First Impression Friday will be a meme where you talk about a book that you JUST STARTED! Maybe you’re only a chapter or two in, maybe a little farther. Based on this sampling of your current read, give a few impressions and predict what you’ll think by the end.

Synopsis:

The Castle is the story of K., the unwanted Land Surveyor who is never to be admitted to the Castle nor accepted in the village and yet cannot go home. As he experiences certainty and doubt, hope and fear, and reason and nonsense, K.’s struggles in the absurd, labyrinthine world where he finds himself seem to reveal an inexplicable truth about the nature of existence. Kafka began The Castle in 1922 and it was never finished, yet this, the last of his three great novels, draws fascinating conclusions that make if feel strangely complete.

Happy Friday everyone! It is finally the weekend! It means that we are through with another tedious work week. Well, at least I hope that it was not as tedious. It is time to ditch those corporate attires and don more comfortable clothing articles. I do hope that everyone is ending the work week on a high note. I hope that the work week went well for everyone and that you were all able to accomplish all the tasks you set to achieve at the start of the week. I hope that we are all diving into the weekend with a carefree spirit. If the week has gone awry, I hope the weekend will provide you a brief respite. Apart from resting and recuperating, I hope we get to spend the weekend catching up with our loved ones and pursuing things that we are passionate about.

But before I can fully dive into the weekend, let me cap yet another work week with a fresh First Impression Friday update. It has become a staple, a perfect way to end the blogging week. Reading-wise, the start of the eighth month of the year was supposed to be the commencement of a new literary journey. I was supposed to be concluding my venture into the works of European literature, a part of the literary world I have been exploring in the past three months. However, there were still some works by European writers I wanted to read before I could finally conclude my journey. Interestingly, my current read is not a book I wasn’t planning on reading until it hit me suddenly.

Who has not heard of the name Franz Kafka? His name is ubiquitous although it was through must-read lists that I first came across him and his works. Further, the adjective Kafkaesque is prevalent in several books I read. Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore is another famed reference. Reading Murakami’s book further piqued my interest in Kafka’s oeuvre. In 2019, I was able to obtain a copy of The Castle. Unfortunately, it was left to gather dust on my bookshelf until recently when the realization hit me that I do have a copy of the book and that it was a book I long wanted to read. I guess Ivan Klíma’s Love and Garbage also reminded me that I do have a book by Kafka that I have been wanting to read. The time is ripe for me to start exploring the oeuvre of one of the most revered names in literature.

The Castle was first published in German in 1926 as Das Schloss. At the heart of the story was K. The main character’s name yet again reminded me of Murakami because the main character in his novel Sputnik Sweetheart is also K. I am guessing that there are parallels between these two writers so I am looking at a surrealistic work. The Castle commenced with the nighttime arrival of K. in an unnamed village located at the foot of the titular castle. This castle served as the home of Count Westwest. K. arrived in the village under the presumption that the castle’s authorities enlisted his assistance to work as a land surveyor. It was a rather strange occupation if I had to be honest. But then again, this is Kafka and rarely do things make sense on the surface.

So one strange event leads to another. K. found accommodation at the Bridge Inn. However, an official immediately questioned his identity and his right to be there. A phone call to the castle would confirm his presence. He was also notified that his castle contact was an official named Klamm. In his introductory note to K., Klamm informed him that K. would be reporting to the Mayor. Once again, things got muddled because the Mayor claimed that his presence was not required. There was a mix-up in the communication between the Mayor and the Castle. Nevertheless, the Mayor offered him a job as a caretaker in service of the school teacher. K., however, tried to get in contact with Klamm. K. was also assigned two assistants to help him. To avoid confusion, K. named both men Arthur even though the other one was named Jeremiah. They also seemed quite inept.

I just finished about a hundred pages of the book. There are so many things I am looking forward to. As I have mentioned, I am expecting a rather out-of-this-world literary experience, akin to what I experienced with the works of Haruki Murakami. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are elements of magical surrealism integrated into the story, or at least a distorted sense of reality that is expected to veer me off course. I admit I have quite a lofty expectation of Kafka and his works. Nevertheless, I am trying to temper my expectations as this is uncharted territory. How about you fellow reader? What book or books have you read over the weekend? I hope you get to enjoy whatever you are reading right now. Happy weekend!