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Up in the Gallery
Mit dem Werkbeitrag aus Kindlers Literatur Lexikon.
Mit dem Autorenporträt aus dem Metzler Lexikon Weltliteratur.
Mit Daten zu Leben und Werk, exklusiv verfasst von der Redaktion der Zeitschrift für Literatur TEXT + KRITIK.
Phantastisches und Unheimliches, Paradoxes und Kafka beschreibt die unglaublichsten Sachverhalte nüchtern und minutiös. Grenzbereiche werden ausgeleuchtet, existenzielle Grund- oder Ausnahmesituationen in unvergessliche Bilder gefasst. Seine Texte haben die gleiche Intensität wie Träume. »Es ist das Schicksal und vielleicht auch die Größe dieses Werks, dass es alle Möglichkeiten darbietet und keine bestätigt« (Albert Camus).
Mit dem Autorenporträt aus dem Metzler Lexikon Weltliteratur.
Mit Daten zu Leben und Werk, exklusiv verfasst von der Redaktion der Zeitschrift für Literatur TEXT + KRITIK.
Phantastisches und Unheimliches, Paradoxes und Kafka beschreibt die unglaublichsten Sachverhalte nüchtern und minutiös. Grenzbereiche werden ausgeleuchtet, existenzielle Grund- oder Ausnahmesituationen in unvergessliche Bilder gefasst. Seine Texte haben die gleiche Intensität wie Träume. »Es ist das Schicksal und vielleicht auch die Größe dieses Werks, dass es alle Möglichkeiten darbietet und keine bestätigt« (Albert Camus).
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1919
3 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
Franz Kafka
3,224 books38.6k followersPrague-born writer Franz Kafka wrote in German, and his stories, such as "
The Metamorphosis
" (1916), and posthumously published novels, including
The Trial
(1925), concern troubled individuals in a nightmarishly impersonal world.
Jewish middle-class family of this major fiction writer of the 20th century spoke German. People consider his unique body of much incomplete writing, mainly published posthumously, among the most influential in European literature.
His stories include "The Metamorphosis" (1912) and " In the Penal Colony " (1914), whereas his posthumous novels include The Trial (1925), The Castle (1926) and Amerika (1927).
Despite first language, Kafka also spoke fluent Czech. Later, Kafka acquired some knowledge of the French language and culture from Flaubert, one of his favorite authors.
Kafka first studied chemistry at the Charles-Ferdinand University of Prague but after two weeks switched to law. This study offered a range of career possibilities, which pleased his father, and required a longer course of study that gave Kafka time to take classes in German studies and art history. At the university, he joined a student club, named Lese- und Redehalle der Deutschen Studenten, which organized literary events, readings, and other activities. In the end of his first year of studies, he met Max Brod, a close friend of his throughout his life, together with the journalist Felix Weltsch, who also studied law. Kafka obtained the degree of doctor of law on 18 June 1906 and performed an obligatory year of unpaid service as law clerk for the civil and criminal courts.
Writing of Kafka attracted little attention before his death. During his lifetime, he published only a few short stories and never finished any of his novels except the very short "The Metamorphosis." Kafka wrote to Max Brod, his friend and literary executor: "Dearest Max, my last request: Everything I leave behind me ... in the way of diaries, manuscripts, letters (my own and others'), sketches, and so on, [is] to be burned unread." Brod told Kafka that he intended not to honor these wishes, but Kafka, so knowing, nevertheless consequently gave these directions specifically to Brod, who, so reasoning, overrode these wishes. Brod in fact oversaw the publication of most of work of Kafka in his possession; these works quickly began to attract attention and high critical regard.
Max Brod encountered significant difficulty in compiling notebooks of Kafka into any chronological order as Kafka started writing in the middle of notebooks, from the last towards the first, et cetera.
Kafka wrote all his published works in German except several letters in Czech to Milena Jesenská.
Jewish middle-class family of this major fiction writer of the 20th century spoke German. People consider his unique body of much incomplete writing, mainly published posthumously, among the most influential in European literature.
His stories include "The Metamorphosis" (1912) and " In the Penal Colony " (1914), whereas his posthumous novels include The Trial (1925), The Castle (1926) and Amerika (1927).
Despite first language, Kafka also spoke fluent Czech. Later, Kafka acquired some knowledge of the French language and culture from Flaubert, one of his favorite authors.
Kafka first studied chemistry at the Charles-Ferdinand University of Prague but after two weeks switched to law. This study offered a range of career possibilities, which pleased his father, and required a longer course of study that gave Kafka time to take classes in German studies and art history. At the university, he joined a student club, named Lese- und Redehalle der Deutschen Studenten, which organized literary events, readings, and other activities. In the end of his first year of studies, he met Max Brod, a close friend of his throughout his life, together with the journalist Felix Weltsch, who also studied law. Kafka obtained the degree of doctor of law on 18 June 1906 and performed an obligatory year of unpaid service as law clerk for the civil and criminal courts.
Writing of Kafka attracted little attention before his death. During his lifetime, he published only a few short stories and never finished any of his novels except the very short "The Metamorphosis." Kafka wrote to Max Brod, his friend and literary executor: "Dearest Max, my last request: Everything I leave behind me ... in the way of diaries, manuscripts, letters (my own and others'), sketches, and so on, [is] to be burned unread." Brod told Kafka that he intended not to honor these wishes, but Kafka, so knowing, nevertheless consequently gave these directions specifically to Brod, who, so reasoning, overrode these wishes. Brod in fact oversaw the publication of most of work of Kafka in his possession; these works quickly began to attract attention and high critical regard.
Max Brod encountered significant difficulty in compiling notebooks of Kafka into any chronological order as Kafka started writing in the middle of notebooks, from the last towards the first, et cetera.
Kafka wrote all his published works in German except several letters in Czech to Milena Jesenská.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
September 18, 2018
Franz Kafka's Up In The Gallery is a short prose-piece. It consists of only two sentences. Ignoring the several (all equally convincing) claims to have found a 'code' for Kafka's writing; to therefore read Up In The Gallery 'plain' --
Aside from the interest in the content of Up In The Gallery (does the narrator 'see clear'?) some of us simply enjoy its language structure. Some of us probably will have no recollection at all of what it is about, for the thing that sank in was its shape.
Two clearly written sentences, each one setting out a series of highly imaginative images, clause following clause, and the second sentence before it launches off, succinctly placing its relationship to the first. The first sentence is what 'might have been' the case: the second sentence however is what actually 'is' the case.
'If some ( - ) were to ( - ), and if this ( - ) amid the ( - ) were to ( - ), perhaps then . . . ' This long structure alone, devoid of its content, can please. To then fill in the gaps with some vivid images - a tubercular lady circus-rider galloping round the ring for months and months without interruption, applause which dies down and rises up again, hands which clap like steam hammers - will do quite nicely.
And then a long second sentence begins with a rebuttal of the first one - 'Since things are not like that' - and a common writing 'shape' is stretched-out and attention is drawn to it (as a film director sometimes suddenly shows the cameras working on the set), and some of us are very pleased that Up In The Gallery exists. (https://markeldersonbooks.blogspot.com)
Aside from the interest in the content of Up In The Gallery (does the narrator 'see clear'?) some of us simply enjoy its language structure. Some of us probably will have no recollection at all of what it is about, for the thing that sank in was its shape.
Two clearly written sentences, each one setting out a series of highly imaginative images, clause following clause, and the second sentence before it launches off, succinctly placing its relationship to the first. The first sentence is what 'might have been' the case: the second sentence however is what actually 'is' the case.
'If some ( - ) were to ( - ), and if this ( - ) amid the ( - ) were to ( - ), perhaps then . . . ' This long structure alone, devoid of its content, can please. To then fill in the gaps with some vivid images - a tubercular lady circus-rider galloping round the ring for months and months without interruption, applause which dies down and rises up again, hands which clap like steam hammers - will do quite nicely.
And then a long second sentence begins with a rebuttal of the first one - 'Since things are not like that' - and a common writing 'shape' is stretched-out and attention is drawn to it (as a film director sometimes suddenly shows the cameras working on the set), and some of us are very pleased that Up In The Gallery exists. (https://markeldersonbooks.blogspot.com)
September 24, 2015
Kafka has a very interesting writing style; Love it!
June 2, 2023
Read it backwards...
July 6, 2025
3.75🌟
Kilkaset słów z głębokim przekazem.
Kilkaset słów z głębokim przekazem.
Read
August 27, 2024im on the kafka grind rn
March 27, 2023
3.5
A whole life in two sentences
A whole life in two sentences
August 3, 2019
En este relato se destaca la importancia de la forma de la narración y su exquisitez por sobre el tema narrado. La fluidez entre cada oración hace posible una lectura ininterrumpida y veloz. Como es típico de Kafka, cuenta con una frase final que da un cierre y deja al lector pensando
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2018
Ich möchte die Person sehen/hören, die das in doppelter Lesegeschwindigkeit ohne Fehler und Pausen vorliest, ohne zu explodieren.
December 12, 2021
Beautiful writing that conveyed so many ideas and emotions in just two sentences.
Key ideas:
- When cruelty is obviously seen and manifested, change can happen.
- But when cruelty is shielded in a form of compassion, no one can step forward.
- Everyone in the circus is complicit in watching these acts unfold, while not doing anything to change it
Key ideas:
- When cruelty is obviously seen and manifested, change can happen.
- But when cruelty is shielded in a form of compassion, no one can step forward.
- Everyone in the circus is complicit in watching these acts unfold, while not doing anything to change it
October 22, 2023
In this story, first it was written as what if the negative situation happens, then it breaks the imagination and what if things... And it's a positive situation...
It takes some time to understand the stuff..
It takes some time to understand the stuff..
August 27, 2025
RACCONTO BREVE (Su nella galleria)
Lo stile di questo brevissimo racconto è veramente interessante e suggestivo, ma l'opera è fin troppo allegorica per essere capita davvero, l'ho trovata un po' vuota.
6.5/10
Lo stile di questo brevissimo racconto è veramente interessante e suggestivo, ma l'opera è fin troppo allegorica per essere capita davvero, l'ho trovata un po' vuota.
6.5/10
January 22, 2018
Um, whut??? This reminds me of the type of dreams I usually have, random and bizarre.
March 13, 2022
Masterfully, two sentences pose: the delirium of acting against injustice vs. the saddening reality of inaction.
June 9, 2022
Beautiful story, poem maybe, on being and appearance. Reminder of the many deaths we live through in the darknesses of the world today.
February 12, 2023
4.25⭐
June 17, 2023
mam wrazenie ze to powinno byc w “ameryce”
September 22, 2023
I did not like this one very much. It seems like Kafka had looked at women in a certain way, somewhat alienated from them, if I may dare to notice.
Read
April 17, 2024Idk if it was any good cause i couldn't stand the narrator
December 23, 2025
A Kafka le encanta dejar de pensar con su última frase.
Corto, conciso y absolutamente rápido de leer.
Corto, conciso y absolutamente rápido de leer.
December 29, 2025
Kafka siempre tiene algo que decir. Lo amo.
March 7, 2021
Read for school
January 10, 2020
If Mattina by Ungaretti is the shortest poem I know, these two sentences by Kafka are probably the shortest book. Nevertheless, it took me a while to read and re-read the text to understand the words and try to identify its meaning. A first sentence that leads to a reaction starting from a untrue premise. A truth that requires different actions.
A few lines, which make you think. Kafka.
A few lines, which make you think. Kafka.
December 23, 2023
This is another Kafka text I read for class, first in German and then in English to clear up some less-common vocabulary (scrupulous, an idiomatic term for tuberculosis, steam-hammers, etc.)
Like Vor dem Gesetz, this one has a lot going on under the surface despite, but there's also a lot that's interesting at face value. For one, this is two run-on sentences, giving the whole thing a suffocating stream-of-consciousness feel, and then Kafka's imagery is as stark as one may expect. But upon analysis it's a reflection pool, a gestalt; undercurrents of metacommentary on literature as well as societal critique lend themselves well to many analytical lenses. There's a strange twist of humor underneath it all, as I've come to find out is common in Kafka's work. It still feels strange that he and his friends would sit around cracking up at such startling and indirect satire.
(Yes, I'm logging all my recent short fiction reads in an attempt to reach my Goodreads challenge before the year ends.)
Like Vor dem Gesetz, this one has a lot going on under the surface despite, but there's also a lot that's interesting at face value. For one, this is two run-on sentences, giving the whole thing a suffocating stream-of-consciousness feel, and then Kafka's imagery is as stark as one may expect. But upon analysis it's a reflection pool, a gestalt; undercurrents of metacommentary on literature as well as societal critique lend themselves well to many analytical lenses. There's a strange twist of humor underneath it all, as I've come to find out is common in Kafka's work. It still feels strange that he and his friends would sit around cracking up at such startling and indirect satire.
(Yes, I'm logging all my recent short fiction reads in an attempt to reach my Goodreads challenge before the year ends.)
May 19, 2016
Another Surreal short story. Performers or artists beleaguered unto sickness by the demands of their audience. Much like his "Hunger Artist".
February 19, 2017
Ein Kafka für unterwegs. Ein guter kurzer gedanklicher Einschnitt in den Alltag.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews