Focusing on the traumatic aftermath of the dissolution of East-Central European and West European empires, the book explores transnational literary alliances through the works of Franz Kafka and J.M. Coetzee. It analyzes how Kafka represents the transition from sovereign to disciplinary governance, while Coetzee reflects the shift from colonial assimilation to regeneration. Through close readings, the text reveals how both authors respond to the reconfiguration of power relations in their narratives, highlighting the instability of post-imperial literature and the loss of transcendental guarantees in human experience.
