Search

kafkaestblog

It is a whirlwind in here

Open Search

Franz Kafka And Love for Valentine’s Day (from Kafka In The Castle)

((

u1_978-3-596-90598-0

Franz Kafka had many lovers in his life.  For someone supposedly distant and difficult, he was rarely without a woman more than willing to be his companion. Of course, being his companion was difficult because he was – well – Franz Kafka. Not that, as far as I know, any of them actually used the phrase .“It’s complicated.”  But it was.

Felice Bauer was, arguably, the most important love in his life. She was engaged to him twice. And, considering the relationship they had, I’m guessing she was relieved each time they broke it off.  They were ‘together’ from September 1912 to October 1917, and most of their relationship occurred through letters. Those few times they were together were not always filled with bliss.

In Kafka In The Castle, where I fill in his missing diary entries, I have him make comments about the end of their relationship.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt from Kafka In The Castle

27 February 1917

A letter from F. I am beginning to think that we do not really see the people in front of us. F. has changed from a vibrant companion to a banal drudge. But, of course, she has not really changed. She is neither of these things, but rather a combination. She is a person living through her life, and what I see reflected are my wants and fears. I want F. to share my tiny house, but I am ever fearful she might say yes.

28 March 1917

I have many letters I should write, the principle one being to F. A chore offering little satisfaction, and less pleasure. Except for the relief of knowing it is done. I am an expert in this, since I spend most of my life dealing with chores. The sins of the office will follow me into the third and fourth decade. But what is to be done about Felice? If anything, she is enjoying our correspondence more now, than she ever has. Rarely do we go below the surface of furniture and work. Will this be this, or that be that? If we ever approach the stairway of heaven together, she will be most concerned that the carpeting upon it is expensive and durable.

04 June 1917

Sometimes – with F – a kiss could make me feel I was becoming part of her. And she into me. I retreated.

DE

(image) https://www.fischerverlage.de/media/fs/15/u1_978-3-596-90598-0.jpg

0

Royal Navy bomb disposal experts dealing with River Thames WW2 device

How a war never ends. Perhaps my father, stationed outside London during the early part of World War Two, walked past this while on leave. He did like to nip into London.

Source: Royal Navy bomb disposal experts dealing with River Thames WW2 device

0

Berlin – A Day Trip

0

It’s Up To You, New York – Day Two

0

ACL Announces New Weekly Trans-Atlantic Passenger Service, Starting in April: Hamburg-Antwerp-Liverpool-Halifax-New York-Baltimore And Return

thecruisepeople's avatarThe Cruise People Ltd

Atlantic Star at Liverpool The 100,430-ton 12-passenger Atlantic Star departing Liverpool for Halifax, New York and Baltimore

The Cruise People Ltd is happy to announce a new cargo-passenger service between Europe and North America with five new ACL vessels called the G4’s. All delivered over the past two years to Grimaldi Lines subsidiary ACL, these ships will now offer a weekly fixed day of the week passenger service between Hamburg, Antwerp and Liverpool in Europe and Halifax, New York and Baltimore in North America.

Sample transit times are 7 nights Liverpool to Halifax and 9 nights Liverpool to New York, while in the reverse New York to Liverpool is 10 nights and Halifax to Liverpool 8 nights.

To book, you will need to act quickly as all sailings from Europe in April and May and from North America in September and October are now fully booked. Bookings are now open for departures from…

View original post 467 more words

1

The Commander-In-Chief Wants A Military Parade

8f88a9161d5401a644d9bb70f3c041f3

The Commander-In-Chief decided  it would be a grand day to become Admiral of the Fleet – Lord High Admiral if he chose the hat with cockade and plume. Nodding jauntily in the air, the plume put on an impressive display, as he either agreed, or disapproved, with a toss, or a shake, of his head. The dancing ostrich feathers would add a dashing air as he boarded his flagship and, with just the right mixture of stringent authority and well- tempered geniality, moved in imperious sweeps among the ranks of ratings on the aft deck. He would, of course, be extra careful about the pitfalls awaiting a man with ornate dress sword and scabbard, among the steep steps and narrow companionways.

****************

Wednesday would be khaki day for the Commander-In-Chief. It was the day set aside to remind him of the loyalty he must always retain from his men, for what was a leader without his troops? As a treat – for really, the dull brown did not make for a very striking appearance – he would chose the tank commander’s uniform. With its wide web belt and shiny black holster on the hip, flap unsnapped to reveal the butt of a wicked forty-five. And, of course, the black leather gloves, as befits a man at the controls of so much power, and the steel helmet polished to a mirror-shine. The riding crop? Ah, the riding crop was debatable.

***************

There would be a parade today, massed men at attention with stiffly held rifles and fixed bayonets. The Commander-In-Chief would have to chose carefully to represent his awesome power and responsibility. Cavalry boots would be a must, raising half-way up the calf and resounding with silver spurs, steel-tipped toes and heels. Then would come crisp black trousers, billowing majestically around the thighs, and kept up with a wide leather belt. He took care that each red stripe reaching the length of each leg was as straight as an arrow. His blue tunic, he decided, would have only muted decorations and the minimum of gold braid entwined about his shoulders. He was – after all – a Commander-In-Chief of the people.

DE

(image) https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8f/88/a9/8f88a9161d5401a644d9bb70f3c041f3.jpg

0

Moses And The Chicken (Check Your Bible If You Must)

a-658942-1214426043-jpeg

So it has come to this.

A mindless voice with mindless tune singing softly in the dark.

My friend, I promise you that on such a night even the sages are locked babbling in their rooms.

You think me mad?

“Well, my boyze.”  (I talk in my best W.C. Fields voice).

“Well, my boyze. I had a hen who could lay a Golden Calf.

“And this weird guy – Moses was his name – yass, this Mozaz threw these stone tablets – threw, I say – these stone tablets on my hen, and killed her.

“Feathers everywhere.

“And I asked him – I said to him –  Mozaz, why did you flatten my hen and make the feathers fly?

“And he said to me  (can you believe this) – he said to me: `W. C., I was damn hungry.’

“And then I knew,

“My little chickadee,

“My little bottom-soft dumpling,

“I knew from that moment,

“The man was not sincere.”

DE

(image) https: //img.discogs.com/An_gvWRJbQxRnY9CrHYZcy741uM=/fit-in/300×300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/A-658942-1214426043.jpeg.jpg

0

Ronald Lionel ‘Buddy’ Doucette – C.L.Curry Funeral Home

Dale Estey's avatarkafkaestblog

This is such a shock to me. Buddy was so delightfully irreverent, witty and wise. And he concocted some most marvellous meals in his ‘house in the woods’. His exit leaves an empty stage.

Doucette, Ronald Lionel

Source: Ronald Lionel ‘Buddy’ Doucette – C.L.Curry Funeral Home

View original post

0

Ronald Lionel ‘Buddy’ Doucette – C.L.Curry Funeral Home

This is such a shock to me. Buddy was so delightfully irreverent, witty and wise. And he concocted some most marvellous meals in his ‘house in the woods’. His exit leaves an empty stage.

Doucette, Ronald Lionel

Source: Ronald Lionel ‘Buddy’ Doucette – C.L.Curry Funeral Home

2

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑