stories, tr Kevin Blahut, illus Zoulfila Gazaeva
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The three volumes Twisted Spoon has published Contemplation, A Country Doctor, and A Hunger Artist represent the collections of stories that Kafka had published during his lifetime. Though each volume has its own distinctive character, they have most often appeared in English in omnibus editions. They are presented here as separate editions, in new translations, each with its own illustrator from the Prague community.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
IN THE GALLERY If some frail, consumptive artistic rider in the ring sat atop a staggering horse before a tireless audience, forced to go in circles for months without interruption by a merciless, whip-swinging ringmaster, flying past on the horse, throwing kisses, swaying from her waist, and if this game continued to the unrelenting roar of the orchestra and the ventilating fans, moving into the gray future that was opening ever wider, accompanied by the fading and rising applause of hands that are actually steam-hammers maybe then a young spectator in the gallery would run down the stairs, through all the rows of the audience, burst into the ring and, his voice breaking through the fanfares of the orchestra, adapting itself to anything, cry: Stop!
However, since this is not the way things are; a beautiful lady, white and red, flies in between the curtains, which the proud stagehands open for her; the director, devotedly seeking her eyes, breathing at her with the bearing of an animal; carefully lifts her up onto the dappled horse, as though she were, more than anything else, his beloved granddaughter who was setting out on a dangerous journey; cannot decide to give the signal with his whip; finally, overcoming himself, gives it like a shot; runs after the horse with his mouth open; regards the jumps the rider makes with sharp glances; can scarcely comprehend her artistic skill; tries to warn her with exclamations in English; angrily admonishes the stableboys holding the reins to take the most painful care; before the great somersault lifts up his hands to signal to the orchestra that they should be quiet; finally lifts the little one from the trembling horse, kisses her on both cheeks and considers every tribute by the audience to be inadequate; while she, supported by him, high on her tiptoes, dust blowing around her, tries to share her happiness with the entire circus by extending her arms and leaning back her head since this is how it is, the spectator in the gallery lays his head on the balustrade and, sinking into the final march as into a heavy dream, cries without knowing it.
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1 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cleanliness is Godliness,
This review is from: A Country Doctor (Hardcover)
"A Country Doctor" is one of Kafkas most masterful displays of the written word to date. No, doctors don't have it easy and we get a first hand account of "how it really is" from this amazing book. Kafka strips the scrubs and exhibits the doctors body in detail, describing how the doctor operates and reacts to troublesome patients. The A-septic method never struck me as being anything more than a method until now. Buy it, read it and don't forget to wipe.
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