The Castle Review

I picked up The Castle by Franz Kafka spontaneously when I saw it in a bookstore some time ago. I had read The Metamorphosis and naturally was interested in reading something else by such a renowned author. I am not particularly well versed in fiction as I usually read non-fiction and did so exclusively for a few years before venturing into classics, so I can not attest to being able to read fiction very well or being able to pick up on important subtleties which may make them more thought-provoking, at least not yet. It is for this reason that I choose to read the introductions which may help prime my mind to interpret them better. I feel like the introduction in my copy helped to frame the aspects of the story in a way that helped me to see them in a different light, such as the way the castle is initially described or the unusual environment of K.’s first contact with Frieda. Normally when I read fiction I tend to get swept away by the story and I forget to pay attention to, or interpret, the hints the author lays out in the text. When immersed in The Castle the reader will notice a sort of perpetual uneasiness which Kafka creates and suspends throughout the entire book. You are never quite sure what is going to happen next, if K. will ever make it to the castle or who will enter the story and what their role may be. Similarly, the obscurity of the town which K. enters in the first page is never lifted and as an outsider of the town yourself, you are left with a skeptical tension in regard to the local characters. Kafka creates an air that something deeper is going on but it is basically brushed over. This provides a unique reading experience in my opinion though it is never brought to light and the end of the book abruptly terminates your brief look into the workings of such a mysterious town. In fact, I had not read anything about the book aside from the introduction before reading it so the ending left me a bit confused. I was expecting something abrupt without much closure, but I was hoping for at least one revelation that would tie some parts together; however, there wasn’t much. It was with a quick search in which I learned that Kafka’s untimely death had left the book unfinished, ending with “She held out her trembling hand to K. ” (this last half sentence I was disappointed to find was left out of my version). Therefore, a conclusion to the story is left only to our imagination or desire. As it is, the ending almost works with how Kafka had already arranged the story up to that point. Indicating that business as usual will perpetually happen and instance after instance will arise to deter K.’s admittance to the castle and the officials will continue their duties unbothered by K.’s desires. If interpreted in that respect, the unfinished ending of The Castle can only solidify Kafka’s position as a great writer because even an untimely death could not hinder the outcome of his last work.