Kafkaesque
Fourteen Stories
26 June 2020
Territory Rights — Worldwide.
Description
Award-winning graphic novelist Peter Kuper presents a mesmerising interpretation of fourteen iconic Kafka short stories.
Long fascinated with the work of Franz Kafka, Peter Kuper began illustrating his stories in 1988. Initially drawn to the master’s dark humour, Kuper adapted the stories over the years to plumb their deeper truths. Working from new translations of the classic texts, Kuper has reimagined these iconic stories for the twenty-first century, using setting and perspective to comment on contemporary issues.
Long-time lovers of Kafka will appreciate Kuper’s innovative interpretations, while Kafka novices will discover a haunting introduction to some of the great writer’s most beguiling stories. Kafkaesque stands somewhere between adaptation and wholly original creation, going beyond a simple illustration of Kafka’s words to become a stunning work of art.
Reviews
"For tips on graphic novel adaptations, publishers would be well-served to look at Peter Kuper's Kafkaesque. The renderings of fourteen Franz Kafka short fictions remain true, but not slavishly devoted, to the originals and the final product gives us new perspectives on classic stories. It certainly helps that Kafka's work is opaque and ripe for reinterpretation, but it is Kuper's art that makes it so fresh." — Times Literary Supplement
"Kafkaesque is a stout, enchanting exploration of Kafka’s work. Illuminating his curious character with such incomparable art galvanises the comic’s content, making each individual story land with dramatic flair... It's not only a startlingly robust testament to the power of Kafka’s literary prowess, but also a splendid showcase for Kuper’s manic artwork." — Starburst
"… fans of enigmatic pessimism can allow themselves a shudder of delight." — Strong Words
"Brilliant... The Kafkaesque humor is intact, even enhanced." — The Wall Street Journal
Also By: Franz Kafka 
Die Verwandlung
Paperback, 1960
Kafka's stories are nightmarish tales in which a helpless central character's every move is controlled by heartless, impersonal forces.
The Metamorphosis: A Norton Critical Edition
First Edition, E Book, 2021
“This fine version, with David Cronenberg’s inspired introduction and the new translator’s beguiling afterword, is, I suspect, the most disturbing though the most comforting of all so far; others...
The Lost Writings
Hardback, 2020
A windfall for every reader: a trove of marvelous impossible-to-find Kafka stories in a masterful new translation by Michael Hofmann
The Metamorphosis: A Norton Critical Edition
First Edition, Paperback, 2015
“This fine version, with David Cronenberg’s inspired introduction and the new translator’s beguiling afterword, is, I suspect, the most disturbing though the most comforting of all so far; others...
The Metamorphosis: A New Translation by Susan Bernofsky
Paperback, 2014
Also By: Peter Kuper
Insectopolis: A Natural History
Hardback, 2025
Award-winning cartoonist Peter Kuper transports readers through the 400-million-year history of insects and the remarkable entomologists who have studied them
Heart of Darkness
Paperback, 2020
“[A] triumph of graphic art [and] a compelling work of literary interpretation.”—Maya Jasanoff, Coolidge Professor of History, Harvard University, from the Foreword
Heart of Darkness
Hardback, 2019
Acclaimed illustrator Peter Kuper delivers a shocking graphic interpretation of this controversial classic.
Heart of Darkness
E Book, 2019
“[A] triumph of graphic art [and] a compelling work of literary interpretation.”—Maya Jasanoff, Coolidge Professor of History, Harvard University, from the Foreword
Insectopolis: A Natural History
E Book
Award-winning cartoonist Peter Kuper transports readers through the 400-million-year history of insects and the remarkable entomologists who have studied them.
Also By: Peter Kuper
Insectopolis: A Natural History
Hardback, 2025
Award-winning cartoonist Peter Kuper transports readers through the 400-million-year history of insects and the remarkable entomologists who have studied themHeart of Darkness
Paperback, 2020
“[A] triumph of graphic art [and] a compelling work of literary interpretation.”—Maya Jasanoff, Coolidge Professor of History, Harvard University, from the ForewordHeart of Darkness
Hardback, 2019
Acclaimed illustrator Peter Kuper delivers a shocking graphic interpretation of this controversial classic.Heart of Darkness
E Book, 2019
“[A] triumph of graphic art [and] a compelling work of literary interpretation.”—Maya Jasanoff, Coolidge Professor of History, Harvard University, from the ForewordInsectopolis: A Natural History
E Book
Award-winning cartoonist Peter Kuper transports readers through the 400-million-year history of insects and the remarkable entomologists who have studied them.
