Translated by Willa and Edwin Muir Foreword by E.L. Doctorow Afterword by Max Brod Kafka's first and funniest novel, Amerika tells the story of the young immigrant Karl Rossmann who, after an embarrassing sexual misadventure, finds himself "packed off to America" by his parents. Expected to redeem himself in this magical land of opportunity, young Karl is swept up instead in a whirlwind of dizzying reversals, strange escapades, and picaresque adventures. Although Kafka never visited America, images of its vast landscape, dangers, and opportunities inspired this saga of the "golden land." Here is a startlingly modern, fantastic and visionary tale of America "as a place no one has yet seen, in a historical period that can't be identified," writes E.L. Doctorow in his new foreword. "Kafka made his novel from his own mind's mythic elements," Doctorow explains, "and the research data that caught his eye were bent like rays in a field of gravity."
Amerika
Kafka's novel follows the misadventures of 16-year-old Karl Rossman, a European boy whose parents ship him off to America after he is seduced by a servant girl. On arrival, Karl finds an America only Kafka could have envisioned--and the still hopeful youth is soon set upon by odd circumstance and suspect traveling companions.
Here is the story of young Karl Rossman, who, following an incident involving a housemaid, is banished by his parents to America. With unquenchable optimism and in the company of two comic-sinister companions, he throws himself into misadventure, eventually heading towards Oklahoma, where a career in the theater beckons. Though we can never know how Kafka planned to end the novel, Harman's superb translation allows us to appreciate, as closely as possible, what Kafka did commit to the page.
Kafka's first and funniest novel, Amerika tells the story of the young immigrant Karl Rossmann who, after an embarrassing sexual misadventure, finds himself "packed off to America" by his parents. Expected to redeem himself in this magical land of opportunity, young Karl is swept up instead in a whirlwind of dizzying reversals, strange escapades, and picaresque adventures. Although Kafka never visited America, images of its vast landscape, dangers, and opportunities inspired this saga of the "golden land."
First written in German in 1927, this novel expresses the author's rejection of the capitalist system. Karl Rossman, a young immigrant to America, is snubbed by his relatives, robbed by tramps, and ridiculed in his attempt to find work. Includes an introduction by E.L. Doctorow.
Erzählende Literatur: Hauptwerk vor 1945
Ervaringen van een 16-jarige Oostenrijkse jongen, die in het begin van de 20ste eeuw geheel alleen in de V.S. belandt.
Amerika : [roman]
Fiction
Amerika : [Premiere am 28. April 2011 im Schauspielhaus]
Amerika : roman. Process : roman [u.a.] / [per. R. Rajt-Kovalevoj]. Franc Kafka. [Sost. E. Kaceva]
Humorous stories
Nedokoncený román, vrcholné dílo dnes světově uznávaného pražského německého spisovatele. Do příběhu šestnáctiletého chlapce, kterého rodiče z trestu poslali do Ameriky, a jenž bezmocně hledá zakotvení v té zemi divných zvyklostí a čistě obchodního vztahu k člověku, autor promítl mnoho ze svých životních zážitků, zejména ze svého postavení v otcovském domě, kde otec nepřál jeho literárním sklonům.
First published in German in 1927.
Kafka's first and funniest novel, Amerika tells the story of the young immigrant Karl Rossmann who, after an embarrassing sexual misadventure, finds himself "packed off to America" by his parents. Expected to redeem himself in this magical land of opportunity, young Karl is swept up instead in a whirlwind of dizzying reversals, strange escapades, and picaresque adventures.
Amerika : roman
Electronic books
Amerika : [regény]
Amerika : Roman
Roman se pričenja s prihodom petnajstletnega evropskega emigranta Karla Rossmanna v ZDA. Na ladji, ki pluje proti New Yorku, Rosmann sreča ladijskega kurjača, katerega so pravkar odpustili. Postavi se na njegovo stran in prevzame vlogo kurjačevega zagovornika pred kapitanom. V prepletu tipičnih kafkovskih pripetljajev na robu absurda, se junak znajde na ulicah prestolnice sveta, sam in v iskanju nove eksistence. Po seriji dogodkov pride Karl v oblast Delamarcha in Brunelde.