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The Castle / The Trial
The Castle: Arriving in a village to take up the position of land surveyor for the mysterious lord of a castle, the character known as K finds himself in a bitter & baffling struggle to contact his new employer & go about his duties. As the villagers & the Castle officials block his efforts at every turn, K’s consuming quest–quite possibly a self-imposed one–to penetrate the inaccessible heart of the Castle & take its measure is repeatedly frustrated. Kafka once suggested that the would-be surveyor in The Castle is driven by a wish “to get clear about ultimate things,” an unrealizable desire that provided the driving force behind all of Kafka’s dazzlingly uncanny fictions.
The Trial: Written in 1914, The Trial is the terrifying tale of Josef K, a respectable bank officer who is suddenly arrested & must defend himself against a charge about which he can get no information. Kafka’s nightmare has resonated with chilling truth for generations of readers.
The Trial: Written in 1914, The Trial is the terrifying tale of Josef K, a respectable bank officer who is suddenly arrested & must defend himself against a charge about which he can get no information. Kafka’s nightmare has resonated with chilling truth for generations of readers.
821 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1956
24 people are currently reading
222 people want to read
About the author
Franz Kafka
3,169 books38.3k 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 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 8, 2021
Sämsta böckerna jag läst, men det får man väl hålla tyst om
October 18, 2021
განა ადამიანი შეიძლება იყოს დამნაშავე?
აი ასეა მოკლედ, იბადები და ეგრევე გეუბნებიან რომ რაღაცაში ხარ დამნაშავე. ეს ცოდვილობის ტვირთი საზიდი გაქვს მთელი ცხოვრება, სიკვდილამდე. არ არსებობს არცერთი გამართლებული (ანუ უცოდველი არავინ იბადება). უბრალოდ, ზოგს გავლენიანი ნაცნობები ჰყავს და უკეთეს პირობებშია. უცოდველი კი არაა, მარა ცოდვებს არც არასდროს მოჰკითხავენ.
ცოდვილობის ტვირთის აბსურდულობაზე გვესაუბრება კაფკა.რა გასაკვირია, რომ დოსტოევსკისადმი მიქსდ ფილინგები ჰქონდა.
აქვე: დოსტოევსკი ჩემთვის არის დიდებული ტალანტი გაფლანგული ფუჭად. მენანება.
აი ასეა მოკლედ, იბადები და ეგრევე გეუბნებიან რომ რაღაცაში ხარ დამნაშავე. ეს ცოდვილობის ტვირთი საზიდი გაქვს მთელი ცხოვრება, სიკვდილამდე. არ არსებობს არცერთი გამართლებული (ანუ უცოდველი არავინ იბადება). უბრალოდ, ზოგს გავლენიანი ნაცნობები ჰყავს და უკეთეს პირობებშია. უცოდველი კი არაა, მარა ცოდვებს არც არასდროს მოჰკითხავენ.
ცოდვილობის ტვირთის აბსურდულობაზე გვესაუბრება კაფკა.რა გასაკვირია, რომ დოსტოევსკისადმი მიქსდ ფილინგები ჰქონდა.
აქვე: დოსტოევსკი ჩემთვის არის დიდებული ტალანტი გაფლანგული ფუჭად. მენანება.
January 8, 2011
A monstrously spellbinding mockery of over-the-top bureaucracy set within a horrendous dreamscape only Kafka could possibly conjure. The book is almost a weapon against government depending on how close a reader pays attention. There is much to be learned about both sides of the bureaucratic machine; the public and the officials. Both sides have a similar view of the other and both are very wrong. Rumor has it, or more appropriately, the commonplace thought is that this work was unfinished by Kafka as it simply stops in the middle of a sentence. I posit that this is what Kafka intended because it is typical of a bureaucracy to not allow closure on any matter. Kafka's friend, who was responsible for publishing The Castle despite Kafka's wishes that he burn all his manuscripts upon his death, had no way of knowing Kafka's real intentions. I think Kafka knew well enough that his friend would publish this abomination and it would be his joke from the grave. During the several weeks it took me to read this novel, my sleep was populated with terrible dreams associated with this book...these dreams were all too familiar because I live them everyday. It is a haunting piece by a terrible human being and a master writer. I loved it for the same reason I get up for work every morning and contribute to a reprehensible but comforting Establishment. Rot in hell Kafka, your novel gets 5 stars.
November 25, 2017
This is my world
March 10, 2019
Estoy leyendo El Castillo, no El proceso. Hasta ahora he visto al menos tres capítulos enteramente e innegablemente humorísticos. No todo es angustia aquí, se diga lo que se diga.
March 4, 2024
Il Processo 4/5 🌟
Un racconto in cui traspare al massimo l'ideologia di kafka.
Un pretesto semplice ma che arriva ad analizzare il rapporto dell'essere umano con la legge e in maniera macroscopica dell'essere umano con la terra.
Il processo e la condanna che inesorabilmente gravano sulla sorte del protagonista gli fanno perdere la testa, e così si vede la sua rovina.
La perdita di energie, di interesse al proprio lavoro, di idee e pergiunta di voglia di combattere il suo stesso processo.
Una straziante storia in cui viene messo a nudo il rapporto che ogni essere umano ha con il mondo, l'incromprensibilità del mondo e delle sue leggi e l'enigma della vita.
K. non riesce mai ad afferrare la verità che costantemente gli sfugge e diventa inafferrabile, parabola dell'essere umano con la verità indecifrabile del mondo
Il Castello 4/5 🌟
Seppur opposta risulta, per certi versi, la continuazione ideologica del Processo.
Una storia kafkiana, dove la tensione e l'angoscia tipiche dell'autore sono constantemente palpabili.
Le interpretazione per questo libro, come per il processo, sono innumerevoli e in continuo cambiamento ed evoluzione. Quella a cui io resto più fedele è la rappresentazione di una meta irraggiungibile.
Josef K. e K. sono entrambi alla ricerca delle regole che governano il loro mondo ma entrambi sbagliano alla radice del loro problema: non comprendendo perché sono accusati o perché sono stati convocati.
Questa stessa incomprensione può essere rispecchiata nella nostra vita di tutti i giorni e, come dicevo prima, nella ricerca di una qualsiasi meta in verità irraggiungibile.
Ricerca di un oggetto, di una condizione, di una persona che non siamo in grado di comprendere a pieno e che mai riusciremo a comprendere.
Ricerca e, di conseguenza, attesa che ci logoreranno e priveranno della nostra forza vitale togliendo significato a qualsiasi nostra attività e in maniera inevitabile, alla nostra stessa esistenza.
Due storie simili e allo stesso tempo molto diverse che sono riuscite a toccarmi nel profondo. Seppur piene di significati differenti, non mi recludo la possibilità di una futura, anche se lontana, rilettura con conseguente migliore comprensione.
Un racconto in cui traspare al massimo l'ideologia di kafka.
Un pretesto semplice ma che arriva ad analizzare il rapporto dell'essere umano con la legge e in maniera macroscopica dell'essere umano con la terra.
Il processo e la condanna che inesorabilmente gravano sulla sorte del protagonista gli fanno perdere la testa, e così si vede la sua rovina.
La perdita di energie, di interesse al proprio lavoro, di idee e pergiunta di voglia di combattere il suo stesso processo.
Una straziante storia in cui viene messo a nudo il rapporto che ogni essere umano ha con il mondo, l'incromprensibilità del mondo e delle sue leggi e l'enigma della vita.
K. non riesce mai ad afferrare la verità che costantemente gli sfugge e diventa inafferrabile, parabola dell'essere umano con la verità indecifrabile del mondo
Il Castello 4/5 🌟
Seppur opposta risulta, per certi versi, la continuazione ideologica del Processo.
Una storia kafkiana, dove la tensione e l'angoscia tipiche dell'autore sono constantemente palpabili.
Le interpretazione per questo libro, come per il processo, sono innumerevoli e in continuo cambiamento ed evoluzione. Quella a cui io resto più fedele è la rappresentazione di una meta irraggiungibile.
Josef K. e K. sono entrambi alla ricerca delle regole che governano il loro mondo ma entrambi sbagliano alla radice del loro problema: non comprendendo perché sono accusati o perché sono stati convocati.
Questa stessa incomprensione può essere rispecchiata nella nostra vita di tutti i giorni e, come dicevo prima, nella ricerca di una qualsiasi meta in verità irraggiungibile.
Ricerca di un oggetto, di una condizione, di una persona che non siamo in grado di comprendere a pieno e che mai riusciremo a comprendere.
Ricerca e, di conseguenza, attesa che ci logoreranno e priveranno della nostra forza vitale togliendo significato a qualsiasi nostra attività e in maniera inevitabile, alla nostra stessa esistenza.
Due storie simili e allo stesso tempo molto diverse che sono riuscite a toccarmi nel profondo. Seppur piene di significati differenti, non mi recludo la possibilità di una futura, anche se lontana, rilettura con conseguente migliore comprensione.
November 19, 2012
Kafka can be tough to read, especially these two long works. I read The Trial last year, but somehow when I was adding this combined version, I deleted my original review. It was the newer Breon Mitchell translation, whereas this combined copy is an older translation by the Muirs with appended manuscript and inclusions. I'll try to revive some of my earlier thoughts on The Trial below. I don't believe anyone should have to read either of these more than once a lifetime.
The biggest theme, reflected of course in the digressive style of the plot, is the hyperbolic absurdity of governmental bureaucracy. It's a good joke, but unfortunately only for a few pages, then it gets tedious. I can't say which text, The Castle or The Trial, kills the joke quicker and to what extent, but they both beat it right into the ground. In both, the hero seems complicit in the absurdity. It's very difficult to enjoy the story when the narrator is just as faulty as his villains.
The two tales only seem to differ in their setting: the former seemingly set in the past (excepting the strange inclusion of the telephone in the inn), and the latter in an Orwellian bleak future. Kafka's fantasy is unique in that it always seems timeless and medieval, regardless of the dialogue and technology present.
There is a brilliance in Kafka's dialogue. It takes hard work to make every argument circle around on itself. Every time a character seems to represent some hope to K., the character gradually undoes the logic of the solution until they're useless.
Moreso than in The Trial which is a political stage, in The Castle an analogy of Deism seems prevalent. The Castle as a location in the plot has obvious allusions to a delinquent and unattainable deity. In this line, the character Klamm becomes Jesus, then later other officials step up to become saints and/or clergymen. All such "castellans" seem amoral and unsympathetic to the townsfolk. In fact, the only dignified trait of K. is his selfishness and greed.
I don't recommend these two works unless you're a glutton for punishment. Stick to his short but finished works.
The biggest theme, reflected of course in the digressive style of the plot, is the hyperbolic absurdity of governmental bureaucracy. It's a good joke, but unfortunately only for a few pages, then it gets tedious. I can't say which text, The Castle or The Trial, kills the joke quicker and to what extent, but they both beat it right into the ground. In both, the hero seems complicit in the absurdity. It's very difficult to enjoy the story when the narrator is just as faulty as his villains.
The two tales only seem to differ in their setting: the former seemingly set in the past (excepting the strange inclusion of the telephone in the inn), and the latter in an Orwellian bleak future. Kafka's fantasy is unique in that it always seems timeless and medieval, regardless of the dialogue and technology present.
There is a brilliance in Kafka's dialogue. It takes hard work to make every argument circle around on itself. Every time a character seems to represent some hope to K., the character gradually undoes the logic of the solution until they're useless.
Moreso than in The Trial which is a political stage, in The Castle an analogy of Deism seems prevalent. The Castle as a location in the plot has obvious allusions to a delinquent and unattainable deity. In this line, the character Klamm becomes Jesus, then later other officials step up to become saints and/or clergymen. All such "castellans" seem amoral and unsympathetic to the townsfolk. In fact, the only dignified trait of K. is his selfishness and greed.
I don't recommend these two works unless you're a glutton for punishment. Stick to his short but finished works.
May 8, 2017
This book is punishment. I have never hating reading a book more. This book is a series of pointless conversations. When something new happens, you don't care because none of the characters are likeable. I read this book while on a beautiful vacation and it would have ruined the trip if I didn't decide to stop reading. All of the sentences just kind of... happen... one after the other in an unpoetic list of actions and thoughts, similar to the way I have decided to format this review. If you enjoy the happy, emotional, transcendent, fulfilling feeling that comes with reading a nice book, you will not enjoy The Castle or The Trial by Kafka. If you enjoy unenjoyable things, boredom and the sound of people arguing in circles, well hey, you might want to check out The Castle or The Trial by
(Notice how I didn't finish the review. It is quite unsatisfying, isn't it.)
(Notice how I didn't finish the review. It is quite unsatisfying, isn't it.)
June 12, 2008
I'd been putting off reading this because of the sheer weight of these books. They seemed so... serious. Surprisingly, The Castle ended up being pretty hilarious. Many of the characters seem like they jumped out of some Chevy Chase SNL skit. K's eternal struggle doesn't seem quite so depressing when coupled with this kind of slapstick humor. The Castle was really beautiful and incredibly readable.
After reading the Castle I decided that I couldn't jump right into another 400 page Kafka novel. I'll get around to the Trial soon enough.
After reading the Castle I decided that I couldn't jump right into another 400 page Kafka novel. I'll get around to the Trial soon enough.
October 26, 2011
"El castillo", Franz Kafka.
Al principio me parecía interesante pero después se estancó...
Al principio me parecía interesante pero después se estancó...
August 13, 2011
The worst book I have ever read.
July 22, 2012
Read the Castle
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews