Amerika by Franz Kafka Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Amerika
Book Review: An adventure in a dreamy land
Summary: 4 Stars
The book starts with the seen of Karl Rossmann, a sixteen years old boy from Germany, standing on the liner entering the harbour of New York. He was forced to leave Europe by his parents because a servant girl seduced him and got herself with child by him. America does not look at first sight as a friendly place: the Statue of Liberty, for instance, is depicted with a sword in her hand instead of a torch. The book then tells the adventures of Karl, the people he meets, the places he visits and the jobs he finds. The atmospheres vary from the classical dreamy nightmarish set of other Kafka's books to a realistic set which, in some way, is even stranger and more disquieting. Everything can be seen as real, especially if the reader considers that the point of view is the one of a sixteen years old finding himself alone in an unknown country where a language, that he must learn, is spoken.Unfortunately, the book is unfinished. The first six chapters are complete. Between the seven and the eight chapter there is a gap, the eight chapter, which was supposed to be the last one, is unfinished. Therefore, I suggest to readers who never read Kafka to start from some other book such as "the trial", "the metamorphosis" or the other short stories. Readers, who are familiar with other works by Kafka, will find in this book a lighter mood.
Book Review: An eclectic piece that has no relation to America the nation
Summary: 5 Stars
Kafka's work has nothing to do with American culture. He uses the country as a theme to vent his escapist leanings. The main character is constantly oppressed in this country of freedom. If you read the book, look for the claustrophobic motif; it's everywhere.Book Review: Challenged my perceptions, but just too disturbing
Summary: 4 Stars
Franz Kafka (1883-1924) started writing this novel in 1913 and this, like most of his other work, was published after his death. He never visited America, but reality is not an important factor in his work. Rather, he creates a surreal landscape for his main character, Karl, a 16-year old who has been sent away from his homeland because of an unfortunate relationship with a servant girl. Karl is a victim throughout in a series of improbable adventures, and constantly struggles through a confused labyrinth of streets and buildings and random acts of cruelty and compassion. Always, he is under stress and the choices he makes keep leading to even more preposterous predicaments. I was constantly annoyed with him and yet identified with him as he fumbled through his very uncomfortable life. This is the only Kafka work I've ever read and don't plan on reading any more, even though I can acknowledge his artistry. It's just too disturbing. But I still do recommend this book because it challenged and expanded my perceptions. And I do appreciate the legacy he left to the world.Book Review: Eerie parallel universe yet still relevant
Summary: 4 Stars
As everybody already pointed out Kafka wrote this novel without ever having been to America. Allegedly his characterisation of the country is more akin to the oppressive situation in Prague, but I think you can make an argument that he stumbled on a theme of American culture that isn't often explored, or rather best described by Kafka, the whole idea of claustrophobia within a land of wide open spaces. The young immigrant protagonist, Karl, seems to follow the 'right' path that is expected of him and yet finds himself unable to advance and trapped in horrible social situations. The story is set in an America that is so slightly off-kilter as to be surreal (it's not America, it's Amerika) and with that sense of Kafkaesque dread (like the Statue of Liberty with the sword in her hand instead of the torch - a symbol of war and violence instead of freedom and enlightenment, or that neverending labyrinth of a suburban mansion that is bigger than could ever be possible) but in a way Kafka's commentary on an America he never visited is one of the most shockingly accurate depictions you'll read. It's unfinished but I kind of liked that; it was endearingly rough around the edges and that made it even more surreal. Some people have mentioned that the last chapter is an optimistic one but I really found that the carnival-like atmosphere to be menacing and the uncertainty of Karl's future in a Wide Open Country was more a feeling of unnamed dread than optimism, but you know, it is Kafka.Book Review: Interesting
Summary: 3 Stars
Kafka's "Amerika" was the first of his novels that I read following a survey of his short stories. It's a witty and charming book, even if the America Kafka presents is completely unlike any America I've ever heard of. Still, I didn't find it that engaging. I felt as if Karl, the main character, was something of a pinball, bouncing from one place and situation to another as a consequence of the seeminly random decisions of those around him. He spends an awful lot of time thinking and thinking and thinking, but in the end all his thoughts don't amount to much and he's kicked to the next event.
Also, please remember this is an unfinished novel! Unlike many of Kafka's unfinished stories, it doesn't cut off at any particular final point, it just sort of stops, and now I'm frustrated! ;-)