Metamorphosis

Paperback, 96 pages

English language

Published Aug. 30, 2007 by Oberon Books.

OCLC Number:
70882530

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4 stars (3 reviews)

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.

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.

31 editions

A good introduction to Kafka

4 stars

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.

Subjects

  • Drama texts, plays
  • General
  • Drama / General
  • Drama
  • Literature - Classics / Criticism
  • Plays