Someone would see a Jew and say, 'You dirty dog', or 'You're nothing more than a cockroach', or something like that. For Kafka, this became a kind of literal condemnation which he accepted into himself. OK. 'You point a finger at me and call me a dog, the next thing I have to write is a story about a dog,' in which a dog has human qualities; or he transforms himself into a cockroach. A lot of this has to do with the anti-Semitism that was absolutely rampant all around him at the time." (Radio National) As noted, by having experienced Kafka's work first hand prior to reading Mairowitz's version, I believe that Introducing Kafka turned out to be very delightful for the main reason that the reader can see and understand Kafka's life and works. "In a way a lot of the way that Kafka has been post interpreted, has to do with the fact that some of his sisters perished in the concentration camps, and of course had he lived probably this would have been his fate as well. But we mustn't forget that Kafka died very young. Kafka died a good nine or ten years before Hitler came to power. All this was in the air certainly, but for Kafka it's always on a personal level. Kafka very, very rarely comments upon the political world around him." (Radio National) Mairowitz's narrative was crisp and insightful and Crumb's portrayal of Prague in his illustrations brings the author's surroundings to life.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this report aimed to present my findings on the study and research of Franz Kafka. "The great European writer Franz Kafka is the only 20th century figure to have a whole program in the Encounter...

It could be argued that it was Kafka who, more than any other artist, captured the 20th century zeitgeist in his work." (Radio National) I was overwhelmed by the literally thousands of books, articles and journals that cover Franz Kafka's life in one way or another. However, this particular report was based specifically on the work David Zane Mairowitz and Robert Crumb entitled Introducing Kafka. I have discovered that this particular book is an excellent introduction into the life and times of Franz Kafka based on the fact that this book offers insights in a very entertaining and side-splitting manner. I feel that the book was very well done and represents a mix of illustration and biography by two very talented individuals. I have read many of Kafka's works prior to this particular work and feel that Introducing Kafka would make a great first read for someone being first introduced to Kafka. but, in the same sense, it also offers new insights for those well read on the topic and author. Mairowitz and Crumb drafted a very good picture into the eccentric world and life of Franz Kafka by touching all of the great works, "The Judgment," "The Trial," "The Castle," "A Hunger Artist," and "The Metamorphosis."
Works Cited

Franz Kafka (1883-1924). Retrieved on 12 June 2005, from http://kafka.dzite.com/.

Mairowitz, David Zane, and Robert Crumb. Introducing Kafka. Cambridge: Icon Books, 2000.

Radio National. Franz Kafka. Ed. ABC.NET. 11/21/99. Retrieved on 12 June 2005, from http://www.abc.net.au/rn/relig/enc/stories/s70778.htm.

Kafka