When did Franz Kafka draft the opening sentence of The Trial?
Franz Kafka drafted the opening sentence of The Trial in August 1914. He worked on the novel throughout 1915 during a period that was unusually productive for him despite World War I.
Questions about The Trial
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who edited The Trial after Franz Kafka died in 1924?
Max Brod edited the work and assembled it into a novel to the best of his ability following Kafka's death in 1924. Further editorial work has been done by later scholars but Kafka's final vision remains unknown.
What crime does Josef K. commit in The Trial?
Josef K. is arrested for an unspecified crime without revealing the nature of the accusation to him or the reader. Scholars debate whether he committed any wrong because the original German phrasing allows both possibilities.
Which year did Victor Gollancz Ltd publish the first English translation of The Trial?
Victor Gollancz Ltd published the first English translation by Willa and Edwin Muir in 1937. Later editions appeared from Pan Books in 1987 with Douglas Scott and Chris Waller translating.
When did Philip Glass premiere his operatic adaptation of The Trial?
Philip Glass composed an operatic adaptation premiered by Music Theatre Wales in October 2014. A Talmudic vaudeville show titled K under Barrie Kosky's direction opened at Berliner Ensemble in September 2025.