Kafka in comics. Turbulence as the politics of translation

Abstract

The article explores the semiotic concept of turbulence as a critical tool for analysing both Franz Kafka’s writing and the dynamics of translation. In particular, turbulence is proposed not only as an interpretative key, but also as a possible poetic and political strategy of translation. In support of this hypothesis, the analysis focuses on Kafkesque, the comic strip adaptation of a selection of Kafka's short stories by Eisner Prize-winning author Peter Kuper. The work, which has received numerous awards, was described by the Wall Street Journal as “brilliant” for its ability to preserve and even enhance the Kafkaesque atmosphere. Through the study of the translation of two short stories, the article investigates the significance of this ‘heightened atmosphere’ and its relationship to the translation strategies adopted.