If we happen to be walking along a street at night, and a man, visible already from afar — because the street inclines gently uphill in front of us, and there’s a full moon — comes running towards us, then we will not grab hold of him, even if he’s feeble and ragged, even if someone is running after him, yelling, but rather we will let him run on unmolested.
For it is night, and it is not our fault that the street in front of us in the moonlit night is on an incline and, moreover, it is possible that the two men have devised their chase for their own amusement, perhaps they are both in pursuit of a third man, perhaps the first of them is being unjustly pursued, perhaps the second means to kill him and we would become accessory to his murder, perhaps the two of them don’t know the first thing about one another and each one is just running home to bed on his own account, perhaps they are two somnambulists, perhaps the first of them is carrying a weapon.
And finally, may we not be tired, and have we not had a lot of wine to drink? We are relieved not to see the second man.
The full story of ‘The Men Running Past’ by Czechoslovakian (now known as the Czech Republic) Franz Kafka, from the collection Contemplation (1913)
Ever since you showed it to me,it became my favourite short story! 😀
I was hoping you’d stop by, fellow Kafka fan 🙂
I am not a Kafka fan. But maybe that’s because I only read him when I was 17/18 and was being forced to read it by a high school teacher (admittedly one I adored and one of the few whose names I can remember).
Anyway. Tangent City here.
I’m not a Kafka fan, but that story is awesome.
Maybe I should give Kafka another shot. 🙂
I totally get it. I was around 14 when my mum gave me his book and I read it and thought “What?! That’s not even a story”. Around 2 years later I went back to it and thought “Wow, that’s not even a story”.
Almost the same thought. And yet so very different. 🙂
Do you often have the same with films?
Not really.
My perceptions might change a bit here and there, but not usually at such an extreme. With the exception, I suppose, of some things I watched 15-20 years ago, as a teenager, and now see very differently. Like Highlander, the TV show, which I thought was brilliant back in the day. Now I know it to be utter rubbish.
That isn’t true of other entertainment, though. Fargo is still brilliant. So is Seven.
I have fear that the 2nd man may show up in all our lives. Something to think about. His use of metaphors is so fantastic, Alex.
Such an enigma of a writer. I actually have a t-shirt with a quote of his i got while in Prague.
Alex, do you have a Prague post I will check tomorrow? Have a fantastic weekend!
I’ve been twice but long before the blog. I’m sure I still have it. What’s your email?
My email is:
reocochran@hotmail.com
Thanks, Alex. You could just send me a link if is is still on your blog.
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i’ve never read any of his work, but you’ve inspired me to with your post –
That’s lovely to hear. I recommend Metamorphosis. Even from the first line of the story, it’s different to anything you’ve ever read before.