Contemplation

Franz Kafka's first book - eighteen short stories. Yet it is rarely published as a separate collection, normally the stories are combined with those from other books, or with pieces which weren't published during his life. This edition reflects the style of the original publication and includes translations of all of the initial reviews in the German press - it shows how Kafka first appeared before the book-reading public of Central Europe. His talent was recognised from the outset; he did not write in complete obscurity. This edition challenges some misconceptions about Franz Kafka. 'In this book the world is viewed as something infinitely puzzling: not only is it unreal in its crude reality, but it is a kind of market square where lonely people wander around suspecting many dangers... ' Otto Pick