The Metamorphosis
The Metamorphosis is a novella by Franz Kafka, first published in 1915. It has been cited as one of the seminal works of fiction of the 20th century and is studied in colleges and universities across the Western world. The story begins with a traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, waking to find himself transformed (metamorphosed) into a large, monstrous insect-like creature. The cause of Samsa's transformation is never revealed, and Kafka himself never gave an explanation. The rest of Kafka's novella deals with Gregor's attempts to adjust to his new condition as he deals with being burdensome to his parents and sister, who are repulsed by the horrible, verminous creature Gregor has become.
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Community Reviews
I probably read this books a couple of times for various school assignments but rereading this as an adult makes for a completely different experience. Having a clearer understanding of having a job, of how capitalism works, of how soul crushing jobs and responsibility can be helps me understand much better of what Kafka was consciously and presumably unconsciously writing about. Wild how no one I talked to among my peers really mention or pick up the clear case Kafka makes against the whole capitalist system and the working environment it creates, at least indirectly, as I'm not sure he indented this story to be read as such. Anyhow It was certainly a great read.
A fine story, even if I'm most definitely missing the anti-capitalist commentary I've been told is in there.
I just saw a family hurt by and hurting each other as told by a well know Jewish pre world war European author and enjoyed what I saw in it.
I just saw a family hurt by and hurting each other as told by a well know Jewish pre world war European author and enjoyed what I saw in it.
This is the saddest most touching story. The magic is in how Kafka takes the most unbelievable circumstance and makes it completely real and revealing of how humans behave and feel.
After learning both about my own disability and other peoples' experiences with it, this story hurt even more. Absolute painful, inconsequential tragedy.
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