Written in 1914, The Trial is one of the most important novels of the twentieth century: the terrifying tale of Josef K., a respectable bank officer who is suddenly and inexplicably arrested and must defend himself against a charge about which he can get no information. Whether read as an existential tale, a parable, or a prophecy of the excesses of modern bureaucracy wedded to the madness of totalitarianism, Kafka's nightmare has resonated with chilling truth for generations of readers. This new edition is based upon the work of an international team of experts who have restored the text, the sequence of chapters, and their division to create a version that is as close as possible to the way the author left it. In his brilliant translation, Breon Mitchell masterfully reproduces the distinctive poetics of Kafka's prose, revealing a novel that is as full of energy and power as it was when it was first written.


弗兰茨·卡夫卡（1883.7.3-1924.6.3）

1883年出生于布拉格

1901年进入布拉格大学，初习化学、文学，后转习法律，获博士学位

毕业后，在保险公司任职，利用业余时间写作

陆续出版《变形记》及《乡村医生》《饥饿艺术家》等短篇小说集

1924年因病去世

1925年《审判》出版，1926年《城堡》出版，引发世界文坛震动