Kafka: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

Franz Kafka (1883-1924) is among the most intriguing and influential writers of the twentieth century. Kafka's fiction vividly evokes bizarre situations: a man is turned into an insect, a banker is arrested by a mysterious court, a artist starves to death in the name of art. Attending both to Kafka's crisis-ridden life and to the subtleties of his art, Robertson provides an intriguing and accessible look at the life of this fascinating author. Using Metamorphosis as a recurring example, Robertson shows how Kafka's work explores such modern themes as the power of institutions over people and the possibility of religion after "the death of God."

Ritchie Robertson is a Professor of German at Oxford University and a Fellow of St John's College.