We are all probably familiar with this term, but I still have no idea what does it really mean. I’ve read two books by the author Franz Kafka, the guy who was the origin of this very term. I tried looking online, searching for definitions and stuff, but I still have no idea what was that all about, nobody explained it clearly. I wanted to find a simple definiton with an example, but I found pile of text. Maybe they need all that “extra” stuff to explain it because it is not very simple, I guess. Can it be explained in a few words, if so please do it and if not, I will go through the long version, too. Thank you.
Edit: Thank you, I went through your comments, they were really helpful.
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Kafka was an author who is most well known for stories of that feature bizarre, overwhelming persecution often using body-horror to represent a loss of autonomy or control over one’s mind, body, or life.
In use “Kafkaesque” would refer to something some kind of nightmarish loss of control over one’s life or persecution.
Working in a horrific factory for slave wages with oppressive and grueling oversight could be Kafkaesque.
Getting put on trial in a sham court under ridiculous pretenses could be Kafkaesque.
Body horror is also a strong part of it. If you’ve ever seen the film “The Fly” in which a human is slowly transformed into a human/fly monstrosity and is ultimately slain, that’s the epitamy of Kafkaesque.
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