The full title of this blog should have been a "Personal Struggle." Not as bad as Kafka's but still... a struggle. Franz Kafka, the Bohemian novelist and short-story writer, widely regarded, posthumously, as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature, insisted on his deathbed that all his book be burnt. Perhaps he was utterly fed up with absolute lack of recognition of his writing. Of his talent? We shall never know, but we do know that he was not alone with his anguish. All writers want to be read. Musicians want to be heard. Painters and sculptors - to be seen. Barbara Hepworth, the noted English artist and sculptor, wanted her sculptures to be touched, to be experienced tactilely... (the uniformed guards refused to allow that!)
Writers want to be read.
That's all.
Some do it just for money but others have ideas they need to share with as many people as possible. They want to contribute to the texture of the human psyche - to enrich the world. People who read them, often become friends. For life.
If you see naked bodies, scantily clad females, men with washboard stomach muscles plastered on the front cover, well, those writers need money. Their readers are mostly frustrated spinsters who wish to enjoy vicarious sex or adolescents of both sexes who have not yet reached the maturity to experience true romance.
Then, there are those who enjoy sadistic pursuits... robbery, theft, firearms, murder and corpses, the more the merrier. Instruments of such depravities are also portrayed on the cover of their books.
Still others need fame and glory so much that they offer hundreds, often thousands, of their books free, just to be able to brag at the number of people who "read" them. They haven't been read. Free books are seldom read. Something for nothing implies what the book is worth... Nothing. So, why bother to read it? On the other hand they can brag, how many books they downloaded into their digital "library".
There are exceptions, of course. There always are.
I wish them all the luck in the world. Believe me, they will need it.
Blah, blah, blah... I could go on venting my own frustrations. I will not. I love writing too much. Nor do I wish to insult or anger any of my writing colleagues. They probably mean well. Only, perhaps like Kafka, they are desperate.
***
And I do have deep sympathy for Kafka. His work is said to "fuse elements of realism and the
fantastic". That is what, my readers claim, I do, hence my affinity for Kafka's works. Yet, his inability to promote his exceptional books led him to despair. Though I lay no claim to sharing his talent, I suffer from the same malady.
Hence, a little bragging of my own.
Since I retired from my profession of architecture, I've written and published 50 books. For the last two years I've offered ALL my e-book free to readers who would write me a few words of a review. Even just 3 or 4 words. What seems to matter to buyers is not quality of reviews only their number. Most buyers, seem to like to follow the trend. If quality matters here are a few blurbs I've collected for my novels:
THE GATE - Things my Mother told me: Gripping - A Perfect Joy - A True Gem - The Gate a Must - Powerful & Heartfelt - Brilliant and Beautiful - A novel that deserved to be read by millions of people!
(I'm still a few hundreds of thousands short of the first million...)
NOW - Being and Becoming: Brilliant - Stunning - Masterful - Exceptional Experience - Spellbinding and mind-opening - A Supreme exploration of mortality - Could not put this book down - Just read it and follow the flow, a brilliant novel!
“I don’t quite have the words to describe the intensity and the deeply-probing reach of the book NOW... I am resigned to settle for simply stating the facts I know to be true: contemplating mortality and the afterlife... have never been displayed as articulately and as beautifully as they are in this book. ...He is truly a genius of our time."
From 5-STAR review by Monica LaSarre, Author.
OLYMPUS - of Gods and Men: Perfection - Wonderful - Unbelievable - Unforgettable - A brilliant end to the Trilogy - Captivating and thought-provoking - A Fantastic Conclusion to a Great Trilogy - Wow, gorgeous conclusion to a brilliant series!
•••
And... 47 other books. Yes, and forty-seven other books wherein my readers expressed similar sentiments. Did Kafka have the same problem?
I have but one cheerful thought. Poor Franz Kafka is dead. I'm still alive. Who knows. Miracles happen every day.
*****
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