Kafkaesque and Murakami and related tidbits

[Betty]

There are quite a few of those works mentioned, which will become clearer as we read Kafka on the Shore.

[Motheaten]

The Complete Stories
I've read Kafka's longer stories, those published in his lifetime. Here's my short review of each *contains spoiler*:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Many of his stories talk about existentialism.

[Betty]

Motheaten wrote: "...Many of his stories talk about existentialism..."

That looks like a great collection of Kafka's stories, The Complete Stories. Some of my other friends have read it or have marked it to read. Nicely written synopses of the longer stories, Motheaten. I can see existentialism at work in Kafka Tamura's forest walk of Chapter 41 of KOTS.

(view spoiler)[During a conversation with Crow and a thought on Oshima, Kafka becomes one of the "hollow men", freed of prophecies, of others' influence, and of his own "fear", "anger", "unease", all which hobbled his freedom to be himself.

"I don't want to be at the mercy of things outside me anymore, thrown into confusion by things I can't control...Lift the burden from my shoulders and live--not caught up in someone else's schemes, but as me...What is it inside me that makes up me? Is this what's to stand up to the void..."

The one remaining nettle is his DNA. (hide spoiler)]

[Motheaten]

Asma wrote: That looks like a great collection of Kafka's stories, The Complete Stories. Some of my other friends have read it or have ma..."

The Complete Stories includes everything Kafka ever wrote. But I'd say those that are published posthumously are less interesting and require editing, or seem incomplete.
That's good observation, the theme in your spoiler seems more obvious now after reading the short stories. Will read KOTS soon.

[Betty]

That's something in a volume! KOTS is really good. I'm hoping to get into The Castle.

Your insightful comments about Kafka's stories are wonderfully interesting, Motheaten.

[Motheaten]

The Castle is one of his few novels? I'll probably save it for next time; not sure how much Kafka I can stand... haha

[Betty]

The last one. Right. The Mark Harman translation looks good; I don't know when I can read it before January. haha.

[Motheaten]

Asma wrote: "The last one. Right. The Mark Harman translation looks good; I don't know when I can read it before January. haha."

What last one? Meh, no rush to read it anyway. Saw reviews that some readers couldn't get into it.

[Betty]

The novel..."Franz Kafka's final novel tells the haunting tale of a man known only as K. and of his relentless, unavailing struggle..."

If we ever chose Czechoslovakia then this or another one might be good.