"John Updike...

Cheap and vulgar.

But aren't Jews responsible for the modern state of the world Kafka was criticizing?

Good prose stylist + even though his books all repeat similar milieus and characters, at least one of his better books is worth reading because it's a good and accurate representation of that milieu and character

Today's modern world is not the same as the world of old.

*overrated

At what age should you be expected not to write shitty stories / novels?

I had something published recently and I wish it hadn't been since I'm embarrassed about it. I'm 25 and I fear I've admitted that I'm a talentless tryhard and that there's no making up for this.

after 25 there is no excuse for being terrible. if whatever you published was more okay than you're describing, maybe it's fine.

it is said that all greats became kinda good before the age of 25, but if you look closely at their debuts, they're rarely mind-blowing, more like sparkling with occasional brilliance.

If you're going to show up in every Kafka thread, you could at least once explain why you think Kafka is a bad writer.

You've clearly never read him and have no clue what the fuck you're talking about.

it's not about age as much as how long you've been writing desu