1. Kafka died on June 3, 1924. But which year was he born?

   1. 1883

   2. 1893

   3. 1873

   4. 1863

2. Before he died, what was Kafka's last request to his friend Max Brod?

   1. To be cremated

   2. To donate all his money to charity

   3. To burn all his writings

   4. To have all his books buried with him

3. In The Trial, what is the main character Joseph K's job?

   1. He works in a bank

   2. He's a politician

   3. He works in a government office

   4. He is an entomologist

4. Kafka’s writing routine left him permanently exhausted. What was it like?

   1. He wrote at dead of night

   2. He wrote the whole day through, not pausing to eat

   3. He would take 20-mile walks around Prague before attempting any work

   4. He stood on his head for five minutes between each paragraph

5. Kafka had a degree in …

   1. Philosophy

   2. History

   3. Law

   4. Economics

6. Three of the following are Kafka aphorisms. One expresses the wisdom of Paolo Coelho. Which is the Coelho?

   1. From a certain point on, there is no more turning back. That is the point that must be reached

   2. You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own

   3. In the struggle between yourself and the world, second the world

   4. The true path is along a rope, not a rope suspended way up in the air, but rather just over the ground. It seems more like a tripwire than a tightrope

7. Who was Kafka’s favourite writer?

   1. Friedrich Nietzsche

   2. Gustave Flaubert

   3. Honoré de Balzac

   4. Thomas Mann

8. In Metamorphosis, why is Gregor Samsa transformed into a giant bug?

   1. His ex-girlfriend curses him for lack of commitment

   2. It's a government plot

   3. He has been poisoned

   4. We're not told

9. Which work is also known as The Man Who Disappeared?

   1. The Castle

   2. Metamorphosis

   3. In the Penal Colony

   4. Amerika

10. One of Kafka's best-known letters is to his father. What was the letter about?

    1. Thanking his father for his great care and education

    2. A detailed description of a holiday in Italy

    3. A coming-out letter in which he tells his father he is gay

    4. A letter in which he explains to his father why he is so afraid of him

Solutions

1:A, 2:C, 3:A, 4:A, 5:C, 6:B, 7:B, 8:D, 9:D, 10:D

Scores

1. 0 and above.

   Kafkaesque is not just a foreign-language loan word meaning 'weird', you know. Kafka wrote some actual books that I don't think you've read

2. 1 and above.

   Kafkaesque is not just a foreign-language loan word meaning 'weird', you know. Kafka wrote some actual books that I don't think you've read

3. 2 and above.

   Appalling. To the Penal Colony with you this instant! They'll give you a mark to remember

4. 3 and above.

   Appalling. To the Penal Colony with you this instant! They'll give you a mark to remember

5. 4 and above.

   Appalling. To the Penal Colony with you this instant! They'll give you a mark to remember

6. 5 and above.

   Appalling. To the Penal Colony with you this instant! They'll give you a mark to remember

7. 6 and above.

   Not bad at all, but your answers were not good enough to gain admission to The Castle. You are encouraged to try again, but it will of course be a futile effort

8. 7 and above.

   Not bad at all, but your answers were not good enough to gain admission to The Castle. You are encouraged to try again, but it will of course be a futile effort

9. 8 and above.

   Not bad at all, but your answers were not good enough to gain admission to The Castle. You are encouraged to try again, but it will of course be a futile effort

10. 9 and above.

    Admirably true and honourable answers. You are acquitted of all our charges

11. 10 and above.

    Admirably true and honourable answers. You are acquitted of all our charges