Literature Study research
... parents. Franz felt constantly inadequate and alienated from his family, themes that would later appear in his work. He constantly lived to seek approval from his father, who owned a haberdashery shop, and perpetually offered obstacles in young Franz's life - in terms of careers and relationships. Kafka died in 1924 at the early age of forty-one after suffering from Tuberculosis for nearly eight years. He entrusted his close friend Max Brod with his writings before his death with the promise that he would destroy them. Fortunately Brod denied Kafka his final wish and gave the world the immortal gift of his voice.[3] Plot: Gregor Samsa awakens one morning to find himself transformed into a repulsive bug. Trapped inside this hideous form, his mind remains unchanged--until he sees the shocked reaction of those around him. He begins to question the basis of human love and, indeed, the entire purpose of his existence. But this, it seems, is only the beginning of his ordeal.[4] Critical Reviews: [4] "In Kafka, I have found a portion of my own experience of the world, of myself, and of my way of being in the world." - Vaclav Havel "Had one to name the author who comes nearest to bearing the same kind of relations to our age as Dante, Shakespeare, and Goethe bore to theirs, Kafka is the first one would think of." - W. H. Auden "In some ways, there has never been a better time for Kafka's work than now. The last fifty years paved the way for [his] eerie beauty and seeming madness... 'The Metamorphosis,' 'In the Penal Colony,' and 'A Hunger Artist' are among the finest horror stories ever written. Seventy years after his death, art has finally begun to catch up with him." - Anne Rice Popularity: Franz Kafka has become an icon of sorts, emblematic of modern times. His popularity increased exponentially after the publication of his stories in the 20s and 30s.[5] Awards: N/A Advice from Others: Some friends had read it and enjoyed it, the book is also a popular high school and university fiction novella. The Stone Carvers by Jane Urquhart Setting: The Stone Carvers is set in the first half of the twentieth century, & reaches back to Bavaria & the past. From an Ontario village, they are swept into a colossal venture in Europe years later, as Toronto sculptor Walter Allward's ambitious plans begin to take shape for a war memorial at Vimy, France. Spanning three decades, & moving from a German-settled village in Ontario to Europe after the Great War, The Stone Carvers follow the paths of immigrants, labourers, & dreamers.[1] Theme: The Stone Carvers deals with the loss of war, and the human need to remember and somehow memorialise those who have departed.[2] Plot: The novel follows three generations of Canadians, starting with an immigrant German priest who founded a church in an isolated town in 19th century Ontario. The story concentrates on the family of the wood carver who helped make the church. Through their eyes of his grandchildren, the novel explores the devastation of World War I, the building of the Vimy Memorial to commemorate the Canadian war dead in France, and the human need to live, love, remember and memorialise.[2] Author: Jane Urquhart was born in Little Long Lac, Ontario and educated in Toronto and Guelph. She has had three books of poetry, one collection of short fiction, and two novels published. Her fifth novel, The Stone Carvers was published in 2001.[3][4] Awards: International bestseller that was a finalist for both the Giller Prize and the Governor General's Award, and was long listed for the Man Booker Prize.[2] Popularity: Urquhart's popularity is that her novels are, whether they are meant to be or not, a sort of confection for the "intelligentsia," that large set of sometimes hysterical people who over-indulge in art and creative writing classes, who join art-appreciation and book clubs or writer's federations, who are vaguely anti-American and carefully politically-correct, who read every word of the book and art sections of The Globe and Mail, and who aspire to artistic achievement even though they work as dentists, teachers, and book reviewers.[5] Critical Reviews: "Magnificent....A spellbinding tale..." Independent (U.K.) "This book is not just delightful, but essential....Extraordinarily rewarding." Globe and Mail "A story with its own strong momentum, and undoubted emotional power..." Toronto Star "Triumphant..." The Observer (U.K.) "[A] moving novel....The panorama of WWI serves as a powerful backdrop...and gives Urquhart the canvas on which to depict mature, sophisticated themes....Urquhart's deft, poetic prose and psychological acuity make this a stirring look at one of the signal events of the 20th century." Publishers Weekly [6] Advice from Others: N/A Synopses The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: A story about everlasting friendship, struggle, and betrayal. Two boys that shared their childhoods together are divided during the war. Amir and Hassan are socially very different, one is rich and well educated, while the other is exactly the opposite. However, their differences created their friendship and though it was short-lived because of the war separating them, they soon return to meet each other. Amir's family leaves to America, but he returns to Afghanistan as an adult during civil turmoil to repay his debt to Hassan. The novel deals with realities of life and the differences between the first world and the third. The book is very popular and received numerous awards, as well critics gave it the thumbs up. Mr. Khaled Hosseini has captured and explored the culture of a mere nation that has become a pivot point in the global politics of our time. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: A monotonous life comes to an end when Gregor Samsa awakens one morning to find himself transformed into grotesque creature. When his bug-like form is revealed to his family, he begins to question the meaning of life and peoples enticement to judge someone by their look. The novella deals with social aspects that some escape from discussing, for example, questioning life and its meaning and inquiring isolation within society. The author Franz Kafka writes and deals with meaningful and thoughtful ideas, such as, feeling constantly inadequate and alienated from his family. Finally, the story brings out an essence of questioning ones existence and feeling of how it is to be isolated. As well, the majority of people who read it believe it is truly insightful on the unseen and forgotten aspects of society. The Stone Carvers by Jane Urquhart: This story rotates around numerous characters, however, the central character is Klara, a 38-year old spinster living on the outskirts of an isolated Canadian village, Shoneval. Klara is a unique woman with indepe...