Books of Some Substance

97 - Franza Kafka's Diaries (Guest: Ross Benjamin)

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Jun 5, 2023
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ANECDOTE

Early Translation Experiences

  • Ross Benjamin's initial translation experiences involved ambitious projects like Baudelaire and Celan.
  • He often overreached, benefiting from naivete and self-authorization.
ANECDOTE

Discovering German

  • Ross Benjamin's interest in German started during his time in Prague, tracing Kafka's footsteps.
  • This led to an obsession with the German language and a desire to translate German literature.
ANECDOTE

Discovering Kafka's Diaries

  • Ross Benjamin discovered Kafka at 15, reading his works aloud with friends and finding humor in them.
  • He later found the German versions of Kafka's diaries radically different and more complete.
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