Kafka re-re-retranslated: the graphic novel Kafka in English, German and Polish

Abstract

ABSTRACT The paper analyses the graphic novel Kafka in its English original and its German and Polish translations. Written by David Zane Mairowitz and illustrated by Robert Crumb, the book offers an account of Franz Kafka’s life and a discussion of his works, combined with adaptations of his selected writings. It can be conceptualised as a retranslation on two levels: quotations from Kafka’s works abounding in the graphic novel were retranslated into English by the adaptor, and the book itself can be seen as a very specific, alternative rewriting or retranslation of the cultural image of Franz Kafka. The German translation of the graphic novel involved back-translating Kafka quotes into their original language, while the Polish edition used existing translations of his works; both retranslated the author’s image for the respective target cultures. The translators had to decide whether their loyalty lay with the authors of the graphic novel or with the original author; both opted for the latter, redeeming Mairowitz’s departures from Kafka’s text. Employing the concept of retranslation, the paper seeks to unpack the complex relationships between multiple source and target texts, modes, authors, translators and readerships at play.