THE CASTLE OWC: PB (Oxford World's Classics)

I have read at least five Haruki Murakami books and that too back to back :). But one actually isn't required to read a full Murakami book to get a hang of the man as how it is to read a Murakami. And if you have read one, you precisely know what I am talking about but what has Kafka got to do with Murakami? Right? Kafka is Daddy of Murakami on that front and I am triply sure that Murakami himself must be a huge huge fan of Franz Kafka, that much I can tell you after finishing my first Kafka :). I mean, I have read a lot of books with open endings but I haven't read (before this) any-book which doesn't actually have an ending, neither a story which goes anywhere but revolves around one subject which is very intriguing but I guess Kafka decided to never to give out too much to the reader or may be I am wrong as one reading may not be enough to scale a Kafka? is it? And that's where Murakami came to my mind, One of the trilogy (Rat) that I have read from him, he simply refuses to name even one character, I read them with a microscope and couldn't seriously find any names even in the Epilogue which was the fourth book of the series and even there he simply steered away from any names to my shock, amazement and later awe. Same to same is the case with Kafka uncle, he wasn't any easy on me that too on my first book from him. But I firmly believe on the saying that "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger" so since this didn't kill me, it made me strong enough to pick another Kafka very near in future.Now the story, contradicting myself as I said earlier that there is no story, there actually is a Castle where our unnamed protagonist wants to go as he is called by the count (only one mention) for the job of a surveyor (that as per Kafka is giving out too much). Now this guy is named after an alphabet :) and I kept all four of my eyes (two behind my specs) to see if we get a full first name at least if not more. While his target is to reach the Castle which in itself is not very easily visible, he has to go through a lot of struggles in the form of the surrounding village(s) and the people living therein are no respite on the man. To his (and mostly our) amazement, he does indeed has some help in the form of his assistants which he himself isn't sure he knows them :) now you are getting a hang of Kafka I tell you. What happens next is the rest of the story of this man's struggle, acquaintances he makes, a little love he may find on the way to the castle, mysterious disappearing characters making an entry and exit at their own whims and fancies. A lot of people do not like him getting the job, a lot of others actually like and respect him (or his title) and a few have their own doubts on the mans originality, there is so much more to it all than what I can blabber about in my post. I still firmly believe that I haven't got a quarter of the whole book (read 280+ pages) still it was a fantastic intriguing read till I realized that the pages were coming to an end and I could not see any ending in miles. It has everything from similar sounding names to doubts whether one character is really what he or she is supposed to be to a new character popping now and then and disappearing suddenly. I mean tell me this, how can an Author introduce a new character at the second last para of the book and let us live with that? pray tell me about it if that has ever happens in any books that you have read.I have my own doubts that the paperback that I got from one of my all time favorite book store (Blossoms Bangalore) has some 50 odd pages missing. Which I will be checking out tomorrow at a bookstore near me to make sure it does have an ending unlike the book which I just finished which has a new character introduced in the very last chapter who says something yet there is no words following it. Please tell me that you have read this and it actually has an ending, Kafka cannot be like Murakami (other way round is acceptable to me), that he will give me a few sleepless nights thinking of an ending.Have you read The Castle or any other Kafka? Do let me know which one is your favorite Kafka book as my next from him is going to be "The Trial" which I will read after a few books break.Edit: No change, that's actually how it is :(.

カフカの作品はどれもいい、最長編のこれも期待を裏切ることはないだろう。

Be forewarned when you crack open this book. The mind must be prepared and focused, with no expectations of stability or calmness. And remember that anger management is to be dispensed with when encountering the townspeople of this novel, whose speech is never friendly, and whose intellectual capacities are almost completely atrophied. One could view them as a prank, as a dark joke perhaps from one or many of the Greek fates that influenced K into entering this miserable town, where it is clear that what he encountered has no value to him or anyone else.Atypical or not, whether they form a statistical outlier or not, there is not one character in the town that has any redeeming virtue, except for maybe as a warning, as an example of what to caution yourself against becoming. For your intellect and attitude to have any intersection with these people is to follow the path of intellectual and personal decay, a path that will be characterized and determined by cynicism, apathy, and xenophobia.Even if it is a structure of bricks and mortar, Castle Mount is a fiction, a place whose surreal inhabitants hold the populace in permanent intellectual bondage, with their minds polluted by an excess of veneration for authority, whether real or imagined. The populace, who are allergic to hospitality, where courtesy is never a part of communication, and who have no respect for themselves or their own potential, demand respect for Count Westwest, with the hair on their pathetic necks standing up straight when being confronted with anyone who does not show this unjustified and cognitively vacuous reverence.K prefers to be a free agent, and therefore residing in The Castle would (rightfully) compromise this freedom and its corollary of intellectual independence. Embedding yourself in organized bureaucracy with its simulacra and exaggerated and ephemeral displays of power and you morph into the organization, with your opinions not your own but rather belong to a collection of entities and social structures that have no legitimate function. But K does not have an impulse to prejudge things, choosing instead to demand evidence for assertions about livability and suitability. His mind is intact upon arriving. The townspeople have it as their goal to remove it as quickly as possible.Rather than a flock of crows circling around The Castle, it is more fitting to have a flock of vultures, who are ready to indulge themselves in its fallen citizens-those who have died a personal and cognitive death. It might be slim pickings for these birds though, as the skulls of the Castle dwellers will be near to empty, reflecting the lack of use of the neuronal apparatus, this being surrendered to the echelons of imagined power structures with their elitist and haughty view of common laborers who are undeserving of respect, who are invisible and indiscernible, like the F.F. Coppola maid of Mr. Waltz standing in his presence of the sitting consigliere Mr. Hayden, whose presence and humanity is never to be acknowledged.There are many lessons to take away from this book, the most important being to always be aware of the impact of discouraging surroundings, and don’t get used to disappointments, lest one conclude that existence is naturally a dark and hostile soup, the latter of which if not watched on the stove of personality will boil over and ruin one’s emotional and conceptual apparatus, and fill it with cynicism and despair.

Kafka's 'The Castle' is perhaps my favourite of his novels. It has, for me, a fairy tale-like quality (rather than the 'nightmarish' quality so often attributed to his work) that transcends the gritty horrors of quotidian life represented: the failures of human relationships; the glib indifference of the powers that be, and their bureaucratic machines.'The Castle' achieves this uplifted state, in my opinion, by first, never guaranteeing the resulting outcome of any particular action or event (in contrast to the grim foreboding air of 'The Trial'.) It's often not quite what you would expect. So, for instance, what may seem like a bad idea on K., the protagonists, part (say, leaving Freida at the school to visit Olga's house again) actually turns out worthwhile (K's connection with Olga appears distinctly more human and genuine than that to Freida, and he learns quite a lot). However, as in life, though enriching, this decision may in the end have been a bad one, but at the time, you might conclude that it was nevertheless the right one. It's this sense of uncertainty and inconclusiveness in each given situation that accords the novel its authenticity and vitality. It's the 'existential' quality (if you like that word) that offers a very human perspective on fairy tale like events.The other elevating aspect of the story is the protagonist himself - K.. He arrives at the Castle from afar to take up a job as a Land Surveyor, a job that appears to no longer exist. The Castle officialdom are aware of him, of course, but in true Kafkaesque style, do not explain the situation to him, if indeed they are certain of it themselves, whoever they are, which is also unclear.From the start K.'s attitude is never less than optimistic, and never really falters throughout, which is, at first, surprising, lending an unreal quality, because the question is always begged: "Would it not be better just to leave this place?". But despite his scant, perfunctory acknowledgement by the officialdom, he is never entirely alienated by this strange world and continually seeks and strives for acceptance, and perhaps, ultimately, status. He retains this hope and expectation, primarily, I believe, because there are always unexhausted channels or avenues for him to pursue, as in life. It is clear that he does not wish to escape the elusive laws and constrictions of the Castle's society - he is no nihilist. And in that sense, again, there is a lot of the human condition in K.'s predicament. The way back or out is negation, we must deal with this life or die.So, yes, 'The Castle' is absurd and dream-like in its depiction of a constricted and dehumanised society bossed by a faceless and ruthless ideology permeating the people subjected by it (consider how Olga's family are demonized by the people, not officialdom) but it also

As the story goes, Kafka died before he finished this book. The incomplete nature reflects in the second half of the book, which after a brilliant first-half becomes a drag heading nowhere. While critics are driven to find meaning in the book despite its unedited quality, the truth is that the writing falls from grace halfway through the narrative and never gains the momentum it builds in first half again.The first half of book is reminiscent of Kafka’s writing style in ‘The Trial’. While in ‘The Trial’ the protagonist ends up finding himself in a hearing of which he does not know the reason, in ‘The Castle’ the protagonist K. finds himself in a village with a willingness to reach the Castle that apparently rules the village. The willingness through the course of the narrative heads towards becoming an obsession until the book loses track of its plot like K. loses himself in pursuit of the Castle. The narrative in the first half is surreal. Among many strange effects, the one that stands out is the rules of social interaction in the village. They do not resemble rules of the society as we know it. K. interacts with his assistants like people interact with Dogs. The assistants also behave like they are dogs but are sent to K as people. The society seems to follow bizarre rules that seem orthogonal to modern civilizations. For instance – there is a belief in the society that people look different in different times. The village’s allegiance to The Castle is not similar to the way societies believe in religion but as if it was innate organ they are born with and have to live with. The uncanny rules of interaction and belief is what makes the first half intriguing. Unlike ‘The Trial’ the book seems to head towards a certainty that K may find a way to the Castle.It’s around this point where the narrative takes a nose dive. Instead of emboldening the uncertainty or the frustration associated with it, the book heads into a mundane narrative and pointless discussions. While Olga’s stories highlight the bizarre behavior of the society, it’s not clear where they are headed. Perhaps it’s a depiction of the plight of K. itself, nevertheless it can be interpreted as aimless ramblings created to fill the pages without any particular aim. Towards the end, the book completely loses itself and has no sense of plot or direction. The world is no more surreal, it seems to look like an ordinary society, the words lack any mystery and the conclusion is incoherent. In the end, it shows up as incomplete work – a spark of brilliance left incomplete by its master.

I enjoyed the book and it was definitely "Kafka"! But but but, this book is missing the last pages? It ends in the middle of a sentence so I don't really know how it ends with no more pages; the last page number is 275 and the next page is what appears to be the second page of the explanatory notes! A defective book or perhaps all of the books from this publisher are defective?