Franz Kafka
Born
July 3, 1883
Died
June 3, 1924 (40 years old)
Known For
Writing
Place of Birth
Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, Austria-Hungary
Franz Kafka was a German-speaking Jewish novelist and short story writer, widely regarded as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature. His work, which fuses elements of realism and the fantastic, typically features isolated protagonists faced by bizarre or surrealistic predicaments and incomprehensible social-bureaucratic powers, and has been interpreted as exploring themes of alienation, existential anxiety, guilt, and absurdity.