Since a seminar about "Humor in Franz Kafkas Werk" I can not help to see the fun parts. As part and parcel of the ridiculous. Kafka wrote about a meeting with the very honorable president of the insurance-company he worked for - imagine a courtier being noticed by the emperor :) - where Kafka suffered a laugh-attack. The slapstick in "the penal colony". And the fear of the gate-keeper - my fav. story: really helpful to ignore silly rules/ self-important keepers and stride through the gate.
Have you read Akutagawa? For some reason your description of the fundamental nature of stories reminded me of the story of the red nosed man and the boiled yams.
Since a seminar about "Humor in Franz Kafkas Werk" I can not help to see the fun parts. As part and parcel of the ridiculous. Kafka wrote about a meeting with the very honorable president of the insurance-company he worked for - imagine a courtier being noticed by the emperor :) - where Kafka suffered a laugh-attack. The slapstick in "the penal colony". And the fear of the gate-keeper - my fav. story: really helpful to ignore silly rules/ self-important keepers and stride through the gate.
Have you read Akutagawa? For some reason your description of the fundamental nature of stories reminded me of the story of the red nosed man and the boiled yams.