In a fresh and insightful new collection, translator Mark Harman offers meticulously annotated and beautifully illustrated versions of Franz Kafka's celebrated short stories. Harman, an award-winning scholar, provides the most nuanced English translation to date of Kafka's German prose, capturing the wit and subtle double meanings that have often been lost in previous editions. The biographical introduction and notes contextualize the stories, shedding new light on misunderstood masterpieces. The collection features 16 of Kafka's short works, presented chronologically to demonstrate his artistic growth. These include famous pieces like "The Judgment," "In the Penal Colony," "A Hunger Artist," and "The Transformation" (the authoritatively corrected title for the story commonly called "The Metamorphosis"). Harman's insightful annotations highlight the original's wordplay and cultural references, revealing ironies and humor that many English readers have missed.
