Kafka v kostce

by Nicolas Mahler, Michaela Škultéty (Translator)

V roce 2024 uplyne 100 let od smrti velkého pražského Němce, spisovatele Franze Kafky. Snad každý zná jeho černobílé kresbičky, např. muže zhrouceného za stolem. Kafka kreslil velmi rád, a jak v roce 1913 poznamenal v dopise své snoubence Felici Bauerové, „kreslení ho uspokojovalo víc než cokoli jiného“. Rakouský komiksový kreslíř Nicolas Mahler má podobný minimalistický styl jako Kafka. Takže se velké výročí rozhodl oslavit komiksovou Kafkovou biografií: trefně, vtipně, s dobrou znalostí detailů z Kafkova života a jeho tvorby.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics

128 pages, Hardcover

First published November 19, 2023

About the author

Austrian author and illustrator Nicolas Mahler has illustrated numerous school books and worked on several animated films, shown at festivals throughout Europe. Known for his striking minimalist drawing style and sardonic deadpan wit, Mahler's graphic novels have been published in France, Spain, the Czech Republic, Poland, Canada, and the United States as well as his native Austria. He has published over 20 books and created drawings for international magazines, newspapers, and anthologies.

Reviews

[Tawfek · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all Thanks to Nicolas Mahler and Alexander Booth and The late Great Pushkin Press (i have many works by Pushkin didn't read any yet lol) For allowing all the readers of NetGalley to read this beautiful Graphic Biography of Franz Kafka, i am not sure if it's still available for grabs, i didn't take that long to finish it, so it's probably still there.

Perhaps i should tell you a bit more about the evening, i was tired, empty, bored, beatable, apathetic, and from the outset wanted nothing but my bed.

It's Divine Poetry i finish this today for 3 hours i did nothing but read the rest of this biography, i was sick with the cold, my body feels weak, taken a medication that usually puts me to sleep but my body resisted this time, and so we read, enjoying the company of kindred soul in Kafka, all the quotes i ll share in this review i feel too all the time, Unlike Kafka i don't have a terminal disease to take me out, my journey might be longer, but it will not be more pleasant sadly, because these feelings we share together only get worse the older we grow.

I am not doing well, what with all the effort i need to keep myself alive and sane, i could have built the pyramids, Franz.

as you guessed this review will be a little personal but fuck it, i feel like talking, because right now i don't feel alone, in a melancholic way.

You can't achieve anything with this kind of body.
I shall have to get used to its continuous failings.

Each time my father asks me to marry making the offer more enticing each time, i refuse, and i think in my head, since his reason is to keep the bloodline continue, i don't think this bloodline should continue, what's so good about it? why does he think that his bloodline is so good it should survive the trials of time? Me and His late Father are the only readers in his vast family, two people who seek knowledge in a vast family of thousands, what he does is sit all day watching stupid football, and argues about things he is too ignorant to even begin to comprehend, I think bad father is one more thing i share with Kafka lol

Youth's meaninglessness Fear of youth, fear of meaninglessness, of the meaningless rise of an inhuman life, this is Kafka's youth.

It's funny i always tell my older friends i can't wait to be old too, and i always fear that they might think i am making fun of their age, but really it's not, i really really just want to get there closer to the end, Youth is the age of expectation, the expectation you have for yourself, and the expectations the world puts on you and those around you put on you.
There in lies melancholy and depression, your body can't take on that huge weight you have put on yourself, it can't, it can't handle that character, it can't handle your goals, and the only way to even feel a little bit alive is to either have another unattainable goal that you think maybe you can reach with your talent, or to let go of all of it, and just enjoy the rest.

I don't hide from people because i want to live quietly, but because i want to expire quietly.

You know i actually like for Kafka that he died so early, all his sisters died in the holocaust in the gas chambers, imagine that delicate soul going through the motions of being in a concentration camp, he was greedy for solitude, imagine not having any resemblance of solitude in a concentration camp, it's would have been way too much, mental break down too much...

He meant something seriously or whether he was joking Franz was particularly fond of straddling the line between seriousness and jest and did so with a high degree of virtuosity.

Again another thing we share, that i don't think anyone would really understand, the joking instead of being serious, it's literally where i feel most comfortable, and i do realize it might come out as awkward, because the other don't get it, but it's my comfort zone, it's what makes me able to deal with people in general.

The only complaint of Kafka's he recalls is that there are so many stations on the way to your death, it goes so slowly.

I totally get how Kafka faced Death stoically, it was over it was the end, When i was dying at one point i didn't shed a single tear, and when i survived i wept, did i weep because of the final feeling of loneliness or did i weep because it wasn't over who knows, we are going anyway...

I do not think not to have known Kafka is an advantage.
- Max Brod

Max thanks for being that man's friend, thanks for not burning his unfinished works like he requested he wasn't appreciated in life, but we all enjoyed his works sadly after his passing, and thanks for having such a high opinion of him, i might not have found my Max Brod yet, but maybe one day.

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this short graphic novel biography of Kafka. Lots of quotes from his work and letters make it a really enjoyable quick read.

[Nikola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me ha parecido una lectura bastante interesante, se explican tanto elementos de la vida de Kafka y algunas de sus obras más importantes, además de acompañar todo esto con dibujos que combinan bien con el estilo.

Kafka me ha recordado que no soy la única que empiezo a hacer varias cosas y no las termino 🤣

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an odd little book about the life of Franz Kafka! The artwork is simple, little undetailed drawings like the political newspaper ones from decades ago. There are snippets of dialogue that sound deranged but since you don't have the entire conversation to go by, may or may not indicate a weird personality. I compared his biography against Wikipedia and everything seems to mesh up however this book tells it in such a way that it feels like acts in a play. This unusual biography will appeal to fans of Franz Kafka's writing, it is quirky and unique like him.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Doha · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5*
Maybe it's me? maybe.
I liked the idea going into this, I also liked how it mentioned the reactions to Kafka's work when it was published but unfortunately, I did not enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. Here are some of the things I didn't like:
-the beginning confused me
-I expected there to be more illustrations
-the way Kafka's work was mentioned here overall
-how some of Kafka's work was spoiled
-the exchange of fonts

It just didn't work for me overall. Maybe it can be brilliant for someone else and that's great, good for them. Not for me though.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Yamini]

Have I lost my mind? what did I just read? It's great and absolutely insane. Now I feel that to appreciate Kafka, the reader also needs to be at least partially insane to be on the same plane, and I am there. This book is totally weird on another level and since I enjoyed it, I am questioning my reading taste now!!!

The book is a memoir, but since it's Franz Kafka we are talking about, it had to come out in the weirdest, indirect and peculiar way possible. Reading the book requires a mood, setting and particular resentment towards the world's standard norms of life. Are you there with me yet? Then perhaps it's time for you to pick this graphic novel up - or more like a short illustrated book. It's funny, witty, lively and perfect for a grumpy mood. The author has surely caught up so well that it feels Kafka would particularly agree with this illustrated version.

Genre: #nonfiction #memoir #graphicnovel #biography

Thankyou @this_is_edelweiss @pushkin_press @steerforthpress and @mahlermuseum for the Digital ARC

Quick confession: I have neither enjoyed nor understood metamorphosis well and look how the tables have turned!

[spass_mit_buechern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wer sich mit Kafkas Werk beschäftigt hat, bekommt hier genau das was man von einem „Mahler" erwarten darf. Eine intelligente, einfühlsame und talentiert grafische Auseinandersetzung mit dessen Leben. Die Zeichnungen und Grafiken spiegeln die tragische Komik wider von der Kafkas Werke durchzogen sind. Wir bekommen einen wohldosierten Einblick in Kafkas Briefe und andere Arbeiten. Die letzten Seiten des Buches finde ich absolut gelungen. Immer wieder sehr erfrischend auf welche unkonventionelle Weise Literatur den Leser*innen näher gebracht werden kann.

[Anabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Ich arbeite mit Gewichten, die ich nicht loswerden kann.
Vollständige Stockung. Endlose Quälereien.
Was ich berühre, zerfällt.
Ich verkrieche mich vor Menschen nicht deshalb, weil ich ruhig leben, sondern weil ich ruhig zugrunde gehen will."

[Leselissi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kafkas Leben komplett!
In Kürze und mit Witz.
Wunderbar!

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This odd and wonderful little book is as weird as I imagine Kafka to have been. The drawings are simple and whimsical and the content is appropriately dark. You will understand Kafka's life and major works if you read this. I absolutely loved how his works were described! It seems maybe Kafka also found his stories hard to understand. Even when I don't understand them, I'm always pulled into Kafka's stories, and I think this author feels the same. I highly recommend this to anyone who doesn't understand Kafka and for everyone who loves Kafka and his imagination. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

[sophia]

ashley will LOVE this

[Carter Mack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t know they wrote a biography about me??
8/10

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A weird book for a weird man, Kafka speaks to something dreadful within me and I cannot understand him. Truly the original emo.

[Barbora Vacková · Rating 4 out of 5]

groteskní, inteligentní a trefný komiks plný vizuálních i textových citací Kafkovy tvorby. Už samotným názvem si s námi autor hraje a nutí nás přemýšlet o celistvosti sdělení, které o něčím životě můžeme předat.

Dočtem se ale fakt hodně detailních a neotřelých informací o Kafkovi a jeho okolí, z jeho vlastního pera nebo často pera Maxe Broda. Ovšem pravdivostí si stejně nikdy nemůžeme být jistí.

A wtf jeho vztah k žen��m? samý red flags

[R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable. Learned some new facts about Kafka.

[Jennifer Vernon · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who teaches The Metamorphosis, I was hoping this graphic novel might be something I could use with my sophomores. Some of the content has made me decide against it. Kafka’s existential angst permeates the work. The book is thoroughly cited and has a bibliography. It is tough to read about one who seemed to be so miserable. I already knew the fates of his sisters, but I did not realize so many of the women he loved suffered similar fates

[Christoph Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zum 100. Todesjahr Kafkas eine kleine Biografie.

Und was für eine... der Missmut Kafkas wird konterkariert durch Mahlers Kommentare und bringt einen so zum Lachen.

[Izas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biografía bastante completa.

[Dario Holz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kann man machen. Aber eigentlich den Preis nicht wert

[Richard Derus · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Publisher Says: A delightfully witty and original graphic biography of Kafka, published to coincide with the centenary of the author’s death

This bold and sharply funny new look at Kafka is told through Nicolas Mahler's distinctive graphic novel style and minimalist illustrations. Full of fascinating details and witty, absurdist illustrations, it’s a delightful tribute to one of the world’s great writers.

Franz Kafka not only wrote prose, he was also passionate about drawing: at one time, he even said it satisfied him more than anything else. In this graphic biography, acclaimed artist Nicolas Mahler echoes Kafka’s own minimalist drawing style in a unique and surprising approach to the great writer’s life and work.

Drawing extensively on Kafka’s fiction, letters, and diaries, Completely Kafka illustrates the major and minor details that formed his life, from struggles with self-doubt and writer’s block to a failed plan for a series of cheap travel guides.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: When people want to say "this stinks and I don't know what the hell is going on" in one word, they reach for "Kafkaesque" to do the job. This is, as all eponymizations must of necessity be, a gross oversimplification and misrepresentation of an extremely complex and, in my never-remotely humble opinion, beautiful body of work. Nicolas Mahler's selections from Kafka's fiction and his letters are very cannily chosen to be effectively illustrated in his minimalist style:


The lines, the volumes they define, the handmade feel of the brushstrokes, all echo the effect of Kafka's prose in my reader's ear. They are bold, they delineate spaces and fill them with interesting images; they are clear, unambiguous in themselves and still make the gestalt ambiguous; they do not use vivid colors but rely on contrasts, shapes, edges to convey their sense.


Offered as a corrective to the sloppily used eponym and an expansion of real understanding of Kafka and his intentions in a short, unpretentious, enioyable package on the centenary of his death.

Very highly recommended for those whose idea of Kafka pretty much ends at using "Kafkaesque" when at the DMV or the county tax office.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Pushkin Press for an advance copy of this new graphic novel biography featuring the words of one of literature's great writers illustrated in sometimes disturbing ways.

Writers can be an awkward. I don't think that this would be a surprise to anyone. What makes sense on the page is sometimes hard to deal with in the real world. A bon mot that makes a reader giggle might stop a dinner conversation cold, when told to new acquaintances. Writers also spend so much time with themselves thinking of the perfect character, they might find dealing with humans that need air, not ink to live, never measure up to what they can create. And of course many writers deal with the fact that parents always wonder when they are going to get a real job, and constantly "bug" them about it. Franz Kafka had many of these problems, and chose to write down many of his thoughts, feelings, views on events as well as create some of the most unsettling and downright odd works of fiction. Completely Kafka:A Comic Biography written and by Nicolas Mahler, translated by Alexander Booth is an illustrated guide to the works, the history doubts and fears about the man, told in his own words.

Mahler draws from fiction, diaries letters, and notes from Kafka, his family, his love interests, and of course his friend and literary executor Max Brod. The book begins with a rabbi creating a golem, which becomes Franz's father. We follow young Franz growing up, taking a job, being awkward around people, and his thoughts about himself. Women were a mystery to Franz, who idolized one, but complained to her about her teeth, a comment that ended the relationship. The book looks at the works from of course Metamorphosis and In the Penal Colony, and the works that went unfinished, like Amerika. There is a little bit about his relationship with Max Brod, a writer himself, and his breaking his promise to Kafka about destroying certain works after Kafka died. This is still one of the great literary dilemmas, that happens even today. When does the rights of the writer end and the reader or fan begin. If work is unfinished, should it be released. Finished by other hands. The graphic novel follows Kafka's life up to the end, with added comments from others and the author artist.

An interesting idea, using mostly the words of the writer to tell about one's life, and it works well. Mahler mixes the life of the author, as well as his tales,well, giving a very good look at well complicated and difficult man in many ways. The artwork is very good. Art that looks simple, told only in blue, but as one reads the art really reflects not only the words, but the thoughts and ideas the words are trying to share. I would like to see this done with other writers as I really enjoyed the whole project.

Recommended for people who like nonfiction graphic novels, fans of Kafka, or really enjoy the interplay of words and images to tell a story about a man of gifts, sharing what he sees in his head. This can be said about both Kafka and Mahler.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Visual biography of Franz Kafka – I say visual, as opposed to graphic novel, as a lot of it is art with text above and below, and the usual things such as speech bubbles and actual sequential art aren't really here in much quantity at all. I didn't take to it at first, when it seems that Mr Kafka the father is a Golem, and Franz is an afterthought, many years later, more a dust-bunny kind of character than a human – and surely his father would not be the greater clay figure but the bloke that formed the pair of them, Geppetto-style?

Either way, after that things clear up – and we learn things, with the help of quotes from his letters and other literary works, and those of Max Brod (even if we don't see a smidge of how they met and who Brod was). I didn't know a budget tour guide book series was part of their juvenile plans, for one. Someone, a young chap, seemingly, with not long to live, wrote a sequel to "The Metamorphosis" while the ink was still drying on the original. This is conveyed, along with a few of the key plot summaries as the stories come along – well, come into light then die off as quickly as possible, or so it ever seemed.

All told, I don't think this a complete success. It's light, at times – a touch of text and a large gap before the key illustration, and that's the page done. At others, it's dense with italicised quotes from Kafka's letters, to one fiancée or another or Brod or a family member. The monochrome artwork doesn't really help all that much – you can get the impression from Kafka's writing that he felt like some kind of shrivelled, shrew-like critter, and with such a great proportion of this being his own words nothing is exactly elevated by showing him as that.

And I am always bound to look at such a book from the layman's view – and here I think there are biographies of Kafka with greater clarity, with more sustained detail, and with less effort in looking distinctive, while not exceeding this in word count. I found things I didn't know, and many will, but is this The One Book About Kafka The Average Person Needs? Far from it. Is it an add-on to a burgeoning shelf for the completist? That's more like it – but even then it still shies away from greatness.

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Últimamente me ha dado por las biografías ilustradas, será porque, en cierto sentido, siento que es un poco cotillear y eso me está sacando del bloqueo lector en el que estoy medio enfangada ahora mismo.

Sinceramente, no sabía prácticamente nada de Kafka hasta ahora. Tuve que leer La metamorfosis en el instituto y mentiría si dijera que me gustó o que entendí algo (a lo mejor es buen momento para una relectura); por lo demás, el algoritmo de Twitter, de un tiempo a esta parte, me va tirando a la cara tuits que son fragmentos de sus cartas y diarios, lo que me ha hecho descubrir que Kafka y yo nos hemos sentido inquietantemente igual (es decir, igual de deprimidos) en algunos momentos de nuestras vidas.

Total, que esta noche me he metido en eBiblio, me he puesto a mirar la sección de novedades disponibles de libros electrónicos y me he topado con esta biografía ilustrada. PEC. Es amena, tiene toques de humor, hace un repaso no solo por la vida del autor, sino también por su obra; además, se sirve muy inteligentemente de fragmentos extraídos de los escritos del propio Kafka. Eso ha sido lo que más me ha gustado, sin duda.

Bueno, y el final. Hasta esta lectura no tenía ni idea de la existencia de un señor llamado Max Brod, pero me ha conmovido enormemente su amistad con Kafka. Me parece todo un acierto que Mahler decida terminar esta biografía con una alusión a la última entrevista que Brod concedió en 1968. En ella, Georg Stadtler, el entrevistador, le pregunta si «haber mantenido una amistad tan estrecha» con Kafka no le dificulta su labor como historiador de la literatura a la hora de interpretar la obra de su amiga, por «carecer quizá de la distancia (…) que tienen otros que no conocieron a Kafka personalmente». La respuesta de Brod me ha dejado el corazón calentito:

No creo que haya nada de ventajoso en no haber conocido a Kafka.

[Violet Springs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Completely Kafka offers a fresh, witty, and engaging take on the life of Franz Kafka, the iconic writer known for his surreal, existential works. Published to mark the centenary of Kafka's death, this graphic biography dives into the complexities of Kafka's life and psyche, brought to life through Mahler's unique minimalist style.

Not only was Kafka one of the most significant writers of the 20th century, he was also passionate about drawing. Mahler captures this lesser-known aspect of Kafka’s creative expression, using a graphic novel format to reflect the author's minimalist aesthetic. By weaving together elements from Kafka's fiction, letters, and personal diaries, Mahler paints a vivid portrait of a man who struggled with self-doubt, creative blocks, and the pressures of everyday life.

The biography explores Kafka’s major life events as well as humorous and absurd details, such as his failed venture into writing travel guides. It also reflects on his relationships, his career as a bureaucrat, and his alienation from society—all themes that found their way into his famous works like The Trial and The Metamorphosis.

Elements
- Graphic Biography
- Kafka’s Inner World
- Minimalist Art Style

Perfect For Fans Of
- Graphic novels and biographies with a distinctive artistic approach
- Kafka enthusiasts looking for a fresh, humorous take on his life
- Readers interested in surrealism and absurdity, presented through both literature and art

Completely Kafka offers a delightful and insightful tribute to one of the most enigmatic and influential authors of modern literature. Nicolas Mahler’s combination of witty illustrations and poignant biographical details makes this a must-read for Kafka fans and graphic novel lovers alike. Whether you’re already familiar with Kafka’s works or new to his world, this comic biography sheds light on the man behind the metaphors, blending humor and depth in equal measure.

[Pixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is "comic" both in the comics-style illustrations, and in the way it presents the highlights of Kafka's life and work in a comic style that gently pokes fun. For someone who was forced to read Kafka in school, or tried to read him and found the general tone absolutely ick, this little book is a very palatable way to get to know the author and his works. You get a good sense of how Kafka felt about his family and how he interacted with people. Translator Alexander Booth does a great job conveying the German author/illustrator's humor. If you've ever known or lived with Germans, you know sometimes the humor doesn't translate, so good job! Mahler culls direct quotes from Kafka's letters and work and paints a clear, concise picture. I learned things I'd never heard before, like the way Kafka cracked up with laughter reading one of his stories out loud. Good to know that what I always felt was creepy and angsty was originally conceived as hilarious.

The book has a bit after the "closing credits," so to speak, of his friend being interviewed years later, bringing up the topic of how people interpret an author's work when they didn't know him, is it better to have known the author, etc. There is definitely a conventional way of interpreting Kafka, and this book might nudge some preconceptions you might have. For instance , if there's a conventional opinion that Kafka's relatively young death from tuberculosis means the literary world lost out on who knows what future works, it made me consider: I didn't know that all of his sisters and all but one of his love interests died in concentration camps soon after. Who's to say that wouldn't have happened to him too? We can't assume that if he'd survived tuberculosis that he would have produced more work. I'm just glad there was this quick and easy way to get to know him a little, so that the next time a bookish person races about Kafka I'll be a bit more familiar with who they're talking about.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.0 of 5

A biography of Franz Kafka told in minimalist, illustrative form.
I was really thrilled to get this book. I'm a tremendous fan of the work of Franz Kafka and, many decades ago, I had read through his collected letters and diaries. Getting a new work out there, to reach a new audience - especially those who enjoy or prefer graphic novels - seemed really ideal.

Unfortunately this book just doesn't work for me. The biggest issue for me is: is this a graphic novel? I don't think it is. It is a heavily illustrated, short biography. There is one drawing per page (with the rare exception when there are two small drawings) and the drawings don't help tell the narrative but rather pick a moment from the narrative to re-tell. It's more akin to the illustrating of a children's book. Except that this isn't for children.

Who this book is targeted toward becomes my other problem with the reading. It's not for kids - Kafka's life is not a children's story! Older readers (such as myself) are probably not as interested in the format. So ... university students? Those who've grown up with Twitter and TickTock as a means of communication and prefer the abbreviated, CliffsNotes style of information gathering?

The best part of the book, for me, is the bibliography and the note citations at the end. If this book is intended to create some interest in Kafka so that the reader might want to look further, then the book maybe works and the bibliography and citations are hugely important.

Looking for a good book? Completely Kafka: A Comic Biography by Nicholas Mahler is a unique take on a biography but its appeal may be very limited.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.

[AnnieM · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and very accessible short biography of Kafka with doodles/drawings throughout. Even though it is concise and brief, I feel like it well encapsulated his life and career. The spectre of his father looms large over his life - always comparing himself to his angry domineering father and feeling that his father was the standard by which the world measured him. Throughout, we learn about his phobias - to schools, mirrors, bad teeth, commitment. Kafka comes across as someone who is not comfortable "in his own skin." The author, Mahler, effectively utilizes diaries, writings and interviews to tell his story. He also included reviews of Kafka's writing. One of my favorite interviews included at the end, was Max Brod (a friend of his) who was interviewed in 1968 about how misunderstood Kafka was and is. There are also more in depth citations and a bibliography at the end of the book. Not only was the information really good but it also evoked a feeling about who Kafka was and his life. Extremely well done.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

[The Bookish Chimera - Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

“At first glance, Kafka was a healthy young man, if strangely quiet, observing, reserved.”
(Max Brod)

I have to admit that I mostly know F. Kafka through excerpts of his love correspondence. That had left me curious about the author and about the man, as in these his sensitivity and sensibility to the world seemed deep and peculiar.

That short biography was for me the opportunity to have a first glimpse about the author and the man. I loved the minimalist and raw graphic –that I found very appropriate to the “character” and how he saw his surroundings. The text mixes Kafka’s works and correspondence, interviews from people who knew him and comments from the author. How the all is structured is almost like a tale, which fits that special way of thinking that apparently inhabited Kafka. His diseases, both mental and physical, are omnipresent, of course, like a wire connecting everything (work, moods, love, self-depreciation, etc).
It was, for me, a great way to start my journey with F.K. and I will, without a doubt, dig into the extensive bibliography in the future.

[Andreea · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Maybe it's me. It could quite possibly be me but I just did not get along with this biography of Kafka, which is not really a graphic novels but it's mostly doodle illustrations (which are a lot of fun), but a bit lacking, even as a biography.

Maybe it's me because I read it so fragmentary and not in one go? Could that be why? Maybe it's the biography, which is not sure if it's a biography or a story about Kafka's life or whatever it is.

It's a tad bit too long, it does not say that much, it does not go into depth. It spends pages upon pages talking too much about Kafka's works but just in a synopsis kind of way or in a way that tells you his work in an easier way to understand? I had no idea why. Stick to the biography maybe? And of course the literary meanings and the critics opinions at the time of the publications, but don't go on spoiling some of his works randomly just because you feel the need to fill up more pages.

[Justine]

*ARC received from the publisher in Netgalley*

I really enjoyed the illustrations and they were super quirky and cute! I also knew very little about kafka, so this was really interesting to read.

However, I had to DNF this book as there were so many typos errors and missing words/letters that it took away from my enjoyment of reading this book fully. With the book being set to be published in June, I feel like the errors in the arc were slightly either a mistake or was overlooked by the publisher. Or maybe it was the copy I got. Either way, I hope these issues gets resolved by the publisher and therefore makes a more cohesive book to read and enjoy.

With the 30% that I read, I would rate this book 3/5 as the book was quirky and sometimes there were little phrases that I totally related to. For example, the quote: “by crying during examinations, especially maths.” about when talking about surviving school. This was totally relatable 😂😂😂