The Trees

by Franz Kafka

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.
Die Texte des Bandes ›Betrachtung‹, die experimentellen filmischen Kurzsequenzen ähneln, kann man als einen fulminanten Auftakt zu Kafkas späteren Werken bezeichnen. Unmerklich gleitet die Darstellung vom Realen ins Surreale über. Es herrscht die Logik des Traums. »Ich könnte mir sehr gut einen denken, dem dieses Buch in die Hand fällt und der von Stund an sein ganzes Leben ändert, ein neuer Mensch wird« (Max Brod).

Genres: Classics, Short Stories, German Literature

Unknown Binding

About the author

Prague-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.

Reviews

[Atlas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another short one sentence story by him
A deep deep thought that I have yet to fully understand....it is amazing how kafka can manipulate and fuck with one's mind with each a small story :)

[Mohajerino · Rating 5 out of 5]

ما براستی به تنه‌های درخت در برف میمانیم.آنها به ظاهر تخت دراز کشیده‌اند وکمی فشار کافی است تا بغلتاندشان.نه،نمی‌شود؛چون آنها سفت به زمین چسبیده‌اند اما ببینید،آن نیز جز ظاهر نیست.

[Farhana Lüba · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wonder how Kafka does it, how he gives all the meaning to three lines and gets away with it.
Here, Kafka says that we're all like tree trunks in the snow. We appear to be so freedom-wanting that it apparently seems like it will just take one light push for us to set out in the world, to go against the stream, to be free from all human bonds.
But it can't be done, because we've grown all these roots around us, and we've got these roots growing within us.
Then again, it too, is only an appearance.
Such an awful dilemma of human attachments, isn't it?

[Tobi ﾄﾋﾞ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kafka’s writing is always gorgeous, and this book's got an interesting theme, but I wasn't totally hooked. It's interesting, but it didn't stick with me.

[vino4d · Rating 5 out of 5]

It may look easy but it's hard to unwire things, like a trunk in the snow.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.3 stars

A confusing and intriguing poetic sentence.

[Donakrap Dokrappom · Rating 3 out of 5]

ผมว่าผมน่าจะเป็นนักเขียนได้อยู่นะ 555

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐

[Deep · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trees can't move

[amal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetic!

[Ania · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

[Clive Barker Stan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Same, king. Same

[CH0MSKY H0NK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, sweet