Kafka was born in Prague in 1883 and died of tuberculosis in 1924. As a Jew in Austria (Prague was at the time part of Austria, not Czechoslovakia), Kafka led a tormented life. Born to a middle-class working family, Kafka grew up in the shadow of his domineering shopkeeper father. His whole life was characterized by an emotional dependence on his parents, whom he both loved and resented at the same time. 

 

Kafka received his law degree in 1906, so that he while his days were spent working, his evenings and nights were free for pursuing his literary passions. Unfortunately, none of his novels were printed during his lifetime apart from a few works of short fiction, which he only reluctantly published. Contrary to his instruction that his unprinted manuscripts should be destroyed after his death, a close friend of his set about to publish them, and thus became the architect of Kafka's belated fame.

Despite receiving the Fontane Prize for literature in 1915, Kafka was virtually unknown during his own lifetime. It was not until after 1945 that his work gained an international reputation. Beneath the surface, Kafka's stories typically contain a hidden reality which can be interpreted on multiple levels. Kafka excelled at blurring the boundary between dreams and reality. His novels, "The Trial", " The Castle" and "The Judgment" are all dominated by his feeling of being an outsider and isolated from society while at the same time exploring bureaucratic labyrinths and the dehumanization of the "ordinary" man in totalitarian society.

Kafka is known to be the master of surreal realism. Arguably his most famous piece is the story "The Metamorphosis" whose opening line sets the tone of this bizarre allegory: "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect." 

Montblanc is paying tribute to this unique literary figure 80 years after his death by creating an edition of unique writing instruments: The Writers Edition Franz Kafka.

Using contrasting materials and a distinctly original shape, these writing instruments truly capture the symbols of Kafka's literary legacy. The cap and barrel are produced in precious dark translucent red resin and the clip and fitting feature pure 925 Sterling Silver. 

 

While the design of this edition is not only reminiscent of the simple but nonetheless sophisticated writing style of Franz Kafka, it also features a tribute to his most outstanding work: The Metamorphosis. The intriguing change in shape from square to round echoes the transformation described in the story, while also ensuring a special sensory experience. A further reference to the Metamorphosis is found on the rhodium plated 18-carat gold nib of the fountain pen: a finely engraved cockroach.