Franz Kafka, a German-language writer of novels and short stories who is regarded by critics as one of the most influential authors of the 20th century, was trained as a lawyer and later employed by an insurance company, writing only in his spare time.

Fiction Novels

English title Date of Writing Original German title English translations Notes Cover first edition Amerikaor The Man Who Disappeared;Amerika: The Missing Person 1911–1914 Amerika or Der Verschollene (1927) Willa and Edwin Muir (1938);Michael Hofmann (1997);Mark Harman (2008) Includes the short story"The Stoker" as first chapter The Trial 1914–1915 Der Prozess (1925) Willa and Edwin Muir (1935);Idris Parry (1994);Breon Mitchell (1999);David Wyllie (2003);Richard Stokes (2005);John Williams; (2008)Mike Mitchell (2009) Includes the parable"Before the Law" The Castle 1922 Das Schloss (1926) Willa and Edwin Muir (1930);Mark Harman (1998);J. A. Underwood (2000);Anthea Bell (2009) published in two versions:Max Brod's 1926 edition anda "definitive edition" in 1951

Short stories

+ Contemplation (Betrachtung) (1912),included in The Complete Stories andThe Penal Colony: Stories and Short Pieces English title German title "Children on a Country Road" "Kinder auf der Landstraße" "The Trees" "Die Bäume" "Clothes" "Kleider" "Excursion into the Mountains" "Der Ausflug ins Gebirge" "Rejection" "Die Abweisung" "The Street Window" "Das Gassenfenster" "The Tradesman" "Der Kaufmann" "Absent-minded Window-gazing" "Zerstreutes Hinausschaun" "The Way Home" "Der Nachhauseweg" "Passers-by" "Die Vorüberlaufenden" "On the Tram" "Der Fahrgast" "Reflections for Gentlemen-Jockeys" "Zum Nachdenken für Herrenreiter" "The Wish to be a Red Indian" "Wunsch, Indianer zu werden" "Unhappiness" "Unglücklichsein" "Bachelor's Ill Luck" "Das Unglück des Junggesellen" "Unmasking a Confidence Trickster" "Entlarvung eines Bauernfängers" "The Sudden Walk" "Der plötzliche Spaziergang" "Resolutions" "Entschlüsse" + "A Country Doctor" ("Ein Landarzt") (1919),included in The Complete Stories English title German title "The New Advocate" "Der neue Advokat""A Country Doctor" "Ein Landarzt" (1919) "Up in the Gallery" "Auf der Galerie" "An Old Manuscript" "Ein altes Blatt" "Before the Law" "Vor dem Gesetz" (part of "The Trial") "Jackals and Arabs" "Schakale und Araber" "A Visit to a Mine" "Ein Besuch im Bergwerk" "The Next Village" "Das nächste Dorf" "A Message from the Emperor" "Eine kaiserliche Botschaft" (part of "The Great Wall of China") "The Cares of a Family Man" "Die Sorge des Hausvaters" "Eleven Sons" "Elf Söhne" "A Fratricide" "Der Mord / Ein Brudermord" "A Dream" "Ein Traum""A Report to an Academy" "Ein Bericht für eine Akademie" + Shorter stories and parables English title Original German title Collected in: "Shamefaced Lanky and Impure in Heart" "Der Unredliche in seinem Herzen" (1958, written 1902) Letters to Friends, Family, and Editors "Description of a Struggle"includes two dialogues originally published separately:"Conversation with the Supplicant""Conversation with the Drunk" "Beschreibung eines Kampfes" (1909)"Gespräch mit dem Beter""Gespräch mit dem Betrunkenen" Description of a Struggle,The Complete Stories;Both dialogues originally published in Hyperion (Munich, 1909);a different version of "Conversation with the Supplicant"appears in The Penal Colony: Stories and Short Pieces "Wedding Preparations in the Country" "Hochzeitsvorbereitungen auf dem Lande" (1954, written 1907–1908) The Complete Stories,Dearest Father. Stories and Other Writings "The Judgment" "Das Urteil" (1913) The Complete Stories,The Sons,The Penal Colony: Stories and Short Pieces The Metamorphosisor The Transformation Die Verwandlung (1915) The Complete Stories,The Sons,The Penal Colony: Stories and Short Pieces "The Stoker" "Der Heizer" (1913) The Sons;first chapter of Amerika "In the Penal Colony" "In der Strafkolonie" (1919) The Complete Stories,The Penal Colony: Stories and Short Pieces "The Village Schoolmaster (The Giant Mole)" "Der Dorfschullehrer"or Der Riesenmaulwurf (1931, written 1915) The Complete Stories,The Great Wall of China"Blumfeld, an Elderly Bachelor" "Blumfeld, ein älterer Junggeselle" (1936, written 1913) Description of a Struggle,The Complete Stories The Warden of the Tomb (short play) Der Gruftwächter (written 1916–17) Description of a Struggle,The Complete Stories"The Hunter Gracchus" "Der Jäger Gracchus" (1931, written 1917) The Complete Stories,Parables and Paradoxes,The Great Wall of China"The Great Wall of China" "Beim Bau der Chinesischen Mauer" (1931, written 1917) The Complete Stories,The Great Wall of China"The Refusal" "Die Abweisung" (written 1920) Description of a Struggle,The Complete Stories,Parables and Paradoxes"A Hunger Artist" "Ein Hungerkünstler" (1922) The Complete Stories,The Penal Colony: Stories and Short Pieces "Investigations of a Dog" "Forschungen eines Hundes" (written 1922) The Complete Stories,The Great Wall of China"A Little Woman" "Eine kleine Frau" (1924) The Complete Stories,The Penal Colony: Stories and Short Pieces"The Burrow" "Der Bau" (1931) The Complete Stories,The Great Wall of China"Josephine the Singer,or The Mouse Folk" "Josefine, die Sängerin oder Das Volk der Mäuse" (1924) The Complete Stories,The Penal Colony: Stories and Short Pieces "The Bridge" "Die Brücke" The Complete Stories,The Great Wall of China "The Bucket Rider" "Der Kübelreiter" (1921, written 1917) The Complete Stories,The Penal Colony: Stories and Short Pieces,The Great Wall of China "The Knock at the Manor Gate" "Der Schlag ans Hoftor" The Complete Stories,The Great Wall of China "My Neighbor" "Der Nachbar" (written 1917) The Complete Stories,The Great Wall of China "A Crossbreed" "Eine Kreuzung" The Complete Stories,The Great Wall of China "A Common Confusion" "Eine alltägliche Verwirrung" The Complete Stories,The Great Wall of China "The Truth about Sancho Panza" "Die Wahrheit über Sancho Pansa" The Complete Stories,Parables and Paradoxes,The Great Wall of China "The Silence of the Sirens" "Das Schweigen der Sirenen" The Complete Stories,Parables and Paradoxes,The Great Wall of China "Prometheus" "Prometheus" (written 1917-23) The Complete Stories,Parables and Paradoxes,The Great Wall of China "The City Coat of Arms" "Das Stadtwappen" The Complete Stories,Parables and Paradoxes,The Great Wall of China "Poseidon" "Poseidon" (written 1920) Description of a Struggle,The Complete Stories,Parables and Paradoxes "Fellowship" "Gemeinschaft" Description of a Struggle,The Complete Stories "At Night" "Nachts" Description of a Struggle,The Complete Stories "The Problem of Our Laws" "Zur Frage der Gesetze" The Complete Stories,Parables and Paradoxes,The Great Wall of China "The Conscription of Troops" "Die Truppenaushebung" Description of a Struggle,The Complete Stories "The Test" "Die Prüfung" Description of a Struggle,The Complete Stories,Parables and Paradoxes "The Vulture" "Der Geier" Description of a Struggle,The Complete Stories,Parables and Paradoxes "The Helmsman" "Der Steuermann" Description of a Struggle,The Complete Stories "The Top" "Der Kreisel" Description of a Struggle,The Complete Stories "A Little Fable" "Kleine Fabel" The Complete Stories,The Great Wall of China "Home-Coming" "Heimkehr" Description of a Struggle,The Complete Stories "First Sorrow" "Erstes Leid" (written 1921-22) The Complete Stories,The Penal Colony: Stories and Short Pieces "The Departure" "Der Aufbruch" (written 1920-21) Description of a Struggle,The Complete Stories "Advocates" "Fürsprecher" (written 1922) Description of a Struggle,The Complete Stories "The Married Couple" "Das Ehepaar" (written 1922) The Complete Stories,The Great Wall of China "Give It Up!" "Gibs auf!" Description of a Struggle,The Complete Stories "On Parables" "Von den Gleichnissen" The Complete Stories,Parables and Paradoxes,The Great Wall of China "Peking and the Emperor" "Der Kaiser von Peking" Parables and Paradoxes "The Great Walland the Tower of Babel" "Die Chinesische Mauerund der Turmbau von Babel" Parables and Paradoxes "Paradise" "Das Paradies" Parables and Paradoxes "The Tower of Babel" "Der Turm zu Babel" Parables and Paradoxes "The Pit of Babel" "Der Schacht von Babel" Parables and Paradoxes "Abraham" "Abraham" Parables and Paradoxes "Mount Sinai" "Der Berg Sinai" Parables and Paradoxes "The Building of the Temple" "Der Tempelbau" Parables and Paradoxes "The Animal in the Synagogue" "Das Tier in der Synagoge" Parables and Paradoxes "The Watchman" "Der Wächter" Parables and Paradoxes "The Coming of the Messiah" "Das Kommen des Messias" Parables and Paradoxes "The Sirens" "Die Sirenen" Parables and Paradoxes "Leopards in the Temple" "Leoparden in Tempel" Parables and Paradoxes "Alexander the Great" "Alexander der Grosse" Parables and Paradoxes "Diogenes" "Diogenes" Parables and Paradoxes "The Building of a City" "Der Bau einer Stadt" Parables and Paradoxes "The Imperial Colonel" "Der Kaiserliche Oberst" Parables and Paradoxes "The Emperor" "Der Kaiser" Parables and Paradoxes "In the Caravansary" "In der Karawanserei" Parables and Paradoxes "The Cell" "Die Zelle" Parables and Paradoxes "The Invention of the Devil" "Die Erfindung des Teufels" Parables and Paradoxes "The Savages" "Die Wilden" Parables and Paradoxes "The Green Dragon" "Der Grüne Drache" Parables and Paradoxes "The Tiger" "Der Tiger" Parables and Paradoxes "Couriers" "Kuriere" Parables and Paradoxes "A Chinese Puzzle" "Ein Geduldspiel" Parables and Paradoxes "Robinson Crusoe" "Robinson Crusoe" Parables and Paradoxes "The Spring" "Die Quelle" Parables and Paradoxes "The Hunger Strike" "Die Unersättlichsten" Parables and Paradoxes "My Destination" "Das Ziel" Parables and Paradoxes

Non-fiction

Diaries and notebooks Title Original German title Translators Notes Diaries 1910–1923 Tagebücher 1910–1923 1910–1913 Joseph Kresh1914–1923 Martin Greenberg Originally published in two volumes The Diaries of Franz Kafka Tagebücher 1910–1923 Ross Benjamin Complete, uncensored, published by Schocken Books in 2023 The Blue Octavo Notebooks Ernst Kaiser andEithne Wilkins included inDearest Father. Stories and Other Writings

Letters Kafka wrote hundreds of letters to family and close female friends, including his father, his fiancée Felice Bauer, and his youngest sister Ottla.

Title Original German title Translators Notes Letter to His Father Brief an den Vater Ernst Kaiser andEithne Wilkins Included in The Sons andDearest Father. Stories and Other Writings Dearest Father Brief an den Vater Hannah and Richard Stokes Published in 2008 by Oneworld Classics Limited Letters to Felice Briefe an Felice und andereKorrespondenz aus der Verlobungszeit James Stern andElisabeth Duckworth Includes Kafka's letters to Grete Bloch Letters to Milena Briefe an Milena Philip Boehm Includes Milena's letters to Max Brod,four essays by her and an obituary for Kafka Letters to Ottla Briefe an Ottla und die Familie Richard and Clara Winston Includes letters to Kafka's parents, sister Ottla, postcards and drawings Letters to Friends, Family, and Editors Briefe 1902–1924 Richard and Clara Winston Includes a selection from the slipsof paper Kafka used to communicatein the last few weeks of his lifewhen he was advised not to speak

Essays