Dearest Father (Oneworld Modern Classics) (Paperback)

~ Franz Kafka (Author), Hannah Stokes (Translator), Richard Stokes (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

Review

In his preface he [the translator Howard Colyer] states that he was most concerned to reproduce the raw "venting of feelings" in the letter as well as the extraordinary "momentum of the prose." In both these aims he succeeds. Unlike earlier, and fussier, versions, his translation catches the naked energy of the original. -- New York Sun, Eric Ormsby, July 9, 2008 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Description

Conflict between father and son is one of the oldest themes in literature, and in this open letter to his father—a letter that was never sent—Kafka tries to come to terms with one of the most deeply rooted obsessions of his troubled soul. Written as a long, tense, and dramatic confession in which writer and man are gathered together in front of an ambivalent figure of authority, Letter to My Father is a desperate attempt to retrace the origins of a turbulent and highly conflicted relationship between an unflinching parent and an extremely sensitive child. Kafka’s inspired work is both a merciless indictment of his father and an impassioned appeal to him.

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Product Details Paperback: 128 pages Publisher: Oneworld Classics (April 1, 2009) Language: English ISBN-10: 1847490255 ISBN-13: 978-1847490254 Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.6 inches Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #635,372 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #62 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( K ) > Kafka, Franz

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1 Review 5 star:  (1) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 3 of 4 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading to understand Kafka's works, July 22, 2008 By  Mr. A. Colyer - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This review is from: Letter to my Father (Paperback) This translation should be required reading for anyone interested in the works of Kafka. It contains the keys to unlock a new level of understanding; how Kafka's relationship with his father shaped both Kafka himself and everything that he wrote. Kafka sees his father as a raging authoritarian figure from whom he can never escape, and whose strength of character and sense of irreproachableness leaves Kafka crushed. In Franz's own words: "my writing dealt with you." On another level, the letter carries a thought-provoking message to fathers everywhere. Kafka ably demonstrates how in both small incidents and in traits of character, the way that a father relates to his son can have a profound impact on the son that may affect him for his whole life. On a third level, this new translation succeeds wonderfully in conveying the emotion and hurt that Kafka feels. It is hard not to be moved when reading it. The spirit of the letter is perfectly captured, and the flow of the prose allows it to shine through the logical arguments presented. For many of us, this is as close to Kafka as we're ever likely to get. See also the following independent review in the New York Sun: http://www.nysun.com/arts/man-and-his-maker-kafkas-letter-to-my-father/81457/		Ad feedback   Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Oneworld Classics (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1847490255
• ISBN-13: 978-1847490254
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #635,372 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #62 in

  Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( K ) > Kafka, Franz

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading to understand Kafka's works, July 22, 2008

By	Mr. A. Colyer - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Letter to my Father (Paperback)

This translation should be required reading for anyone interested in the works of Kafka. It contains the keys to unlock a new level of understanding; how Kafka's relationship with his father shaped both Kafka himself and everything that he wrote. Kafka sees his father as a raging authoritarian figure from whom he can never escape, and whose strength of character and sense of irreproachableness leaves Kafka crushed. In Franz's own words: "my writing dealt with you."

On another level, the letter carries a thought-provoking message to fathers everywhere. Kafka ably demonstrates how in both small incidents and in traits of character, the way that a father relates to his son can have a profound impact on the son that may affect him for his whole life.

On a third level, this new translation succeeds wonderfully in conveying the emotion and hurt that Kafka feels. It is hard not to be moved when reading it. The spirit of the letter is perfectly captured, and the flow of the prose allows it to shine through the logical arguments presented. For many of us, this is as close to Kafka as we're ever likely to get.

See also the following independent review in the New York Sun: http://www.nysun.com/arts/man-and-his-maker-kafkas-letter-to-my-father/81457/