This book conducts a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of Franz Kafka's relation to China. Commencing with an examination of the myriad Chinese cultural influences to which Kafka was exposed, it goes on to explore the ways in which they manifest themselves in canonical stories, such as Description of A Struggle, The Great Wall of China, and An Old Manuscript. This leads the way to thought-provoking comparative studies of Kafka and major Chinese writers and philosophers, such as Zhuang Tzu, Pu Songling, Qian Zhongshu, and Lu Xun. Highlighting kindred philosophical concepts, shared aesthetic tastes, and parallel narrative strategies, these comparisons transcend mere textual analysis, to explore the profound cultural, historical, and philosophical implications of Kafka's works. Finally, the book turns to an examination Kafka's impact on modern life in China, including its translation studies, literature, and even its mass culture.

Auteur

Yanbing Zeng is a professor and a doctoral supervisor of Renmin University of China. He has published extensively in comparative literature studies and Franz Kafka. Yuan Li, the translator, is Professor of English at the Faculty of English Language & Culture, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. She has published extensively on contemporary Chinese and Anglo-Irish literature, culture and world literature.Yuan Li, the translator, is Professor of English at the Faculty of English Language & Culture, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. She has published extensively on contemporary Chinese and Anglo-Irish literature, culture and world literature.Yuan Li, the translator, is Professor of English at the Faculty of English Language & Culture, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. She has published extensively on contemporary Chinese and Anglo-Irish literature, culture and world literature.

Texte du rabat

This book explores the relations between the German-speaking, Bohemian Jewish novelist and short-story writer Franz Kafka and the Chinese Culture. It discusses the reasons for Kafka's special preference for Chinese culture and the acceptance of Kafka by Chinese readers, and expounds on the many possible ways that Kafka could have become familiar with China and Chinese culture. The author also points out that Kafka's works have a certain similarity or consistency, whether implicit or explicit, with Chinese culture or ideology, and compares several of Kafka's works with their equivalents in China, providing a detailed analysis.

Contenu

Introduction.- Sinking to the Seabed of Chinese Culture: Franz Kafka and Traditional Chinese Culture.- The First Dance Steps in Winter: An Analysis of Description of a Struggle.- The Great Wall in Transcultural Context: The Great Wall of China.- Old Manuscript from China: An Old Manuscript.- Babel on Chinese Great Wall: Kafka and the Philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi.- Kafka and Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio.- Into "Fortress Besieged" and Out of "The Castle": A Comparative Analysis of Qian Zhongshu's Fortress Besieged and Kafka's The Castle.- Inscriptions on the Tomb Stone: A Comparative Analysis of Lu Xun's "Tombstone Inscriptions" and Kafka's "A Dream".- "Bosom Friends" in Contemporary China: The Reception of Kafka's Works by Contemporary Chinese Writers.- Franz Kafka and Contemporary Chinese Culture.- The Discussion of Kafka Never Ends: Kafka Studies in China.- The Translation and Introduction of Kafka's The Metamorphosis in China.