Amid all the well-deserved praise directed at R. Crumb's Book of Genesis, I was reminded of another often-overlooked Crumb masterpiece. As Fantagraphics newly minted 4th printing of Kafka reaches bookstore shelves, it seems like a good moment to reflect on the amazing achievement of Crumb and author David Zane Mairowitz.
Entering college I was assigned The Trial for freshman lit. I just wasn't ready for it. I wasn't a total dunce, but there were so many alluring diversions (i. e. booze and babes.) Thus began, and ended, my brief exposure to the works of Franz Kafka.
Only decades later did I deign to revisit the legacy of this literary genius. And it took a Crumb comic book to get me there. Crumb's renderings are at once precise and passionate. The narrative seamlessly weaves Kafka's biography into his self-reflective stories. A delightfully entertaining treatment of Kafka's daunting discourse. Now I can use the cliché "Kafkaesque" at cocktail parties and have some clue.
If you don't already own a copy of this essential book, be sure to pick one up next time you visit Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery. (Might I suggest this Saturday for the Steven Weissman book signing, or the following Saturday at the Gahan Wilson reception.) If you can't join us here, do yourself a huge favor and order a copy now. Your life will be fuller for it.