The Diaries of Franz Kafka, 1910-1923 (The Schocken Kafka Library) Paperback – October 30, 1988

I read about 50-75 pages of Kafka's diary today and I felt like I understood him deeply, even more, I felt we shared most of the adult symptoms of a dysfunctional childhood. Perhaps he is more self-censuring but only because his reproachments of himself are so ubiquitous here as to take over his life entirely.Tangentially, he mentions being in an almost constant state of fatigue or feelings of sickness.He also mentions an agonizing dilemma, or really, just his state of things, and that is that literature is so strongly the only sustenance that he has that he cannot afford to attempt anything else that may make him feel better, lest he end up with nothing at all.In reading, he pays attention most to secondary characters because he feels that he is one as well. An outsider, a cameo in some other, more vibrant and more living, center. That just completely sank me.This is an invaluable read and a companion piece to much of Kafka's Literary works.

I'm only 60 pages in--this book is lonnnnnnng.But that's okay, because what I have read is marvelous. I should have suspected, Kafka's diaries would show a different side of his inventive nature. Whereas the stories are chiseled to perfection, here we find a miscellany, sketches, some repetitive drafts that are pretty entertaining even though it takes some investment. That's really the bottom line--if you've read all the work he considered his literature, you don't have to woe of your endpoint. Here we are.

it’s the book I wanted - ok condition

In his diaries we get to see the contrast between his iconic stories and the life and feelings of the actual man. The tone of the writing in his private journals is quite different from what we see in his fiction- it's actually a pleasant surprise to be able to see the author in this light even though of course all the entries aren't happy ones.

I relate to this man so much. To read his diaries is fascinating to me. Worth it if you have a melancholy temperament.

This book is one that I pick at after I read a particularly nice short story by Kafka. Of course, since these are his diaries, these are not plot driven. But plots are not the only reason one might read a text. These are his raw insights that he never thought would be read by other humans. He had given explicit instructions to his closest friend to have his diaries and several of his unfinished manuscripts destroyed after his death. Now, realistically, if he actually wanted them destroyed, he would have done so himself--so this leaves one to speculate. Regardless, the entries provide a remarkable insight into the mind of a man who lived a very dreary life and experienced mostly angst and sorrow.

This novel is very well preserved aside from the usual wear and tear. Amazing condition! Thank you very much!

nice read