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sfaizan's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
Franz Kafka was a major influence on me as a teenager and has played a role in my poetry as well as my sense of humor so the diaries have been a delight to read in a very saddening way. I've never read such dark emotions expressed with so much clarity before. Part of me wants to laugh, while another wants to cry for him when I read something like, "Utter despair, impossible to pull myself together; only when I've become satisfied with my sufferings can I stop."
I skipped chunks of the book, and skimmed through several sections, however I am categorizing it as 'read' because this is a real life person's private diaries, as opposed to an adventure novel, so its full of mundane records, and I feel like I got the overall essense of the book even if I didn't read every literal thing that Kafka did in his day to day life. There were also several parts that were just confusing because I didn't have enough context. I still loved reading it but I think the book would be a bit more approachable if there were footnotes and editorial explanations or if it was contained like just a curated subset of his diaries.
I skipped chunks of the book, and skimmed through several sections, however I am categorizing it as 'read' because this is a real life person's private diaries, as opposed to an adventure novel, so its full of mundane records, and I feel like I got the overall essense of the book even if I didn't read every literal thing that Kafka did in his day to day life. There were also several parts that were just confusing because I didn't have enough context. I still loved reading it but I think the book would be a bit more approachable if there were footnotes and editorial explanations or if it was contained like just a curated subset of his diaries.
nourhanlwt's review
sad
slow-paced
5.0
"One forgets completely one’s earthly existence, because one is so completely filled with rage and is permitted to believe that on some occasion one will fill oneself to the brim in the same way with even more beautiful feelings"
wuthrinheights's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.75
My review will be broken down into some of the years.
Diaries from 1910-1912:
After reading Letters to Milena, I was excited to start his Diaries. I enjoyed his letters and thought his diaries would be better because this time it would just be his thoughts; he wouldn't have to hide so much. He's free to express himself.
But how disappointing it was when I started and I couldn't understand his entries. I kept on reading, because I was still trying to see him, but for some reason I couldn't understand what he was trying to convey. I thought it was just me, because the reviews online kept raving about how good this book was. Was it just me? Was my head too groggy from all the sleep-induced medicines I've been taking because I caught the flu?
His diaries were incomprehensible to me, as if someone wrote a book by pressing the middle section of auto refill on their phone. But I suppose his diary is meant to be a place for him to pen his thoughts, not to be published or else he would've brushed up on it.
Still, I trudged on. I made myself read section by section each day. Some entries were funny, some were sad (and relatable). Sometimes he talked about the plays he watched, sometimes he wrote about the people in his life. He's all too aware of himself. His illnesses (physically and mentally), and how he's not happy with his writings. It can be so painful to read. But those were the ones I understood anyway.
Diaries from 1913-1914:
His journals got better in 1913. His thoughts were more tangible and honest. He opened up about his feelings more. The failed engagement, his strained relationship with his family members and friends. Sometimes he can also be so funny, I couldn't help but laugh along. I really started enjoying his diaries in 1914. I feel like he has grown more comfortable in expressing himself and I feel somewhat proud of his growth.
Diaries from 1915-1923:
From the start of the book, I've been reading 100 pages per day and at first it felt almost like doing homework, where you have to read stuff for your class. I literally forced myself to get through the pages. But his diaries from 1915-1923 got so much more interesting, that I genuinely enjoyed reading them. Instead of internally groaning about his random thoughts, I found myself sitting upright and taking notes more from his diaries; of beautiful prose and raw realisations of himself. You can really see how much he has changed over the years. Sadly as his diaries get better, it's also shorter. But I'm really glad I got to read it at all.
Travel Diaries
His travel diaries were a lot different than his usual diaries. A little less on the melancholy, more on observing other things. The places he went to, the people he met (with such precise descriptions). The entries ranged from humorous to peculiar to dull.
In summary, his diaries were a lot. Not just the amount of writings or volumes of books, but the whole experience was a lot to take in. I can't say I really, truly enjoyed it (sadly) but I still feel happy I got to read it. I don't know if I'll reread it in the future, though.
Diaries from 1910-1912:
After reading Letters to Milena, I was excited to start his Diaries. I enjoyed his letters and thought his diaries would be better because this time it would just be his thoughts; he wouldn't have to hide so much. He's free to express himself.
But how disappointing it was when I started and I couldn't understand his entries. I kept on reading, because I was still trying to see him, but for some reason I couldn't understand what he was trying to convey. I thought it was just me, because the reviews online kept raving about how good this book was. Was it just me? Was my head too groggy from all the sleep-induced medicines I've been taking because I caught the flu?
His diaries were incomprehensible to me, as if someone wrote a book by pressing the middle section of auto refill on their phone. But I suppose his diary is meant to be a place for him to pen his thoughts, not to be published or else he would've brushed up on it.
Still, I trudged on. I made myself read section by section each day. Some entries were funny, some were sad (and relatable). Sometimes he talked about the plays he watched, sometimes he wrote about the people in his life. He's all too aware of himself. His illnesses (physically and mentally), and how he's not happy with his writings. It can be so painful to read. But those were the ones I understood anyway.
Diaries from 1913-1914:
His journals got better in 1913. His thoughts were more tangible and honest. He opened up about his feelings more. The failed engagement, his strained relationship with his family members and friends. Sometimes he can also be so funny, I couldn't help but laugh along. I really started enjoying his diaries in 1914. I feel like he has grown more comfortable in expressing himself and I feel somewhat proud of his growth.
Diaries from 1915-1923:
From the start of the book, I've been reading 100 pages per day and at first it felt almost like doing homework, where you have to read stuff for your class. I literally forced myself to get through the pages. But his diaries from 1915-1923 got so much more interesting, that I genuinely enjoyed reading them. Instead of internally groaning about his random thoughts, I found myself sitting upright and taking notes more from his diaries; of beautiful prose and raw realisations of himself. You can really see how much he has changed over the years. Sadly as his diaries get better, it's also shorter. But I'm really glad I got to read it at all.
Travel Diaries
His travel diaries were a lot different than his usual diaries. A little less on the melancholy, more on observing other things. The places he went to, the people he met (with such precise descriptions). The entries ranged from humorous to peculiar to dull.
In summary, his diaries were a lot. Not just the amount of writings or volumes of books, but the whole experience was a lot to take in. I can't say I really, truly enjoyed it (sadly) but I still feel happy I got to read it. I don't know if I'll reread it in the future, though.
delimeatz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.0
yeah yeah yeah i love him and he’s just like me and whatever, just wasnt too fun to read simply due to it being a diary that doesn’t feel like others were meant to experience.