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Description of a Struggle and Other Stories

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"Description of a Struggle" is one of Kafka's longer minor works and is divided into three chapters. The first chapter is narrated by a young man attending a party and tells of his "acquaintance" (as he is referred to in the story) that he meets there. The second chapter is the longest and is itself split into several sections. The narrator leaps onto his acquaintance's back and rides him like a horse and imagines a landscape that responds to his every whim. He then meets an extraordinarily fat man carried on a litter who tells him the story of a "supplicant" who prays by smashing his head into the ground. In the third chapter, the narrator returns to reality, so to speak, and continues his walk up the Laurenziberg in winter with his acquaintance.

First published January 1, 1934

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About the author

Franz Kafka

3,233 books38.6k followers
Franz Kafka was a German-speaking writer from Prague whose work became one of the foundations of modern literature, even though he published only a small part of his writing during his lifetime. Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Prague, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Kafka grew up amid German, Czech, and Jewish cultural influences that shaped his sense of displacement and linguistic precision. His difficult relationship with his authoritarian father left a lasting mark, fostering feelings of guilt, anxiety, and inadequacy that became central themes in his fiction and personal writings.
Kafka studied law at the German University in Prague, earning a doctorate in 1906. He chose law for practical reasons rather than personal inclination, a compromise that troubled him throughout his life. After university, he worked for several insurance institutions, most notably the Workers Accident Insurance Institute for the Kingdom of Bohemia. His duties included assessing industrial accidents and drafting legal reports, work he carried out competently and responsibly. Nevertheless, Kafka regarded his professional life as an obstacle to his true vocation, and most of his writing was done at night or during periods of illness and leave. Kafka began publishing short prose pieces in his early adulthood, later collected in volumes such as Contemplation and A Country Doctor. These works attracted little attention at the time but already displayed the hallmarks of his mature style, including precise language, emotional restraint, and the application of calm logic to deeply unsettling situations. His major novels The Trial, The Castle, and Amerika were left unfinished and unpublished during his lifetime. They depict protagonists trapped within opaque systems of authority, facing accusations, rules, or hierarchies that remain unexplained and unreachable. Themes of alienation, guilt, bureaucracy, law, and punishment run throughout Kafka’s work. His characters often respond to absurd or terrifying circumstances with obedience or resignation, reflecting his own conflicted relationship with authority and obligation. Kafka’s prose avoids overt symbolism, yet his narratives function as powerful metaphors through structure, repetition, and tone. Ordinary environments gradually become nightmarish without losing their internal coherence. Kafka’s personal life was marked by emotional conflict, chronic self-doubt, and recurring illness. He formed intense but troubled romantic relationships, including engagements that he repeatedly broke off, fearing that marriage would interfere with his writing. His extensive correspondence and diaries reveal a relentless self-critic, deeply concerned with morality, spirituality, and the demands of artistic integrity. In his later years, Kafka’s health deteriorated due to tuberculosis, forcing him to withdraw from work and spend long periods in sanatoriums. Despite his illness, he continued writing when possible. He died young, leaving behind a large body of unpublished manuscripts. Before his death, he instructed his close friend Max Brod to destroy all of his remaining work. Brod ignored this request and instead edited and published Kafka’s novels, stories, and diaries, ensuring his posthumous reputation.
The publication of Kafka’s work after his death established him as one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century. The term Kafkaesque entered common usage to describe situations marked by oppressive bureaucracy, absurd logic, and existential anxiety. His writing has been interpreted through existential, religious, psychological, and political perspectives, though Kafka himself resisted definitive meanings. His enduring power lies in his ability to articulate modern anxiety with clarity and restraint.

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5 stars
63 (21%)
4 stars
92 (31%)
3 stars
99 (34%)
2 stars
29 (9%)
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8 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
Profile Image for Sylvia.
2 reviews1 follower
March 26, 2016
It's not so much a story to escape to but an escape from your own story.
If anyone really knows what's going on, please share... Kafka writes with that deep knowing that is so far removed from everything that I question if he even knew his own knowing...
Literary masterpiece? Of course! Aren't all the best writers completely nuts?
Profile Image for Omnia.
29 reviews
August 4, 2018
I have no idea what just happened bs eshta
3,483 reviews46 followers
June 11, 2024
3.86⭐

Description of a Struggle 4⭐
I felt my mind was reading what my eyes observe in a Salvador Dali painting a surrealistic landscape with the use of powerfully emotional imagery, the kind of images that we associate with dreams or a Hitchcock movie; or else it is a story of a man who had some magic mushrooms mixed and slipped into his schnapps at the cocktail party.

Blumfeld, an Elderly Bachelor 4⭐
The Warden of the Tomb 3⭐
The Refusal 4⭐

Short pieces:
Poseidon 4⭐
The Vulture 4⭐
The Departure 3.25⭐
Give It Up! 4.25⭐
At Night 3⭐
The Helmsman 5⭐
The Top 4⭐
The Test 3.25⭐
Advocates 4⭐
Home-Coming 4⭐
Fellowship 4⭐
Fragments of A Report to an Academy 4⭐
Fragment of The Great Wall of China 4⭐
The Conscription of Troops 3.5⭐

Fragment of The Hunter Gracchus 3.75⭐
This additional fragment presents an extended dialogue between Gracchus and an unnamed interviewer.
Profile Image for Mohajerino.
130 reviews42 followers
Read
March 12, 2021
«و مردم در قشنگترین رختهاشان،
تاب‌خوران،روی شنزار گردش می‌کنند
زیر این آسمان پهناور
که،از تپه‌های دور،
به تپه‌های بس دوردست گسترده است.»

عنوان:
وصف یک پیکار
نگاشته شده در 3 فصل
Profile Image for Almaz Guliyeva.
59 reviews12 followers
April 25, 2022
One of those works of Kafka (though after the 2nd book I read by him, I'm getting sure that all his works are like this), where it is not clear whether it is real world or character's fantasy world. The events taking place in the book resemble a dream. One gets the feeling that Kafka simply wrote down, and in details, what he dreamed about. 2,5/3 for me.
Profile Image for Konstantinos Saliakas.
75 reviews14 followers
October 3, 2020
Αν κ μ αρέσει ο Κάφκα, σ αυτό θα μπορούσα να πω ότι διάβασα Κάφκα on Drugs.. Ελεγα πως ο πύργος ήταν ιδιαίτερος, αλλα η περιγραφή ενός αγώνα με τα κομμάτια διηγημάτων του καφκα που περιέχει είναι μακράν ότι πιο ιδιαίτερο έχω διάβασει.. Κ ιδιαίτερο με την αρνητική έννοια..

Καμία λογική, αν και θα έλεγε κάποιος ότι το επίπεδο των συμβολισμων είναι ιδιαίτερα βαθύ εγώ θα έλεγα ότι νοιώθω σα να διάβασα την αφήγηση ασυνδετων ονείρων που καταγράφηκαν στο χαρτί.. Γτ μόνο ως όνειρα μπορώ ν δεχθώ τη ροή που έχουν κ τη θεματολογία, ο τρόπος γραφης αλλάζει 3-4 φορές με αποτέλεσμα να νοιώθω δυσδορια καθώς το διάβαζα.. Δε ξεχνώ ότι διάβασα Κάφκα, αλλα δε ξέρω, αυτό το βγάζει έξω από τη σειρά.. Έχει όλα τα στοιχεία του συγγραφέα μέσα, αλλά ένοιωσα ότι φεύγει παρατερα, μακριά από όλα τα άλλα έργα του.

Δε ξέρω, αλλά αν κ θεωρώ τη δική κ τη μετά μόρφωση τα κορυφαία του, εδω έχουμε να κάνουμε με κάτι τελείως διαφορετικό.. Είναι μικρό σε μέγεθος οπότε το σώζει αυτό.. Εάν το ξεκινήσετε κάντε το με πλήρη συνείδηση... Τ σίγουρο είναι πως κάποια στιγμή θέλω ν το ξαναδιαβάσω...
Profile Image for Haley.
214 reviews
November 18, 2020
-“I really felt as though the starry sky rose and fell with the gasping of his flat chest...Upon my soul which belongs to you..”
-“Perhaps it was the short quiet lull between night and day when our heads loll back unexpectedly, when everything stands still without our knowing it, since we are not looking at it, and then disappears; we remain alone, our bodies bent, then look around but no longer see anything, nor even feel any resistance in the air yet inwardly we cling to the memory that at a certain distance from us stand houses with roofs and with fortunately angular chimneys down which the darkness flows through garrets into various rooms. And it is fortunate that tomorrow will be a day on which, unlikely as it may seem, one will be able to see everything.”
Profile Image for Clara.
73 reviews2 followers
June 10, 2021
Fragmente von Kafkas Frühwerken. Etwas verworren in Teilen und schwer zu greifen, aufgrund der Vielzahl an kurzen Geschichten, aber durchaus interessant.
Profile Image for Illiterate.
2,797 reviews56 followers
December 18, 2023
Shorts on the difficulties of living with others. Several focus on the uncertainties of having authority over someone. The title story is a bit disjointed. The shorter ones are better.
Profile Image for Lonasilvertongue.
7 reviews
January 27, 2022
Not an easy read to start. Lots of stream of consciousness, absurd imageries, fragmented narrative, neurotic “protagonist”, but not without humor. The human body, the crowd, the city, any artificial pieces— are somewhat distorted, and contorted. Contrasting with the beautiful, poetic description of nature. “The cloudlike mountain”, “the river, “ and “I was assaulted from the sky by moon and stars and a great vaulted expanse…”.

The impression of human struggle in the modern era.

The acquaintance he either dislikes or likes, but unable to separate from

The fat man he claims to love

The supplicant who prays for being looked at

The drunkard the supplicant esteems as a Parisian high class

And the unavoidable, unexpected pulling out of the knife, under the branches…

“The entire length of you is cut out of tissue papad, yellow tissue paper, like a silhouette, and when you walk one ought to hear you rustle.”

“He sailed along on a reflection of the rain cloud.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Feck.
23 reviews3 followers
January 13, 2021
Reread this today and it's one of the best stories Kafka wrote (all his stories are perfect though). This has always been one of my favorites, it perfectly shows the chaotic storytelling he mastered. It seems like most people don't like this one because it's not as concise or coherent, and they're right. It's a story within a story within a story and it's really experimental in its narrative. It can be really hard to follow, but I think it would've been hard to follow for Kafka himself, that's how he wanted it. And, on top of all that, it's super funny. Kafka's use of humor is always great, but this one had segments that felt almost whimsical. Still holds up!
Profile Image for Linda Franklin.
Author 39 books21 followers
July 9, 2021
oh my gosh. If for no other story in the amazing book (and I'd already read most), you have to, I SAY HAVE TO read Kafka's BLUMFIELD, AN ELDERLY BACHELOR. It is, I guess, now my most favorite of all Kafka's works. The old guy Blumfield lives on a 6th floor walkup (which in Europe might mean 7 floors), and he's lonely, but hates dirt, and so doesn't think a dog would work out well. I won't give away the rest, but it is truly just amazing...
This collection contains my other favorite "The Burrow" and also "Investigations of a Dog"... i soooo feel sad for Kafka. I wish he could have lived a lot longer and enjoyed the acclaim that came after his death at a young age after struggles and struggles.

~ Linda Campbell Franklin the Dog Lover @barkinglips on Instagram too
207 reviews
August 24, 2014
That was all right, too. All day in the office, evenings at a party, at night in
the streets, and nothing to excess. A way of life so natural that it borders on the
excessive!




"Whew, what a cold hand!" he cried. "I wouldn't like to go home with a hand
like that. You should have let yourself be kissed, too, my friend. That was an omission.
Still, you can make up for it. But sleep? On a night like this? What an idea! Just think
how many thoughts a blanket smothers while one lies alone in bed, and how many
unhappy dreams it keeps warm."
Profile Image for Ozan.
11 reviews2 followers
February 17, 2015
Interesting short stories from Kafka. All of whom which represent the struggle of a character someway or another. Some of the stories very introverted, some of them very supernatural. All-in-all, a beautiful plethora of Kafkaesque ingenuity.
9 reviews
August 13, 2023
When I started reading expecting a linear storyline, I didn't understand. Then I let go all of my fear of not being able to understand what's happening. I then started to understand, and could relate to him in a way. I was glad I found this.
Profile Image for Tatiana.
224 reviews2 followers
January 25, 2024
The who, what, where, how and why of this story are all answered by a simple: I've no idea. Strange and bizarre, it all seems to be a fever dream. Not worth the trouble unless you are a researcher of Kafka (or psychiatry, perhaps).
Profile Image for Keturah.
3 reviews1 follower
September 10, 2010
Definitely a "quotable" book I guess one could say. It's a great read!
Profile Image for Maryam.
23 reviews2 followers
July 16, 2015
عشوائية، لم أفهمها ولكن يكفيني خيال كافكا.
Profile Image for Hanen.
59 reviews
January 24, 2018
I don't think that I really understood it but Kafka is worth a shot anyway.
Profile Image for caitlin.
31 reviews7 followers
July 19, 2021
2.5- this feels like a dream i had once
Profile Image for Jesse.
40 reviews1 follower
September 2, 2022
for two straight guys who supposedly dislike each other they use the word beautiful to describe each other an awful lot
Profile Image for Paul Ray.
3 reviews
July 29, 2025
The title story is an absolute nightmare. I don't mean that as a strong criticism, but from the start, the protagonist and the other character feel totally surreal and opaque, doing odd, compelled to do quirky things in each other's proximity but never to be a real human being. Then when it goes into a dream sequence there are some cool psychedelic images (really reminded me of Jodorowsky film imagery, or the Simpsons episode where Homer eats the spicy chili), but I didn't find that it was making a particularly sharp point about life or relationships or modern society or anything. It felt juvenile, which it is -- a young talented writer trying to make something sweeping and expressionistic, but just making something confused and blunt.

But still, there are plenty of interesting, funny and strange shorter stories in this collection. "Blumfeld, an Elderly Bachelor" is hilarious and deeply futuristic -- two shiny orbs materialise and follow a deeply boring man around; he locks them in a cupboard and goes to work, where Kafka spends 8 pages describing his daily routine in minute detail, and then the story just ends without mentioning the orbs again. Very funny and nihilistic.

And then there are some great miniatures, paragraph long stories, little fables of alienation and suffering which almost do the same trick as a full length Kafka masterpiece. It's clichéd to say this, but Kafka really can be very funny, in the way that only severely depressed people can be. My favourite is 'A Little Fable':

"Alas", said the mouse, "the whole world is growing smaller every day. At the beginning it was so big that I was afraid, I kept running and running, and I was glad when I saw walls far away to the right and left, but these long walls have narrowed so quickly that I am in the last chamber already, and there in the corner stands the trap that I am running into."

"You only need to change your direction," said the cat, and ate it up.
Profile Image for henry.
8 reviews
February 3, 2023
Interpretation 1-Interesting allegory for an escape from reality as the mind wanders into lands of impossibility, but eventually returns to reality unable to distinguish if the minds events are fact or merely ideas of enough significance that they are seen as equally real to that of reality itself.

Interpretation 2-Attempted escape from a boring companion’s silent accompaniment, the companion being either an extension of oneself-escape from the thoughts of women and love in order to not have to encounter the negativity that comes with the two, and in doing this development of a world in which neither is relevant. Alternatively truly an an acquaintance that is another-The droning on about women and love does not interest our protagonist, so he creates something more interesting to occupy his time and in doing so ignores his companion entirely, until his companion realizes this and his own insignificance and inflicts damage in the form of stabbing to confirm his own questioned mortality and being.

Interpretation 3(unlikely)- The narrator loves his companion/acquaintance, and attempts to make him uncomfortable to cease his speaking about others romantically. In doing this, he creates a delusion in which he is carried by that who he loves until the love he has fails and he is meant to leave the acquaintance behind and pursue the fantasy where love is once again irrelevant. He returns to his acquaintance and discovers reciprocity, which is revealed by the companion’s stabbing of his own arm in response to hearing of the protagonist’s engagement.

Regardless of interpretation (these are just mine, not necessarily the only ways to interpret), beautiful imagery and writing, although sometimes difficult to follow as the depth of the story increases dramatically over short periods and returns to the surface just as, if not faster. 6.5/10 (at least)

This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
1 review
March 19, 2023
One of the worst, yet one of the best stories I have ever read. It started out really interesting, especially when I sensed some chemistry between the two men. Later I began to question my reading abilities and was worried that I have dyslexia, but then I realized that that was the point of the story- perspective of a delusional, perhaps a bit schizophrenic individual, that can also be considered the author. It’s his story and his narrative, that’s why it makes perfect sense to make it a complete nonsense in the middle of everything.
7 reviews
January 15, 2026
This the first story in the Kafka complete stories book I bought and I feel like they put it in there as a litmus test. I was able to trace the story in the beginning until it unexpectedly jumped into a different realm. It felt like reading him daydream where the setting/purpose would be blurry, he then slowly focuses the topic, and then it blurs again. Even the ending had me asking questions.

It’s interesting giving a review for something not meant to be released. I can’t say it’s bad because I don’t know if it’s finished. But I can’t say it’s good because it’s not finished.
4 reviews
July 8, 2023
what in dionysos' name did i just read .

Bought a collection of Franz Kafka's stories for my kindle and it started with 2 very short stories and then this one. Needless to say this was very hard to decipher, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. RIP Franz Kafka, you would have loved Brokeback Mountain.
Profile Image for xian.
3 reviews
September 10, 2023
i wish to revisit this story soon because i'm having a hard time reading it 😭🥹
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews

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