Franz KAFKA (1883-1924). Franz Kafka’s Amerika. [1946] + Ein Hungerkunstler. 1924

 Franz KAFKA (1883-1924). [Two works].

comprising: Alvin LUSTIG (1915-1955, designer). – Franz KAFKA (1883-1924). Franz Kafka’s Amerika the new classics Preface by Klaus Mann Translation by Edwin Muir Afterword by Max Brod. [New York:] New Directions, [1946]. Small octavo (7 x 4 ¾ inches). Pp. [i-]x; 1-277[+ 1p. publisher’s advertisement for the ‘new classics’ series]. Original textured boards, original dust-jacket by Lustig (slight rubbing to head and foot of spine of the binding, dust-jacket with tears and chips, backstrip with larger losses, book block with slight lean). The first Lustig-jacketed edition from New Directions.  ‘Amerika’ is “the incomplete first novel by … Kafka… , written between 1911 and 1914 and [first] published posthumously in 1927. The novel originally began as a short story titled “The Stoker” ". The novel incorporates many details of the experiences of his relatives who had emigrated to the United States. The commonly used title Amerika can be traced to the edition of the text put together by Max Brod, a close friend of Kafka's during the latter's lifetime, after Kafka's death in 1924.” (Wikipedia). Alvin Lustig “trained at the Art Center School of Design in Los Angeles and also briefly studied with Frank Lloyd Wright. His career highlights include numerous book jackets for New Directions and Noonday Press.” (https://www.rit.edu/carycollection/alvin-lustig).

[and:] 

Franz KAFKA (1883-1924). [A Starving Artist] Ein Hungerkünstler. Vier Geschichten. Berlin: Verlag die Schmiede, 1924. Small octavo (7 5/8 x 5 inches; 193 x 127 mm). Pp. [1-]9-85[-88], with a loosely inserted small format 2pp. advert for this work and Kafka’s Der Prozess. Original decorated paper-covered boards, a small grey paper title label mounted on the upper cover, the label titled and bordered in red (backstrip lacking, extremities somewhat rubbed). First edition of the last volume of stories edited by Kafka before his death on 3 June 1924. The advert mentions two issues of this work: the first in paper-covered boards (the ‘Pappe’ issue, original cost 3. marks); and a second in cloth (the ’Ganzleinen’ issue,) priced at 4 marks.