This is a study of Kafka's tragic vision of life, his profoundly disturbing awareness of man's utter loneliness in a pitiless universe, and his artistry in effecting a strange intimate fusion between symbolism and realism--between anguished poetic narration and the terrifying reality of an absurd and ambiguous environment. The book discusses the historical setting, the literary currents, and the personal details affecting the development of Kafka's genius: his isolation in a labyrinthine universe; his sufferings, sickness and death; his influence and survival through his art. The central idea of the book is summed up in a quotation from Jean-Paul Sartre: "I have nothing to say about Kafka except that he is one of the rarest and greatest writers of our time." The authors are specialists in contemporary literature.

Translated from the French by Wade Baskin.

Only a race as incredibly elastic as the Grom could have a single rule of war:

For all its many crimes of passion and politics, Jerusalem has only once before been victimized by a serial killer. Now the elusive psychopath is back, slipping through the fingers of police inspector Daniel Sharavi. And one murderer with a taste for young Arab women can destroy the delicate balance Jerusalem needs to survive.

Still reeling from her mother's recent death, Karen Whitlaw is stunned when she receives a package containing a mysterious notebook from her estranged father. She has barely seen him since his return from the Vietnam War over twenty years ago and doesn't know what he could have to share with her now. She puts the notebook away and forgets about it until she receives a shocking phone call. Her father has been murdered on the gritty streets of New Orleans. At first, homicide detective Marc Chastain considers the murder nothing more than street violence against a homeless man, and Karen just another woman who couldn't take the time to care for her father. But something about the crime just doesn't add up, including the beautiful Karen Whitlaw. Far from the cold woman he expected, Karen is warm and passionate. She is also in serious danger. Karen is shocked by her immediate and unwelcome attraction to the charming, smooth-voiced detective. But when her home is burglarized and "accidents" begin to happen, she turns to him for help. Together they unravel a disturbing story of politics, power, and murder -- and face a killer who will stop at nothing to get his hands on her father's secrets.

Grace Meredith is the CIA’s most deadly assassin. Too bad she’s gone off the grid and become a mercenary for hire. After the death of her daughter by a sniper’s bullet, Grace can no longer stomach the demands of agency life or keep herself from blaming the only man she’s ever loved. Her mind and body are fragile, and she knows she’s just a step away from breaking down completely.