Franz Kafka: His Books And His Life

At the end of the 20th century, a survey was conducted that asked who was thought to be the most important author of this millennium. Franz Kafka won, and he was considered the author who has touched humanity more than anyone else.

Kafka’s influence was so great that the term “Kafkaesque” exists in several languages. It refers to absurd and outrageous situations. He was one of the writers who could create a literary world with its own atmosphere and unique codes. In his world, logic is both convincing and poetic.

One of the most astonishing aspects of his writings is his intellectual honesty. Franz Kafka was not a rhetorical or pretentious writer. In fact, Kafka himself asked his friend Max Brod to burn all his writings. Fortunately, Brod did not do this, and it is thanks to him that we can now enjoy Kafka’s masterpieces. Kafka did not become famous through good marketing or a rich sponsor, but thanks to the unique quality of each line he wrote.

Franz Kafka was born on the third of July 1883 in Prague, in what is now Czechoslovakia, but during this time it was part of Austria-Hungary. His father, Hermann, came from a family with butchers. He was a wealthy businessman. His mother Julie came from a rich family. She had more education than her husband, but she did not have much influence over her children’s education.

Kafka was the eldest and he had five siblings. However, two of his brothers died before their first birthday. Franz and his three sisters survived. That may be the reason why his father was especially authoritarian and harsh towards Franz. It is known that Franz had a difficult relationship with his father and that he often returns to his work.

Franz Kafka studied in two important and demanding Jewish schools. He started writing when he was thirteen years old. There is not much left of his early work because he burned most of it. He was also part of an anti-church group where he began to learn about philosophy, socialism and atheism.

Kafka started studying at university with chemistry as his major, but he quickly realized that it was not for him. He therefore chose to change direction. It was during his college years that he met his friend Max Brod. Kafka and Brod continued to be close friends until Kafka’s death.

After graduating, Kafka worked at several law firms. He later got a job at an insurance company. He barely made any money, but he had plenty of time to do what he liked most: writing. That was the reason why he continued to work there until 1917, when he contracted tuberculosis. It is said that he possibly got the disease because he liked to drink unpasteurized milk.

During these years, Kafka had messy relationships with the women who came into his life. His romances often began with letters and then ended abruptly without explanation. Kafka was a complex person with complex relationships. For example, he could never get over the fact that his lover, Felice Bauer, did not seem to care when he showed her the Metamorphosis .

From 1917 until his death, he spent a lot of time in hospital. He lived in Germany between 1920 and 2923 to try to distance himself from his family. However, he contracted a serious pneumonia that forced him to return to his parents’ home in 1924.

Franz soon got worse and was then hospitalized again, and his tuberculosis spread to his larynx. This condition made it difficult for him to eat and after a few weeks he died in June 1924. He was only 41 years old.

Franz Kafka left behind many short stories and several novels. His most famous are the Trial , the Metamorphosis and the Castle . He also left behind beautiful testimonies in the form of letters to his sister Ottla, Max Brod and Felice and many others. His legacy will influence many generations to come.