The Trial

Franz Kafka, David Stuart Davies, Douglas Scott , Chris Waller

$22.99

Hardback

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English

Macmillan
13 October 2020

Literature, Poetry & Criticism; Classic fiction (pre c 1945); Fiction in translation; Dystopia; Political Sci-Fi

Series: Macmillan Collector's Library

Through tight dialogue and absurd settings Franz Kafka creates a maze-like prose to mimic the bureaucracy of early twentieth-century Germany, trapping his protagonist in an unlawful conviction that alters the path of his life.

Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library, a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold-foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is translated from German by Douglas Scott and Chris Waller, and features an afterword by David Stuart Davies.

On the morning of his thirtieth birthday, a young bank official named Joseph K is arrested although he has done nothing wrong and is never told what he's been charged with. The Trial is the chronicle of his fight to prove his innocence, of his struggles and encounters with the invisible Law and the untouchable Court where he must make regular visits. It is an account, ultimately, of state-induced self-destruction presenting in a nightmarish scenario the persecution of the outsider and the incomprehensible machinations of the state. Using the power of simple, straightforward language Kafka draws the reader into this bleak and frightening world so that we too experience the fears, uncertainties and tragedy of Joseph K.

By: Franz Kafka
Introduction by: David Stuart Davies
Translated by: Douglas Scott, Chris Waller
Imprint: Macmillan
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 156mm, Width: 106mm, Spine: 18mm
Weight: 170g
ISBN: 9781529021073
ISBN 10: 1529021073
Series: Macmillan Collector's Library
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 13 October 2020
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Born in Prague in 1883, the son of a self-made Jewish merchant, Franz Kafka trained as a lawyer and worked in insurance. He published little during his lifetime and lived his life in relative obscurity. He was forced to retire from work in 1917 after being diagnosed with tuberculosis, a debilitating illness which dogged his final years. When he died in 1924 he bequeathed the - mainly unfinished - manuscripts of his novels, stories, letters and diaries to his friend the writer Max Brod with the strict instruction that they should be destroyed. Brod ignored Kafka's wishes and organized the publication of his work, including The Trial, which appeared in 1925. It is through Brod's efforts that Kafka is now regarded as one of the greatest novelists of the twentieth century.