I have read some Kafka, though never The Trial which was the basis for K Is In Trouble, the first volume of Gary Clement’s excellent introduction of the younger generation to the Kafkaesque genre. Here in the second volume, K Is In Trouble Again, Clement seems to have moved into totally original storylines for our long-suffering young protagonist, though those who have read more Kafka may see parallels I have missed.

This second book loses a little of the Kafkaesque edge that the first one possessed. But only a very little. In this volume, K’s troubles come more from coincidence and natural forces and less from angry adults refusing to listen. There is more slapstick and the problems tend not to be as small and personal, but Clement retains his deft touch for visually depicting quiet despair and isolation, especially in the middle chapters. The perhaps the most interesting departure from the first volume is the much stronger interconnection of the stories, bound together by running gags, with the first and last stories being directly connected.

The biggest single change from the previous volume is that these stories contain more hope. They still are far from cheerful, but the hope is definitely there.

I am eager to see if Clement is going to write further adventures of K, and if so, if he will choose to increase the hope until he leaves his literal inspiration behind entirely, or if he is setting us readers up just to knock us down harder later. I think he is skillful enough that I would enjoy it either way.

K is in Trouble AGAIN is a sequel that manages to recapture the charm of the first book without the routine getting stale. I am not typically a fan of "bad things keep happening to the same person and nobody believes them" humor, so I had avoided the first book in the series for longer than I should have. In that, and in this follow-up, Clement walks that tightrope impeccably. You're frustrated on K's behalf, but you're having such a good time following his adventures, you're not cringing.
Plus, this sequel features an excellent recurring goat that will definitely appeal to young readers. This is one I will be purchasing for my library.

I didn't like this book. Made it through the first two stories, then gave up. The illustrations are pretty though.