The Castle, Critical Edition, Harman Translation
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| Author | Franz Kafka |
|---|---|
| Translator | Mark Harman |
| Cover artist | Photograph: Culver Pictures; Design: Kathleen Digrado |
| Country | Germany |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Philosophical, Dystopian novel |
| Publisher | Schocken Books |
| Released | 1998 |
| Media type | Print (paperback) |
| Pages | 328 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-8052-1106-3 |
The Castle is a philosophical novel by Franz Kafka. The Plot Introduction and Summary may be found at the generic article The Castle.
The purpose of this article is to provide specific details about the translation available by Mark Harman based on the Malcolm Pasley, et al. critical text, hereinafter the "Harman translations".
Contents |
[edit] History of Translation
In 1926 Max Brod persuaded Kurt Wolff Verlag to publish the first German edition of The Castle. Due to its unfinished nature (refer to The Castle history) and his desire to get Kafka's work published, Max Brod took some editorial freedom. Although accepted for many years it was understood that the compilations had a many misgivings.
In 1961 Malcolm Pasley was able to gain control of the manuscript, along with most of the other Kafka writings (save The Trial) and had it placed in the Oxford's Bodleian library. There, Pasley headed a team of scholars and recompiled Kafka's works into the Critical Edition. The Castle Critical Edition, in German, consists of two volumes -- the novel in one volume and the fragments, deletions and editor's notes in a second volume. They were published by S. Fischer Verlag in 1982, hence occasionally referred to as the "Fischer Editions".
Mark Harman used the first volume of this set to create the 1998 edition of The Castle, often refer to as based on the "Restored Text" or the "English Critical Edition".
[edit] Table of Contents
- Publisher's Note: A history of The Castle and Schocken Books written by Arthur Samuelson, Editor, Schocken Books
- Translator's Note: Introduction describing Harman's philosophy behind translation of the Pasley Critical Edition.
- I. Arrival
- II. Barnabas
- III. Frieda
- IV. First Conversation with the Landlady
- V. At the Chairman's
- VI. Second conversations with the Landlady
- VII The Teacher
- VIII. Waiting for Klamm
- IX. The Struggle Against the Interrogation
- X. On the Street
- XI. In the Schoolhouse
- XII. The Assistants
- XIII. Hans
- IV. Frieda's Reproach
- V. At Amalia's
- XVI.
- XVII. Amalia's Secret
- XVIII. Amalia's Punishment
- XIX. Petitioning
- XX. Olga's Plans
- XXI.
- XXII.
- XXIII.
- XXIV.
- XXV.
- Appendix
- Afterward by German Critical Edition, by Malcolm Pasley
- The Life of Franz Kafka: A short tabular reference to highlights of Kafka's life
- Bibliography
[edit] Noteworthy Translation Differences
Prior to reading the book, the most obvious difference between this edition and the Muir translation is the absence of Kafka's fragments and deleted text. The second, is the different chapter structure with most chapters being named.
The lack of the fragments and missing text would have little meaning to most readers if the Muir translation did not let one know that there was more to read. The casual reader may not find the additional text of value. Harman mentions that he has not included the text, but does not mention that some of this text lends a significant amount of information as to what Kafka's intents were.
According to the Publisher's Note and Harman's Translator's Note, at the beginning of the book, they are true to the punctuation and flow of the novel attempting to keep with the speed intended by Kafka.
Harman has received general acceptance of his translation as being technically accurate and true to the original German. He has, though, received criticism for, at times not creating the prosaic form of Kafka.[1] Some of this is due, as with Muir's translations, on accusations that Pasley compilations are also inaccurate, although better than Brod's.[2]
As noted in the Table of Contents above, Harman includes an eleven page discussion on his philosophy behind the translation. This section provides significant information about the method he used and his thought process. There are numerous examples of passages from Pasley, Muir's translation and his translation to provide the reader with a better feel for the work. As referenced above, some feel that his (and the publisher's) praise for his work and his "patronizing" of the Muirs goes a little too far.[1]
[edit] Release details
Only one release known
[edit] Sources, references, external links, quotations
Footnotes:
- ^ a b "Franz Kafka & the trip to Spindemuhle", Eric Ormsby, The New Criterion, Nov 1998, (http://www.newcriterion.com/archive/17/nov98/ormsby.htm)
- ^ "Scholars squabble in Kafkaesque drama", Von David Harrison, The Observer, May 17, 1998, S. 23 (http://www.textkritik.de/rezensionen/kafka/proc_03.htm)
