This is a collection of short, shorter, and even shorter stories, aphorisms, and parables that was recently translated into English from German. Famous for his plays, Brecht wrote these paragraph long lessons on the dangers of bureaucracy and the ludicrous nature of things over the course of a life wherein he encountered too much of both. His keen wit shines through much as Ambrose Bierce's and Mark Twain's did. He is not one to mince words, the longest story being a few pages, and the shortest clocking in at one sentence. A few examples:
WHAT'S WISE ABOUT THE WISE MAN IS HIS STANCE
A philosophy professor came to see Mr. K. and told him about his wisdom. After a while Mr. K. said to him: “You sit uncomfortably, you talk uncomfortably, you think uncomfortably.” The philosophy professor became angry and said: “I didn’t want to hear anything about myself but about the substance of what I was talking about.” “It has no substance,” said Mr. K. “I see you walking clumsily and, as far as I can see, you’re not getting anywhere. You talk obscurely, and you create no light with your talking. Seeing your stance, I’m not interested in what you’re getting at.”
THE QUESTION OVER WHETHER THERE IS A GOD
A man asked Mr. K. whether there is a God. Mr. K. said: “I advise you to consider whether, depending on the answer, your behavior would change. If it would not change, then we can drop the question. If it would change, then I can at least be of help to the extent that I can say, you have already decided: you need a God.”
And my all time favorite:
CONVERSATIONS
“We can’t go on talking to each other,” said Mr. K. to a man. “Why not?” asked the latter, taken aback. “In your presence I am incapable of saying anything intelligent,” complained Mr. K. “But I really don’t mind,” the other comforted him. “That I can believe,” said Mr. K. angrily, “but I mind.”
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