The Castle
Franz Kafka
1926
Around 315 pages
Another unfinished manuscript, which is much harder to judge than the completed projects. And you know how naturally judging comes to me. This is nothing against Kafka, he died before he could complete them. But I think the true magic of storytelling comes from realizing a story's full potential. So, tragically, for me, this can never be a five star read.
A character only identified as K. arrives in a village and is summoned to a nearby castle by mysterious authorities. He spends the remainder of the novel trying to access to the castle and the bizarre government of the town.
Kafka's themes are timeless, but it's interesting to examine this through the lens of Kafka's world, and the Anti Semitism he faced at the time. I wish Kafka had lived long enough to finish what he started. He seems weird and I think we would have got along.
RATING: ***--
Interesting Facts:
Kafka's friend Max Brod heavily edited the manuscript.
Kafka wanted all his manuscripts destroyed, but Brod published them anyway.
UP NEXT: Blindness by Henry Green. I feel like he's a little meh.
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