The Unhappiness of Being a Single Man Essential Stories

New translations of the best stories by the one of the twentieth century's greatest and most influential writers

Kafka, whose name has generated an adjective, is one of the best loved writers of the twentieth century. Known for his dark, enigmatic stories, for the absurd nightmares he depicts, his extraordinary imaginative depth is clear in stories from 'A Hunger Artist' to 'The Verdict'.
But Kafka also wrote fizzingly funny, fresh stories, and The Unhappiness of Being a Single Man contains all the aspects of this genius: the wit and the grit; the horror and the humour; the longing and the laughing. They range from bizarre, two-sentence stories about Don Quixote to the famous brutal depiction of violence and justice that is 'In the Penal Colony'.
In a nimble new translation by the acclaimed Alexander Starritt, this collection of Kafka's essential stories shows the genius at his very best.

Franz Kafka (1883-1924) was born to Jewish parents in Prague, and wrote in German. Most of his work was published posthumously, but he is now considered one of the most influential authors of the twentieth century.

Translator’s Preface
A Message from the Emperor
A Short Fable
The Unhappiness of Being a Single Man
Poseidon
The Verdict
The Truth About Sancho Panza
The Bridge
The Married Couple
Before the Law
A Hunger Artist
The Trees
The New Lawyer
An Old Journal
In the Penal Colony
The Next Village
A First Heartache
A Report for an Academy
Homecoming
Jackals and Arabs
The Silence of the Sirens
The Stoker
Give up!