Library Course to Tackle the Delight and Difficulty of Reading Kafka

Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30, beginning March 7, Orcas Library

— from Holly King for Orcas Island Library —

Would you like to learn more about an author whose narratives begin like this: “One morning, upon awakening from agitated dreams, Gregor Samsa found himself, in his bed, transformed into a monstrous vermin;” or like this: “Someone must have slandered Josef K., for one morning, without having done anything truly wrong, he was arrested;” or like this: “Honored Members of the Academy! You have done me the honor of inviting me to give your Academy an account of the life I formerly led as an ape.”? 
If so, join us for A Discovery of Kafka. All aspects of his works and life will be explored in the historical and social context of early 20th-century Central Europe.

We will read a wide selection from his novels, e.g. The Trial; short stories, e.g. The Metamorphosis and In the Penal Colony; parables and aphorisms; diaries and letters, such as his Letters to Felice. We will discuss the delight and difficulty of reading Kafka, his posthumous reception as a world author, and his relevance today. 

The course will meet at the Orcas Island Public Library on Thursdays, from 10:30 to 12:30, beginning on March 7 through July 11. Please sign up at the library or by e-mailing Jens Kruse at jkruse@wellesley.edu.