Philip Boehm

Franz Kafka

A new translation of Kafka's letters to his Czech translator, Milena Jesenska, includes materials previously unpublished as well as some of her letters and essays

Letters to Milena

Briefe an Milena

Simone Endres

Andjela Cvetković

this is the quote i saw that made me want to read this in the first place :)

It occurs to me that I really can't remember your face in any precise detail. Only the way you walked away through the tables in the café, your figure, your dress that I still see.

[…]—nonetheless your sleep was peaceful. So when sleep passes over me in the night, I know where it is headed and accept this.

All right then, I'll be mad at you on this score, which incidentally is no great misfortune, as things balance out quite well if there's a little anger for you lurking in one corner of my heart.

And despite everything, I think that if it is possible to die of happiness then I will certainly do so. And if someone destined to die can be kept alive by happiness, then I will stay alive.

I'm not saying this out of jealousy, Milena, I'm not jealous. Either the world is so tiny or else we are so gigantic; in any case we fill it completely. Of whom should I be jealous?

So that was the storm which kept threatening in the forest, still we were happy all the same. Let's go on living with its threats since we don't have any choice.

Isn't that wonderful? One decides to keep on living a little while, at least through the afternoon, until the matter is once again forgotten.

Letters to Milena quotes

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