928 Quotes by Franz Kafka

Dread of night. Dread of not-night.

This inescapable duty to observe oneself: if someone else is observing me, naturally I have to observe myself too; if none observe me, I have to observe myself all the closer.

The truth is always an abyss.

A book should serve as the ax for the frozen sea within us.

My doubts stand in a circle around every word, I see them before I see the word, but what then! I do not see the word at all, I invent it.

This perversion of the truth, familiar to the artist though it was, always unnerved him afresh and proved too much for him. What was a consequence of the premature ending of his fast was here presented as the cause of it! To fight against this lack of understanding, against a whole world of nonunderstanding, was impossible.

Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.

Writing is a sweet, wonderful reward.

Everyone strives to attain the Law,' answers the man, 'how does it come about, then, that in all these years no one has come seeking admittance but me?' The doorkeeper perceives that the man is nearing his end and his hearing is failing, so he bellows in his ear: 'No one but you could gain admittance through this door, since this door was intended for you. I am now going to shut it.