The Trial – Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka is one of the most renowned writers of twentieth-century literature. Born on 3 July 1883, in Prague, Kafka wrote in German language, his novels and short stories blending realism with surrealist elements to delve into the themes of alienation and existential anxiety. The eldest son of a Jewish family, Kafka had a troubled relationship with his domineering father, which also influenced the literature he produced. Detached and unable to reconcile with his family, he was closest only to his youngest sister, Ottla. He graduated in law and worked at two insurance agencies from 1907 to 1922. Due to his misgivings about getting his work published, a large part of his oeuvre was published posthumously, thanks to his closest friend, Max Brod, who refused to maintain the author’s wish that his manuscripts be burnt after his death. One of his best-known works, the novella Metamorphosis was published in 1915.The Trial was published in 1925, followed by The Castle in 1926 and Amerika in 1927. In 1917, Kafka contracted a lung disease and battled the illness for seven years. He passed away on 3 June 1924.