Kafka’s The Trial is now a classic comic book The Trial, the classic novel in which Franz Kafka illustrates the insurmountable wall between people and bureaucracy, has been published by NTV Publications as a comic book. Published following Hamlet, the first book in the series “World Classics in Comic Books,” the book was released amid great enthusiasm among comic books fans.

The Trial, the best known work by Franz Kafka, one of the most debated authors in the history of literature, has been published by NTV Publications as the second installment of the “World Classics in Comic Books” Series. The novel was published after the author’s death by tuberculosis, when he was 41, by his closest friend Max Brod. It quickly became a world classic. In addition to his other important works Amerika, Metamorphosis and The Castle--which most probably reflected Franz Kafka’s introverted life as a civil servant--The Trial maintains its relevance until the present day. Now it is being presented to comic book aficionados.

Recreated as a comic book, The Trial tells the gloomy story of Joseph K, arrested one day for an undisclosed reason, and who then has to fight against a bewildering system of justice. Dragged from one mind-boggling situation to another, Joseph K begins to lose hope that he will ever be able to prove his innocence before these obscure accusations. The story paints a harsh portrait of an authoritarian bureaucracy alienated from people and that crushes their lives. It retains its relevance in the present day as it illuminates an aspect of modernity—bureaucratic alienation---with which mankind continues to struggle.

Kafka, himself a graduate of Law School, wrote this book at night, after he returned home from the Prague Insurance Organization where he worked throughout his life. It is not at all difficult to link his obsolete professional life with the gigantic bureaucratic ghost that he creates in this masterpiece. The book, on sale in bookshops since August, at TL 10, is quite reasonably priced!

TOPICAL BOOKS

ASSASSINATION Bülent Ruscuklu / Alfa Publishing House The novel deals with the assassination of the Prime Minister of Turkey. As in Bülent Rusçuklu’s previous books, such as Kore Savaşı (The Korean War), Savaşın Eşiğinde (On the Brink of War), Şeytan Krallığı (Devil’s Kingdom) and Casuslar Savaşı (The War of Spies), Assassination contains elements of history as well as mystery. Located in a Middle East in the grip of disorder and war, the book tells of the conflict brought about by this state of disorder.

THE INVENTION OF TRADITION E. Hobsbawn, T. Ranger (Translated by: Mehmet M. Şahin) / Agora Publishing House The Invention of Tradition claims that the majority of traditions believed to derive from the past are actually “invented traditions.” The authors state that while these traditions were invented references were made to a historical past and there was an attempt to establish continuity with the past and they emphasize that this continuity is to a great degree artificial and fabricated.

HOW TO GRILL YOUR HUSBAND THE AFRICAN WAY ? Calixthe Beyala (Translated by: Sevgi Tamgüç) / İstiklal Publishing House How to Grill Your Husband the African Way is a long story where the Parisian Aissatou tells of how her husband cheated on her continuously. Aissatou endeavors to win him back with the only means at her disposal; the extremely tasty food that she can cook. Woven within the book’s narrative are the many recipes she uses

EMPIRE Antonio Negri (Translated by: Kemal Atakay) / Otonom Publishing House Empire, which contains Antonio Negri’s writings between 1995 and 2003 on Europe and the European Union, claims that the old continent cannot be understood unless the class struggle framework is understood. The book also contains an article entitled Mounier’s European Proclamation of Belief, written by the author in 1955.

HITLER’S JEWISH SOLDIERS Bryan Mark Rigg (Translated by: Gökçesu Tamer) / Profil Publishing House In Hitler’s Jewish Soldiers, Bryan Mark Rigg asserts that among Hitler’s high ranking officers, generals and admirals there were one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers of Jewish origin. According to Rigg, what is most interesting is that the vast majority of these soldiers did not consider themselves Jewish and believed that they had the responsibility of serving the German nation. The book features the photographs of some of these soldiers, as well as their ranks within the German army and the medals they were awarded.

EQUAL SHARES Orhan Kemal, Epsilon Publishing House The short story entitled Equal Shares, after which Orhan Kemal’s book is named, won the Sait Faik Short Story Award in 1958. Equal Shares, the last of the books by Orhan Kemal published by the Epsilon Publishing House, consists of seven short stories. The book tells the stories of small people and workers who conduct a struggle every day to find food and to survive, who are foul-mouthed, who sometimes do not hesitate to sacrifice their closest friends and who attempt to find solace in wine.