Franz Kafka (1883-1924) was one of the major German-language novelists and short story writers of the 20th century. Born into a Bohemian Jewish family, Kafka studied law and worked in the insurance industry; few of his writings were published during his lifetime. His work tended toward the fantastic and absurd (typified by METAMORPHOSIS), and also explored alienation, guilt, and anxiety. Kafka died at age 40 of tuberculosis.