‘Kafkaesque’ is defined as the helplessness of man in the face of unknown forces that persecute him without reason. In Kafka’s The Trial, Joseph K. is persecuted by the Law (symbolized by the Court) and is not given a reason for his arrest. The entire court system of the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War I is parodied, as well as the police, who are portrayed as a ‘theater’ act; they were open to bribery and corruption of all sorts while conducting legal procedures that made no sense. Along with this central theme, the novel also denotes the alienation and anxiety of humanity in general ‘in the absence of God’ as revealed by other existentialists such as: Sartre, Camus, Dostoevsky and Kierkegard. This is an excerpt of a book review written by myself for a University literature class.

anyone who likes to read about court cases in Europe.

the description of the trial itself, it was funny.

the fact that the book makes no sense and makes us feel helpless.

read more books by existentialist writers.

helpless and confused about laws in Europe during WWI.

was Jewish and died from tuberculosis before Austria was occupied by Hitler.

it is funny and historical.

it was written in a confusing style.

There is also a black and white movie by Orson Wells that follows the book closely.

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Created Nov 14, 2016 at 3:29pm • Submit your own review...