun könne. Verbissen, aber erfolglos versucht er, sich gegen die zunehmende Absurdität und Verstrickung zu wehren, schlägt jede Warnung vor weiterer Gegenwehr in den Wind und wird schleißelich ein Jahr später vor den Toren der Stadt exekutiert. - Franz Kafka hat mit diesem Roman ein Jahrhundertwerk geschaffen, das auf beispielhafte Weise die wesentlichen Existenzfragen des modernen Menschen neu formuliert.

Escrita en 1912, La transformación ha pasado a la historia de la literatura moderna como una de las cristalizaciones más acabadas de la narrativa alemana. ¿Qué me ha ocurrido?', se pregunta Greg

Prólogo y cronología de M. Armiño.

Josef K. awakes one morning to find himself arrested. The nature of his crime is not revealed to him, neither is the date of his trial. Despite his now criminal status, he is, however, granted the right to continue as normal, on the condition that he report to court on a regular basis. And so begins Josef K.'s new life. But as time passes, and as nothing is resolved, his fate, like the world around him, becomes increasingly uncertain. Stifled by the helplessness of his situation, he makes a desperate bid to regain control - little knowing that this can lead only to tragedy. 'Those who defend the process ...may offer absurd arguments but they also state the case as clearly as it can be stated. All the humour of Kafka lies here, in the logical pursuit of absurd arguments.' - from the Foreword by Zadie Smith

In May 2005 Penguin will publish 70 unique titles to celebrate the company's 70th birthday. The titles in the Pocket Penguins series are emblematic of the renowned breadth of quality of the Penguin list and will hark back to Penguin founder Allen Lane's vision of good books for all.