As Promised – Kafka Mini Reviews

Just finished reading the last short story in the collection, and I am ready to write the mini reviews I promised you ages ago. 🙂

The last story I reviewed was The Stoker so I begin this with In The Penal Colony.

This short story, In The Penal Colony, was written in 1914 and published in 1919. It is described as a parable. I agree with this. It’s describes a torture device that is actually put to use. The description of that scene is pretty graphic and if you don’t like blood, you won’t want to read it. It’s not scary, not by a long shot, just puts too much emphasis(in my opinion) on the bloody nature of the device. It’s also one of his longer stories.

A Country Doctor is next. It was written in 1916 and published in 1919. This story must have been one of his “dream logic” stories because it was quite confusing. Either that or the doctor, while freezing to death waiting for a horse to take him on a house call, loses his mind; said mind going on one last house call that made very little sense. Read it if you like, but I saw nothing to recommend it except Kafka’s emotive writing. His use of words to convey surrealism on the verge of horror is fantastic.

An Old Leaf was published in 1919 with no mention of what year it was written – most likely 1916 along with A Country Doctor. Not sure what this story was trying to say but at least it wasn’t that long.

A Hunger Artist, written in 1921 and published in 1924. This short story is about an actual hunger artist who can’t seem to come to terms with how society viewed his idea of “art”. People used to flock around people who were actual hunger artists but only because of the morbidity and oddity of these “performers”. I found it interesting from a historic perspective. I wouldn’t have considered these performances as being art.

Josephine, the Singer, or The Mouse People was also written in 1921 and published in 1924. It’s a longer story, but it also deals with an artist who can’t come to grips with the way her society actually views her “art”. I found this story to be boring. I won’t lie since that would be a disservice to you, the readers of this review. Read it for yourselves as you may get more out of it than I did.

The last story in the collection is actually part of a larger novel. Before the Law, written in 1914 and published in 1919, is part of his completed novel The Trial which was published posthumously in 1925. Before the Law is very short and doesn’t make any sense at all to me. It might to you. Personally, I think I’d rather read The Trial as context might help it make sense to me.

And thus ends my mini reviews of the remaining short stories of Franz Kafka. As always, I urge you readers to read this body of work for yourselves because only then can you truly know how you feel about them – know completely what you have brought away from reading them. I am no expert on anything and thus, you have no need to take my word for anything in regards to this body of work or any other. Don’t take my word, or anyone else’s for that matter – find out for yourself!

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!

As Promised – Peacock Project

I actually finished this project several days ago, but I had so much other stuff going on I didn’t have time to sit down to write a post until now.

This piece was originally supposed to be for an accent pillow. I found the pattern in a vintage pattern book circa 1915 – The Priscilla Filet Crochet Book No. 2 in fact. The pattern called for size 300 thread which I had no clue about so, I used what I had. The piece is now 47 inches wide by 55 inches tall. I am selling it on Etsy too –

https://www.etsy.com/listing/588687694/filet-crocheted-peacock

If the above link doesn’t work, please let me know. So far, it’s working.

That’s it for now folks, more to come, so see you on the flipside. Enjoy and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!

Kafka and More

I’ve almost finished reading the collection of short stories by Kafka. I’ll do a quick overview of each one as soon as I’m done. Writing complete reviews of each would rather spoil things for you, if I haven’t done so already with my other reviews. Kafka is well worth a read because of the way he writes and not just what he writes. I’m looking forward to reading at least one of his novels in the near future.

Working the mid shift I’m on at work has thrown my life out of whack. I can’t really plan things like I could before. I only have so much time before and after work to do things. What makes things harder is that my back issues are getting worse since I started work. I don’t lift heavy things but I do a lot of walking, bending over and other things which is causing me a lot of pain. I have to force myself to work a full shift because by the time I’ve been there an hour my feet feel like I’ve been on them for days. I’m going to call the doctor tomorrow to see about getting an appointment. I need something done so I can keep working.

My filet crochet project of the peacock is nearing the end – only about 30 more rows to go – if I don’t decide to add panels to the side of it. It is looking quite lovely, and I’ll be posting a picture of it when it’s done.

I messed around and missed the deadline for entering Mr. Nobody into the contest for FunDead Publications, but that’s okay because I’m going to turn the short story into a full length novel called The Demon’s Rules. 🙂

I joined Soldier’s Angels, a volunteer agency that links volunteers with soldiers and groups of soldiers here at home and abroad. They have many teams doing things from writing letters to sending care packages to providing items for baby showers and other things as well. All branches are served by this group, and I’m happy to be a part of the team.

I’m also loom knitting hats for cancer patients and veterans here in the States. I’m only making one a day due to my schedule, but it’s still something.

So, I’m working, reading, writing, and crafting every day – very busy schedule. 🙂 How are things with you?

See you all on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!

Roller Coaster Ride

I don’t like roller coasters simply because I almost fell out of the Texas Cyclone back when I was 14. I’m also very afraid of falling because of that.

Anyway, three days ago I stopped blogging – not sure if you noticed or not. 🙂

I stopped for two days because I was feeling meh. I wasn’t really depressed or bored even though I had to make myself do things. I felt like I was in a holding pattern waiting for something to start. I was sad too, but it was not like depressed or want to cry. It’s hard to explain.

Then, yesterday, I spent most of the day with my friends, Sandra and Claude. They’re a married couple who will be celebrating their 9th year this year. Sandra has been battling with Stage 4 cancer for the last two years – at least – maybe three. She had surgery – total hysterectomy, most of her liver, some of her bladder. Tumors keep showing up. She’s on the third kind of chemo medication now – she’s too far gone for radiation which, at this point, would kill her quicker than the disease. The meds she’s being given shrink some tumors while others get larger. New ones show up no matter what. We mostly hung around their house and talked. She stays busy making things for veterans and other cancer patients – she’s just that way. Her husband is a giver too- he’d give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. Even after the visit, I still didn’t feel like blogging.

Today, I started training for my new job at a fast food joint. Yeah, it’s not a great job but after being unemployed for so long and really needing the money, I was willing to take any job. I spent 71/2 hours on my feet with no break because they were so busy and so short staffed I couldn’t take even a short break. It was the people I was serving, rather than the people I worked with, who reminded me of why I quit fast food over 20 years ago. Especially having to clean the men’s room. I raised two boys, and neither were anywhere as nasty as the men who used our bathroom! Still, it’s a job.

So I’ve been riding a roller coaster most of this week, and it’s finally rolled to a stop. I’m back to feeling motivated and focused, wanting to do things, make things, write things…. You’ll be getting a movie review only on my days off so be warned! I’ll review The Penal Colony by Kafka tomorrow – after work.

That’s all for tonight so, I’ll see you on the flipside. Don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver – we might make reservations at The Restaurant at the End of the Universe – you never know.