Franz Kafka and Chinese Culture

This book conducts a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of Franz Kafka's relation to China. Commencing with an examination of the myriad Chinese cultural influences to which Kafka was exposed, it goes on to explore the ways in which they manifest themselves in canonical stories, such as Description of A Struggle, The Great Wall of China, and An Old Manuscript. This leads the way to thought-provoking comparative studies of Kafka and major Chinese writers and philosophers, such as Zhuang Tzu, Pu Songling, Qian Zhongshu, and Lu Xun. Highlighting kindred philosophical concepts, shared aesthetic tastes, and parallel narrative strategies, these comparisons transcend mere textual analysis, to explore the profound cultural, historical, and philosophical implications of Kafka's works. Finally, the book turns to an examination Kafka's impact on modern life in China, including its translation studies, literature, and even its mass culture.

Offers an in-depth exploration of the relations between Franz Kafka and the traditional Chinese culture Includes a comparative analysis of some of Kafka's works and Chinese works Reviews Kafka Studies in China over twenty years

Autorentext

Yanbing Zeng is Doctor of Literature, professor and doctoral supervisor of School of Liberal Art in Renmin University of China. He specializes in Western literature studies, comparative study of Chinese and Western Literature, study on postmodern literature and culture, and study on Kafka, and has published several monographs in these fields. Yuan Li, the translator, is Professor of English at the Faculty of English Language & Culture, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. She has published extensively on contemporary Chinese and Anglo-Irish literature, culture and world literature.

Klappentext

This book conducts a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of Franz Kafkäs relation to China. Commencing with an examination of the myriad Chinese cultural influences to which Kafka was exposed, it goes on to explore the ways in which they manifest themselves in canonical stories, such as Description of A Struggle, The Great Wall of China, and An Old Manuscript. This leads the way to thought-provoking comparative studies of Kafka and major Chinese writers and philosophers, such as Zhuang Tzu, Pu Songling, Qian Zhongshu, and Lu Xun. Highlighting kindred philosophical concepts, shared aesthetic tastes, and parallel narrative strategies, these comparisons transcend mere textual analysis, to explore the profound cultural, historical, and philosophical implications of Kafkäs works. Finally, the book turns to an examination Kafkäs impact on modern life in China, including its translation studies, literature, and even its mass culture.

Inhalt
Introduction.- Sinking to the Seabed of Chinese Culture: Franz Kafka and Traditional Chinese Culture.- The First Dance Steps in Winter: An Analysis of Description of a Struggle.- The Great Wall in Transcultural Context: The Great Wall of China.- Old Manuscript from China: An Old Manuscript.- Babel on Chinese Great Wall: Kafka and the Philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi.- Kafka and Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio.- Into Fortress Besieged and Out of The Castle: A Comparative Analysis of Qian Zhongshu's Fortress Besieged and Kafka's The Castle.- Inscriptions on the Tomb Stone: A Comparative Analysis of Lu Xun's Tombstone Inscriptions and Kafka's A Dream.- Bosom Friends in Contemporary China: The Reception of Kafka's Works by Contemporary Chinese Writers.- Franz Kafka and Contemporary Chinese Culture.- The Discussion of Kafka Never Ends: Kafka Studies in China.- The Translationand Introduction of Kafka's The Metamorphosis in China.