08-Weird Lit Tales: The Tormented Life of Kafka

Kafka, the great Czech author who wrote in German, was born in Prague in 1883. He lived during a turbulent time with a tense political and social climate, where being Jewish was very challenging. He had a domineering father, and his relationships with women were difficult. For that reason, he developed many complexes, both physical and intellectual. Despite exercising and maintaining a healthy diet, he always felt uncomfortable with himself. This is why his works often featured animalistic characters, such as dogs, monkeys, rats, or moles. However, his most famous story was The Metamorphosis, where a man turns into a cockroach - a metaphor for his inner turmoil. Kafka ordered his writings to be burned so that nothing of him would remain after his death. Luckily, his friend and editor Max Brod disregarded his wishes and published his works. However, the Gestapo destroyed other writings, fulfilling Kafka's self-destructive wish.