The world is fascinated by Kafka, and Kafka was fascinated by China to the point that he identified himself with the Chinese. Elias Canetti, one of the few Western authors who studied Chinese language and culture at university level, has recognized Kafka as the only Western author whose narrative sensibility is deeply Chinese in character. The present collection of essays examines this intricate phenomenon both of Kafka's reception of Chinese culture, and of the Chinese reception of Kafka's works.

The Contributors: Irene Eber is Louis Frieberg Professor of East Asian Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her major research interest is Sino-Jewish studies.

Rolf Goebel teaches German Language and Literature at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He is presently completing a book on Kafka.

Meng Weiyan and Zhou Jianming have written their doctoral theses on different aspects of Kafka and China.

Sun Kunrong is a professor of German at Beijing University. He is a major translator of Kafka's works into Chinese.

Adrian Hsia's main research interest is the reception of the cultural «other». He teaches German literature at McGill University, and European Studies at Chungcheng University.