"Blumfeld, an Elderly Bachelor" (German: "Blumfeld, ein älterer Junggeselle") is an incomplete story by
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-speaking Bohemian novelist and short-story writer, widely regarded as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of realism and the fantastic. It ...
. Probably written at the beginning of 1915, it first appeared in 1936 in the collection ''Beschreibung eines Kampfes'' (''
Description of a Struggle
"Description of a Struggle" (german: "Beschreibung eines Kampfes") is a short story by Franz Kafka. It contains the dialogues "Conversation with the Supplicant" ("Gespräch mit dem Beter") and "Conversation with the Drunk" ("Gespräch mit dem Bet ...
'').
It relates part of the life of Blumfeld, an elderly bachelor, who upon arriving home finds two balls bouncing off the ground of their own accord. The balls follow him wherever he goes, and they clearly annoy him. The action continues into the next day, following his attempt to be rid of the balls. After finding an apparent solution, he goes off to work, where he interacts with those around him.
An entry from
Kafka's Diaries, dated February 9, 1915, could refer to "Blumfeld":
Just now read the beginning. It is ugly and gives me a headache. In spite of all its truth, it is wicked, pedantic, mechanical, a fish barely breathing on a sandbank.[Kafka, Franz. ''Diaries 1910-1923''. New York: Schocken Books, 1988.]
A reimagining of the story by
Carter Scholz
Carter Scholz (né Robert Carter Scholz; born 1953) is an American speculative fiction author and composer of music. He lives in California.
Biography
Scholz grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey and graduated from Tenafly High School in 1971. He also ...
is featured in ''
Kafka Americana
''Kafka Americana'' is a 1999 collection of short stories by Jonathan Lethem and Carter Scholz based on the life (and alternate histories) and works of Franz Kafka. Originally published in a limited edition by Subterranean Press, it was released ...
''.
External links
"Blumfeld, an Elderly Bachelor" in ''A Franz Kafka Encyclopedia''
Footnotes
External links
the textkafka.uni-bonn.de
1915 short stories
Short stories by Franz Kafka
Unfinished books
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