Kafka, Milena, and Everything Left Unsaid
Carbon copy of a letter from Nina to her friend Billie (1959)
The French House, London
November 10th, 1959
Dear Billie,
This one was tough to crack... I must admit.
When I picked up Letters to Milena, after briefly skimming a few reviews, I honestly thought I was about to indulge in a 1920s true romance: a collection of letters written by Franz Kafka to his love interest, Milena Jesenská, the Czech journalist and translator.
How wrong I was.
The magnetic bookmark in the photo is part of Nina's collection! You can find it in my shop.
Reading these letters, I felt there was so much more hidden between the lines—things left unsaid, maybe deliberately. On the surface, they appear to be love letters. But are they?
Was the emotional connection between Kafka and Milena genuine?
Maybe it was, at first, when they worked together translating his book. But as their correspondence continued, did that connection stay real?
That’s where my doubts creep in.
Did Kafka write these letters because he truly loved Milena... or was he writing for himself, chasing validation through every sentence?
Was their relationship (if we can even call it that) a kind of long-distance fantasy Something easier to keep alive in imagination, far from the mess of everyday reality?
Did Kafka use Milena to feel less alone?
Did she use him to distract herself from her own pain?
Or... have I just gotten cynical?
I wonder what you’ll think. One thing’s certain: this isn’t a simple read. Not at all.
And maybe that’s exactly why Letters to Milena is so haunting.
Love,