[Commlist] New Book: Kafkaesque Cinema

Kafkaesque Cinema  has just been published by Edinburgh University Press.

About:
For all its familiarity as a widely used term, “Kafkaesque cinema” 
remains an often-baffling concept that is poorly understood by film 
scholars. Taking a cue from Jorge Luis Borges’ point that Kafka has 
modified our conception of past and future artists, and André Bazin’s 
suggestion that literary concepts and styles can exceed authors and 
“novels from which they emanate”, this monograph proposes a 
comprehensive examination of Kafkaesque Cinema in order to understand it 
as part of a transnational cinematic tradition rooted in Kafka’s 
critique of modernity, which, however, extends beyond the Bohemian 
author’s work and his historical experiences.

Drawing on a range of disciplines in the Humanities including film, 
literary, and theatre studies, critical theory, and history, Kafkaesque 
Cinema will be the first full-length study of the subject and will be a 
useful resource for scholars and students interested in film theory, 
World Cinema, World Literature, and politics and representation.

Reviews:

Angelos K is guilty … of writing a standout book uncovering the 
widespread influence of the Kafkaesque on cinema. Remarkable in its 
insightful originality, Koutsourakis’s engaging analysis skillfully 
demonstrates how the Kafkaesque perpetually (re-)emerges in film history 
to critique the historical contradictions of modernity and its attendant 
crisis of liberalism. This compelling thesis is deftly　woven through a 
wide range of fascinating examples, as historically rich as they are 
geographically surprising. The refreshing and unique take on global 
political cinema found herein is thus a mental salve for a contemporary 
era of overwork and alienation – conditions which Kafka knew only too 
well. That is what makes this a must-read book, as it may be all that 
can save us from waking up to find we have suddenly metamorphosed into 
giant cockroaches.
– Professor David Martin-Jones, The University of Glasgow

In times when references to the Kafkaesque have become inflationary, 
Angelos Koutsourakis provides a much-needed re-examination of this term. 
The scope of his study, which covers global cinema from the 1920s to the 
present day, is hugely impressive, but crucially, this is not a 
straightforward reception history. By widening the definition of the 
Kafkaesque to include Kafka’s cinematic precursors as well as his 
successors, he deftly shows how this concept can be mobilised in a 
critical capacity, highlighting film’s pivotal role at the intersections 
of aesthetics, politics and history. 　

– Professor Carolin Duttlinger, The University of Oxford

More info on the table of contents here:
https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-kafkaesque-cinema.html

There is also a launch discount code (at checkout use NEW30) that to my 
knowledge even university libraries can use.


---------------
The COMMLIST
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier. Please use it responsibly and wisely.
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit http://commlist.org/
--
Before sending a posting request, please always read the guidelines at http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ commlist.org)
URL: http://nicocarpentier.net
---------------