Texts for Nothing

Interrupting the Kafka novel for an Aldous Huxley interlude. This is a 1939 novel set in Los Angeles.

The teacher offers K. a position as live-in janitor at the schoolhouse; Frieda pressures him into accepting. Starting salary: nothing a month. Talk about humiliating!

From her sickbed, Gardena the landlady explains to K. what a thrill it was to have been Klamm's mistress. Her "three mementos". How she met her husband, Hans, and opened the inn. K. resolves to confront Klamm as a "private individual".

K.'s audience with the bed-ridden but long-winded Chairman and his "insignificant" wife, Mizzi. Insight into the fascinating world of Kafka-esque bureaucracy at the Castle. The hyper-capable Italian clerk Sordini. K. gets flacked. "Nobody is keeping you here, but that still doesn't mean you're being thrown out."

K. and Frieda get busy; the landlady intervenes in their relationship and demands "assurances". What will Klamm say? K. makes a speech. (Finally joined the sound files together!)

I made a mistake reading the last line of the previous part, so I re-read the line at the beginning of this part.

K. scores a glimpse of the mysterious Klamm, as well as a sloppy hookup with Klamm's mistress, Frieda.

The plot of Franz Kafka's THE CASTLE (translated by Mark Harman)thickens in Chapter Two as we meet Barnabas, Olga, and Amalia, and K. starts feeling uncomfortable.

Listen to those fireworks! Happy birthday, America btw -- this chapter has a name. It's called "Arrival". Enjoy!

Listen to the fireworks!