The Unhappiness of Being a Single Man

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

No one has captured the modern experience, its wild dreams, strange joys, its neuroses and boredom, better than Franz Kafka. His vision, with its absurdity and twisted humour, has lost none of its force or relevance today. This essential collection, translated and selected by Alexander Starritt, casts fresh light on Kafka's genius.

Alongside brutal depictions of violence and justice are jokes and deceptively slight, mysterious fables. These unforgettable pieces reflect the brilliance at the core of Franz Kafka, arguably most fully expressed within his short stories. Together they showcase a writer of unmatched imaginative depth, capable of expressing the most profound reality with a wry smile.

About the author

Franz Kafka (1883-1924) was born to Jewish parents in Prague and wrote in German. He published only a few story collections and individual stories in literary magazines during
his lifetime. The rest of his work was published posthumously. He is now considered one of the most influential authors of the twentieth century.
Alexander Starritt is the author of the novels The Beast and We Germans. He is the winner of the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize and has been shortlisted for the Prix Femina and Prix Médicis, among others. His translations of A Chess Story by Stefan Zweig and Late Fame by Arthur Schnitzler are also published by Pushkin Press.

Product details

• Authors: Kafka Franz, Franz Kafka
• Assisted by: Alexander Starritt (Translation), Starritt Alexander (Translation)
• Publisher: Pushkin Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback
• Released: 01.09.2023
• EAN: 9781805330400
• ISBN: 978-1-80533-040-0
• No. of pages: 192
• Dimensions: 130 mm x 197 mm x 15 mm
• Series: Pushkin Classics
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature; FICTION / Short Stories (single author), FICTION / Literary, FICTION / Classics, Classic fiction (pre c 1945), Short Stories, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, Phenomenology and Existentialism, Classic fiction: general and literary