A handsome recluse, plagued by indecision and hypochondria, Kafka nonetheless exhibited an extraordinary strength. He developed the uncanny ability to observe himself with cool objectivity, and he cultivated this ability in his writing, where it appeared in increasingly original metaphorical form. His works became among the greatest of the twentieth century, and his influence permeated far and wide, transcending literature. His descriptions of his attempts to escape from a self-made tyranny are his great works of art.
Kafka in 90 Minutes also includes selections from Kafka’s writings, a list of his chief works in English translation, a chronology of Kafka’s life and times, and recommended reading for those who wish to delve deeper.
Paul Strathern earned a degree in philosophy at Trinity College, Dublin, and has lectured in philosophy and mathematics. The author of many nonfiction books and of articles for numerous publications, he has also written several novels and has won the Somerset Maugham Prize. He lives and writes in London.
Simon Vance is an award-winning actor and an AudioFile Golden Voice with over seventy Earphones Awards and seventeen prestigious Audie Awards. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009.