Intriguing question. Still thinking here but this may help others sort through their mental jukeboxes…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Kafka#"Kafkaesque"

Boils down to: “Kafka’s quintessential qualities are affecting use of language, a setting that straddles fantasy and reality, and a sense of striving even in the face of bleakness—hopelessly and full of hope.”

First thought: Pink Floyd The Wall… …