Franz Kafka’s writing has had a wide-reaching influence on European literature, culture and thought. The Cambridge Companion to Kafka, offers a comprehensive account of his life and work, providing a rounded contemporary appraisal of Central Europe’s most distinctive Modernist. Contributions cover all the key texts, and discuss Kafka’s writing in a variety of critical contexts such as feminism, deconstruction, psycho-analysis, Marxism, Jewish studies. Other chapters discuss his impact on popular culture and film. The essays are well supported by supplementary material including a chronology of the period and detailed guides to further reading, and will be of interest to students of German, European and Comparative Literature, Jewish Studies.

 Offers a range of critical approaches, from Feminism to Jewish studies and folklore studies  Covers all Kafka’s main works of fiction  The volume is well supported by a detailed chronology and bibliography

Contents
Acknowledgments; Abbreviations; Chronology; Notes on Contributors; Introduction: Kafka’s Europe Julian Preece; 1. Kafka’s writing and our reading David Constantine; 2. A psychoanalytic reading of The Man Who Disappeared Anne Fuchs; 3. The exploration of the modern city in The Trial Rolf J. Goebel; 4. The Castle Elizabeth Boa; 5. Kafka’s short fiction Ruth V. Gross; 6. Kafka’s later stories and aphorisms Stanley Corngold; 7. The letters and diaries Julian Preece; 8. The case for a political reading Bill Dodd; 9. Kafka and Jewish folklore Iris Bruce; 10. Kafka and gender Dagmar C. G. Lorenz; 11. Myths and realities in Kafka biography Anthony Northey; 12. Editions, translations, adaptations Osman Durrani; 13. Kafka adapted to film Helen Hughes and Martin Brady; 14. Kafka and popular culture Iris Bruce; Index.