Metamorphosis

This was my first Kafka book and I approached it with a little apprehension as I wasn't sure I would understand the story. My fears were unfounded as The Metamorphosis is a very accessible story. I listened to it on audio and I think that hearing the words at speaking pace was good because I tend to rush when reading which, in this case, would have meant missing a lot of the more subtle meanings.

Gregor Samsa's physical transformation is the most obvious in Metamorphosis, but all the family undergo a change in their characters caused by his situation. I found myself able to identify with aspects of his sister's behaviour and his father's distance, as well as Gregor's sense of isolation.

Metamorphosis was an excellent introduction for me to Kafka's work and I shall seek out more of his stories.

Felt like this could be a metaphor for physical illness/disability or depression and society/family reaction to it, but I didn’t see that as a common interpretation when I looked it up.