Franz Kafka and Chinese Culture

This book conducts a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of Franz Kafka’s relation to China. Commencing with an examination of the myriad Chinese cultural influences to which Kafka was exposed, it goes on to explore the ways in which they manifest themselves in canonical stories, such as Description of A Struggle, The Great Wall of China, and An Old Manuscript. This leads the way to thought-provoking comparative studies of Kafka and major Chinese writers and philosophers, such as Zhuang Tzu, Pu Songling, Qian Zhongshu, and Lu Xun. Highlighting kindred philosophical concepts, shared aesthetic tastes, and parallel narrative strategies, these comparisons transcend mere textual analysis, to explore the profound cultural, historical, and philosophical implications of Kafka’s works. Finally, the book turns to an examination Kafka’s impact on modern life in China, including its translation studies, literature, and even its mass culture.

Yanbing Zeng is Doctor of Literature, professor and doctoral supervisor of School of Liberal Art in Renmin University of China. He specializes in Western literature studies, comparative study of Chinese and Western Literature, study on postmodern literature and culture, and study on Kafka, and has published several monographs in these fields.

 Yuan Li, the translator, is Professor of English at the Faculty of English Language & Culture, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. She has published extensively on contemporary Chinese and Anglo-Irish literature, culture and world literature.