Latest news with #Kafka
The Guardian
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Richard Flanagan: ‘When I reread Evelyn Waugh's Scoop it had corked badly'
My earliest reading memoryMy mother reading Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows to me – and reading it again and again, because I loved it and her. I was perhaps three. We lived in a little mining town in the middle of the rainforest. It was always raining and the rain drummed on the tin roof. To this day that's the sound I long to hear when I relax into a book – a voice in the stormy dark reminding me that I am not alone. My favourite book growing upBooks were an odyssey in which I lost and found myself, with new favourites being constantly supplanted by fresh astonishments. Rather than a favourite book I had a favourite place: the local public library. I enjoyed an inestimable amount of trash, beginning with comics and slowly venturing out into penny dreadful westerns and bad science fiction and on to the wonderfully lurid pulp of Harold Robbins, Henri Charrière, Alistair MacLean and Jackie Collins, erratically veering towards the beckoning mysteries of the adult world. The book that changed me as a teenagerAlbert Camus's The Outsider. It didn't offer a Damascene revelation, though. I was 11. I absorbed it like you might absorb an unexploded cluster bomb. The writer who changed my mindWhen I was 27, working as a doorman for the local council, counting exhibition attenders, I read in ever more fevered snatches Kafka's Metamorphosis, which I had to keep hidden beneath the table where I sat, balanced on my knees. A close family forsaking their son because he has turned into a giant cockroach, after the death of which they marvel at their daughter's vitality and looks? It dawned on me that writing could do anything and if it didn't try it was worth nothing. Beneath that paperback was a notebook with the beginnings of my first novel. I crossed it out and began again. The book that made me want to be a writerNo book, but one writer suggested it might be possible for me – so far from anywhere – that I perhaps too could be a writer. And that was William Faulkner. He seemed, well, Tasmanian. I later discovered that in Latin America he seemed Latin American and in Africa, African. He is also French. Yet he never left nor forsook his benighted home of Oxford, Mississippi, but instead made it his subject. Some years ago I was made an honorary citizen of Faulkner's home town. I felt I had come home. The book or author I came back toWhen I was young, Thomas Bernhard seemed an astringent, even unpleasant taste. But perhaps his throatless laughter, his instinctive revulsion when confronted with power and his incantatory rage speak to our times. The book I rereadMost years, Bohumil Hrabal's Too Loud A Solitude, humane and deeply funny; and Anna Karenina, every decade or so, over the passage of which time I discover mad count Lev has again written an entirely different and even more astounding novel than the one I read last time. The book I could never read againOn being asked to talk in Italy on my favourite comic novel I reread Evelyn Waugh's Scoop. It had corked badly. My fundamental disappointment was with myself, as if I had just lost an arm or a leg, and if I simply looked around it would turn back up. It didn't. The book I discovered later in lifeGreat stylists rarely write great novels. Marguerite Duras, for me a recent revelation, was an exception. For her, style and story were indivisible. Her best books are fierce, sensual, direct – and yet finally mysterious. I have also just read all of Carys Davies's marvellous novels, which deserve a much larger readership. The book I am currently readingKonstantin Paustovsky's memoir The Story of a Life, in which the author meets a poor but happy man in the starving Moscow of 1918 who has a small garden. 'There are all sorts of ways to live. You can fight for freedom, you can try to remake humanity or you can grow tomatoes.' God gets Genesis. History gets Lenin. Literature gets the tomato-growers. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion My comfort readOf late, in our age of dire portents, I have been returning to the mischievous joy of James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson: 'There is nothing worth the wear of winning, but the laughter and love of friends.' Question 7 by Richard Flanagan is published in paperback by Vintage. To support the Guardian, order your copy at Delivery charges may apply.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Richard Flanagan: ‘When I reread Evelyn Waugh's Scoop it had corked badly'
My earliest reading memoryMy mother reading Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows to me – and reading it again and again, because I loved it and her. I was perhaps three. We lived in a little mining town in the middle of the rainforest. It was always raining and the rain drummed on the tin roof. To this day that's the sound I long to hear when I relax into a book – a voice in the stormy dark reminding me that I am not alone. My favourite book growing upBooks were an odyssey in which I lost and found myself, with new favourites being constantly supplanted by fresh astonishments. Rather than a favourite book I had a favourite place: the local public library. I enjoyed an inestimable amount of trash, beginning with comics and slowly venturing out into penny dreadful westerns and bad science fiction and on to the wonderfully lurid pulp of Harold Robbins, Henri Charrière, Alistair MacLean and Jackie Collins, erratically veering towards the beckoning mysteries of the adult world. The book that changed me as a teenagerAlbert Camus's The Outsider. It didn't offer a Damascene revelation, though. I was 11. I absorbed it like you might absorb an unexploded cluster bomb. The writer who changed my mindWhen I was 27, working as a doorman for the local council, counting exhibition attenders, I read in ever more fevered snatches Kafka's Metamorphosis, which I had to keep hidden beneath the table where I sat, balanced on my knees. A close family forsaking their son because he has turned into a giant cockroach, after the death of which they marvel at their daughter's vitality and looks? It dawned on me that writing could do anything and if it didn't try it was worth nothing. Beneath that paperback was a notebook with the beginnings of my first novel. I crossed it out and began again. The book that made me want to be a writerNo book, but one writer suggested it might be possible for me – so far from anywhere – that I perhaps too could be a writer. And that was William Faulkner. He seemed, well, Tasmanian. I later discovered that in Latin America he seemed Latin American and in Africa, African. He is also French. Yet he never left nor forsook his benighted home of Oxford, Mississippi, but instead made it his subject. Some years ago I was made an honorary citizen of Faulkner's home town. I felt I had come home. The book or author I came back toWhen I was young, Thomas Bernhard seemed an astringent, even unpleasant taste. But perhaps his throatless laughter, his instinctive revulsion when confronted with power and his incantatory rage speak to our times. The book I rereadMost years, Bohumil Hrabal's Too Loud A Solitude, humane and deeply funny; and Anna Karenina, every decade or so, over the passage of which time I discover mad count Lev has again written an entirely different and even more astounding novel than the one I read last time. The book I could never read againOn being asked to talk in Italy on my favourite comic novel I reread Evelyn Waugh's Scoop. It had corked badly. My fundamental disappointment was with myself, as if I had just lost an arm or a leg, and if I simply looked around it would turn back up. It didn't. The book I discovered later in lifeGreat stylists rarely write great novels. Marguerite Duras, for me a recent revelation, was an exception. For her, style and story were indivisible. Her best books are fierce, sensual, direct – and yet finally mysterious. I have also just read all of Carys Davies's marvellous novels, which deserve a much larger readership. The book I am currently readingKonstantin Paustovsky's memoir The Story of a Life, in which the author meets a poor but happy man in the starving Moscow of 1918 who has a small garden. 'There are all sorts of ways to live. You can fight for freedom, you can try to remake humanity or you can grow tomatoes.' God gets Genesis. History gets Lenin. Literature gets the tomato-growers. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion My comfort readOf late, in our age of dire portents, I have been returning to the mischievous joy of James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson: 'There is nothing worth the wear of winning, but the laughter and love of friends.' Question 7 by Richard Flanagan is published in paperback by Vintage. To support the Guardian, order your copy at Delivery charges may apply.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Brentwood Park teen's Rotary exchange dream hinges on host family
Sipping exotic tea infusions while strolling the cobbled streets that once inspired authors like Yvonne Chauffin has long been a dream for Brentwood Park's Gina Lourens. That dream is now closer to reality, as the Benoni High Grade 11 learner has been selected to take part in Rotary International's prestigious Youth Exchange Programme. The programme will see the 17-year-old spend her matric year in the multicultural city of Lille, France. Seated in a sunny corner of her home, Gina straightens her blazer and launches into an enthusiastic explanation of how her journey with Rotary began. 'I became a member of our school's Interact Club at the beginning of high school,' said Gina. 'Through my experience, I have realised that being of service to others is the greatest gift you can give. Navigating the teenage years, we often become disconnected from the challenges others face, but those challenges remain, no matter how much we try to turn a blind eye.' Running her fingers across the cover of the latest addition to her Franz Kafka collection, Gina reflects on how her time with Interact has shaped her. She speaks passionately about how Rotary has had a profound impact not only on the global community but also on her personal growth. 'Connection — that is all anyone needs. We all want to feel seen, heard, and acknowledged for our unique traits.' Gina is one of only four Southern African Interact members selected for the year-long exchange. She says she is humbled and thrilled by the opportunity. 'I cannot wait to start this incredible journey. I've been given the opportunity to immerse myself in a new culture and a clean slate — a chance to introduce myself as real, raw, and authentic.' Host family needed However, Gina's dreams of walking in Kafka's footsteps hinge on one critical requirement: a host family in South Africa for her Italian counterpart, who is due to arrive in August. 'Due to the Northern Hemisphere academic calendar, the Italian student must be hosted until mid-2026,' she explained, a flicker of anxiety crossing her face. 'If we cannot secure a host family, my own exchange, scheduled to begin in January, cannot go ahead.' Hosting can be for the full duration of the exchange or shared between several vetted host families over an agreed period. 'The aim is to give the exchange student a fully immersive local experience and opportunities to engage with their peers,' Gina said. 'Safety and comfort are paramount. Hosts must provide balanced meals, a safe and comfortable place to stay, and transport to and from school and school-related events.' Hosting is voluntary and comes with no financial remuneration. However, Rotary International provides students with a monthly allowance to cover necessities and some experience costs. Quoting Kafka, Gina added: 'Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.' With that same spirit of optimism, she makes a heartfelt appeal to the Benoni community to help her and her fellow Interact member make their dreams come true. 'This is an opportunity that doesn't come knocking for everyone. I hope someone in our city, full of dedicated Rotarians, will open their home to a youth who is following in their footsteps,' she said. 'Thanks to their dedication, teens like me are stepping up to be of service and letting the movement's ethos guide us into the future.' For more information about the Youth Exchange Programme or to sign up as a host, visit or click the direct link: ALSO READ: Rotary Club of Benoni: End of an era but the good work will continue ALSO READ: Santa Shoebox Project and Rotary Club of Benoni Aurora donates takkies
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Registered, but not yours: Supreme Court's latest real estate plot twist
At the centre of this verdict is a tale as old as Indian property disputes. (AI image) There's a certain comfort in paperwork. A registered sale deed, embossed with legalese and blessed by a sub-registrar in a half-lit office in Telangana, can make even the most skeptical buyer feel like they own the earth under their feet. Except, they don't. In a ruling that just turned the real estate gospel upside down, the Supreme Court clarified: registration is not ownership . You read that right. You could have the ink dry on your sale agreement, the registrar's stamp, and maybe even a housewarming party planned. But if that agreement wasn't backed by a valid title — tough luck. Possession without proper paperwork is just glorified squatting. At the centre of this verdict is a tale as old as Indian property disputes: a housing society sells land via an unregistered agreement in 1982. Fast forward to now, and the courts have finally delivered a verdict — and a message. Physical possession doesn't grant legal title unless it's backed by the right documents. Specifically, title deeds, mutation certificates, and a paper trail that could make Kafka wince. The implications? They're vast and unsettling. 1. For buyers: Your registered sale deed is no longer the final boss. You'll need to gather supporting cast members — from mutation certificates to property tax receipts — to prove your starring role as owner. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo 2. For developers and agents: Prepare for more questions, more paperwork, and fewer shortcuts. The days of 'possession is nine-tenths of the law' are over. It's now more like 'possession + documentation + Supreme Court alignment = peace of mind.' 3. For fraudsters: Well, let's just say your party's over. This ruling could curb shady transactions and speculative handovers masquerading as ownership. But there's a catch: costs are likely to rise. Legal due diligence doesn't come cheap, and neither does the emotional toll of trying to prove you own what you thought you bought. Do the homework. Not just the math. So next time someone waves a registered deed in your face, smile politely — and ask for the mutation certificate. Moral of the story: If you're buying property in India, think of it like dating. The sale deed may be the first date. But to say 'I do' to ownership, you need the full family approval — tax receipts, mutation entries, and a trail of bureaucracy longer than NH44, [With inputs from ET] Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Business Upturn
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Upturn
Kaiju No. 8 Season 2: Release date, cast updates and what to expect next
By Aman Shukla Published on June 24, 2025, 16:53 IST Kaiju No. 8 burst onto the anime scene in 2024, hooking fans with its wild mix of monster-smashing action and heartfelt moments. After a killer first season, everyone's buzzing about Season 2. So, let's cut through the noise and get into what's confirmed: release date, returning voices, new faces, and what kind of chaos Kafka Hibino's heading into next. When's Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 Coming Out? Mark your calendars— Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 is locked in for July 19, 2025. Crunchyroll dropped the news alongside a teaser trailer at AnimeJapan 2025, and the hype's real. The show will air weekly on TV Tokyo at 11:30 PM JST, with Crunchyroll and X streaming it worldwide at the same time, just like Season 1. If that's not enough to tide you over, a special episode called Hoshina's Day Off —all about our favorite blade-wielding Vice-Captain Soshiro Hoshina—drops July 5, 2025, on X. Crunchyroll might pick it up too, but no word yet. Cast Updates for Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 The gang's mostly back, and the voice talent's as solid as ever. Here's who's returning for the Japanese dub: Masaya Fukunishi as Kafka Hibino, our kaiju-turned-hero still juggling his double life. Wataru Kato as Reno Ichikawa, the loyal rookie stepping up big time. Asami Seto as Mina Ashiro, the no-nonsense Third Division Captain. Fairouz Ai as Kikoru Shinomiya, the prodigy with a chip on her shoulder. Kengo Kawanishi as Soshiro Hoshina, slicing kaiju and stealing scenes. Yuuki Shin as Iharu Furuhashi, bringing the team's chaotic energy. Keisuke Komoto as Haruichi Izizu, ready for more action. New blood's joining the fray too. Koki Uchiyama steps in as Gen Narumi, the First Division Captain who's basically a walking legend dubbed 'Japan's Strongest Anti-Kaiju Combatant.' Expect him to shake things up. Hiroki Yasumoto voices Eiji Hasegawa, and Kana Hanazawa plays Rin Shinonome, both fresh faces who'll stir the pot in Season 2. English dub fans, you're likely getting the same crew back, including Adam McArthur (Reno), Katelyn Barr (Mina), and Abigail Blythe (Kikoru). Crunchyroll's probably sticking with their sub-and-dub-at-once approach, so no one's left waiting. What to Expect from Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 Plot Season 1 left us on a cliffhanger with Kafka's big secret—yep, him being Kaiju No. 8—out in the open. Now, he's under the First Division's watch, specifically Gen Narumi's, who's not exactly rolling out the welcome mat. Drawing from Naoya Matsumoto's manga, Season 2's likely diving into the Kaiju Weapon Arc (Chapters 40–53) and the Compatible User Arc (Chapters 54–68). That means more monster mayhem, deeper lore, and some tough calls for our boy Kafka. Key Plot Points to Anticipate: Kafka's Big Test: Kafka's gotta prove he's more man than monster while training with Narumi. Some in the Defense Force still side-eye him, so expect tension. Kaiju No. 9's Next Move: That creepy kaiju from Season 1? It's back, pulling strings and unleashing nastier attacks. The Compatible User Arc digs into its scheme to mess with human-kaiju hybrids, and it's bad news for everyone. New Gear, New Fights: The Kaiju Weapon Arc brings in Numbers Weapons—gear made from dead kaiju that only certain fighters can sync with. Reno and Kikoru get some spotlight here, and the battles are next-level. Things Get Heavy: The vibe's darker this time. Think bigger invasions, tougher moral choices, and hints at the manga's massive Kaiju No. 9 Invasion Arc down the road. Ahmedabad Plane Crash Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
