Guernica Editions

With an ear for both tone and authenticity of language, Thor Polson’s translation of 'A Country Doctor' and 'A Hunger Artist' further illuminates Kafka’s humor as one full of sadness, frustration, and irony. Whether it is the messenger in 'A Message From The Emperor,' playing at a game of Zeno’s Paradox and never truly being able to reach his destination, or the ape in 'A Report For An Academy,' who glibly forgives his oppressors in telling the story of how he came to resemble them, this translation—as suggested in the Translator’s Note—exposes what I can only assume was at the heart of Kafka’s narrative intentions. I am also of the belief that it is a worthwhile investment of anyone’s time to read all of Kafka’s work, if only to arrive, at some point on that journey, at 'A Hunger Artist.' Thor Polson’s translation of this beautiful story does not disappoint.

Polson translates Kafka with a sensitivity and insight faithful to this often enigmatic writer. Polson’s translation is not only accurate, but he has gone to great lengths to preserve the linguistic style of the original while at the same time presenting the text in an English version which is readable and which avoids the clumsiness and ambiguity so often found in translations of stylistically complex texts. The reader who is familiar with the German original of the Kafka texts will be pleased to recognize the work of the author in Polson’s English transformation.

Thor Polson’s translation manages to recreate the atmosphere of the Kafka texts, rendering them in clear and pleasantly fluent English, while at the same time staying very close to the original German wording. This translation will be useful to anyone looking for both a faithful and readable Kafka translation, and in particular to students of German in need of help with their own translations of the text.

The Wolffs have given us a rare gift: a view of Franz Kafka through the poetry and prose of Georg Mordechai Langer, one of Kafka’s most imaginative and unconventional friends. Those interested in Kafka – and I think by now this includes just about everyone who reads seriously – will find this book absorbing