Amerika

TranslatedbyWillaandEdwinMuirForewordbyE.L.DoctorowAfterwordbyMaxBrodKafka'sfirstandfunniestnovel,"Amerika"tellsthestoryoftheyoungimmigrantKarlRossmannwho,afteranembarrassingsexualmisadventure,findshimself"packedofftoAmerica"byhisparents.Expectedtoredeemhimselfinthismagicallandofopportunity,youngKarlissweptupinsteadinawhirlwindofdizzyingreversals,strangeescapades,andpicaresqueadventures.AlthoughKafkanevervisitedAmerica,imagesofitsvastlandscape,dangers,andopportunitiesinspiredthissagaofthe"goldenland."Hereisastartlinglymodern,fantasticandvisionarytaleofAmerica"asaplacenoonehasyetseen,inahistoricalperiodthatcan'tbeidentified,"writesE.L.Doctorowinhisnewforeword."Kafkamadehisnovelfromhisownmind'smythicelements,"Doctorowexplains,"andtheresearchdatathatcaughthiseyewerebentlikeraysinafieldofgravity."