Investigations of a Dog
by Franz Kafka 
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'If I think about it, and I have the time and inclination and capacity to do so, we dogs are an odd lot.' How does a dog see the world? How do any of us? In this playful and enigmatic story of a canine philosopher, Kafka explores the limits of knowledge.Tags
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I've read a bit of Kafka before ...not sure that I finished "The Trial".....but admit to being rather baffled by it. (And bored). And I'me here admitting to being rather baffled by the investigations of a dog. Ok I can see that he's had his dog kind of jumping around ...or merely mooching around and has wondered what the dog is thinking and what's going on inside that doggy body. Has he nailed it? No I don't think so. Is there more to it than this? Is it somehow a parody of life in a socialist state and Kafka is the dog? And everything is slightly opaque? Maybe....but I can't really see it. Yes the translation seems pretty good. At least it hangs together as a story in English. Would I like to read a full book length novel in the same show more vein? NO. In fact, I'm glad it was so short because it gave me a taste of Kafka without having to devote days to the enterprise ...and wondering, afterwards, why I had wasted my time. What was all that suff about the dog orchestra? Were they barking? Were they whimpering? Why standing on hind legs? Were they some sort of Dog circus? If so where was the trainer? Sorry. But a few too many holes for my imagination to fill in. And if that was the author's intention....well. I have better things to do with my time. Two stars from me. show less
A series of short descriptions (from the perspective of the dog enquirer) regarding cultural customs. Neat, short and fun read.
Als Gregor Samsa eines Morgens aus unruhigen Träumen erwachte, fand er sich in seinem Bett zu einem ungeheueren Hund verwandelt
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1,502+ Works 103,653 Members
Franz Kafka -- July 3, 1883 - June 3, 1924 Franz Kafka was born to middle-class Jewish parents in Prague, Czechoslovakia on July 3, 1883. He received a law degree at the University of Prague. After performing an obligatory year of unpaid service as law clerk for the civil and criminal courts, he obtained a position in the workman's compensation show more division of the Austrian government. Always neurotic, insecure, and filled with a sense of inadequacy, his writing is a search for personal fulfillment and understanding. He wrote very slowly and deliberately, publishing very little in his lifetime. At his death he asked a close friend to burn his remaining manuscripts, but the friend refused the request. Instead the friend arranged for publication Kafka's longer stories, which have since brought him worldwide fame and have influenced many contemporary writers. His works include The Metamorphosis, The Castle, The Trial, and Amerika. Kafka was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) in August 1917. As his disease progressed, his throat became affected by the TB and he could not eat regularly because it was painful. He died from starvation in a sanatorium in Kierling, near Vienna, after admitting himself for treatment there on April 10, 1924. He died on June 3 at the age of 40. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Penguin Modern (14)
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Investigations of a Dog
- Original title
- Forschungen eines Hundes
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- Members
- 225
- Popularity
- 144,757
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.50)
- Languages
- 9 — Danish, English, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Turkish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 15
- ASINs
- 2
