Kafka's Crossroads

Completely unknown during his lifetime, he rapidly achieved worldwide fame after his death and is considered one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Franz Kafka, the 100th anniversary of whose death we celebrated in 2024, is also celebrated in a book by historian Petr Koura, accompanied by illustrations from the workshop of the comic book author Opráski – Jaz. The book's subtitle, “Franz Kafka's Second Life, or Life Begins with Death,” suggests that you will mainly read about his “second life,” i.e., his posthumous “life”. How he was talked about, how he was evaluated, interpreted, or exploited. The authors offer a different perspective on Franz Kafka and describe the circumstances under which various labels attributed to him after his death arose, and how these interpretations have changed over time. They also reflect with a sense of perspective on what Franz Kafka himself would probably say about his second life.