Letter to the Father: Book review




Book Review


Title: Letter to the Father
Author: Franz Kafka
Genre: Non Fiction

In this  revelatory letter to his father Hermann, penned in November 1919, Author Franz Kafka  unravels his pent up feelings about his father.  He begins by disclosing his fear and presents numerous instances that affected his psychological well being. He blames his father for being narcissistic, abusive, hypocritical, controlling, lacking empathy, self righteous and domineering. In the process, he highlights the contrast in his own personality as someone who grew up to be timid,shy and insecure. 

The sardonic tone reflects the author's raw emotions, excruciating pain and anguish. The suppressed feelings erupt like a volcano accompanied with some accusatory statements. The underlying message of the letter entails how a particular parenting style shapes up one's character. 

Reading this letter instills some amount of discomfort initially. However, after a point, it begins to feel as though the author is pleading with the reader to understand his plight.  The writing is intense and bound to resonate with those who have undergone a similar experience. This was an attempt to bridge the gap between his father and him. It might have been interesting to read Hermann's reply to his son, had the letter only reached him, which wasn't the case sadly. 

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