The Metamorphosis (1915)

My English class finished reading this novella fairly recently, and I couldn't make much sense of the story in the first part (the novella is divided into three). As I continued reading The Metamorphosis, I got to liking it, and it made more sense. Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning and realizes he's turned into a "monstrous verminous bug". Gregor lived a perfectly normal life before then. He worked as a traveling salesman and was the chief financial provider for his family since his father stopped working after a massive humiliation that Kafka doesn't delve into. Of course his whole life changes since he's now a bug. For the most part, everyone in Gregor's family is either repulsed, angered, or alarmed by his new appearance. In spite of his physical transformation from a human into an insect, Gregor psychologically remains human, which is what I think, the point of the book. The Metamorphosis is a thought-provoking read that really makes the reader question what it truly means to be human. I would recommend this novella for anyone in tenth grade or higher since although the length is anything but daunting, the story itself is quite abstract and requires higher thinking to truly appreciate it. ( )

I wish I hadn't. ( )

One of the most famous opening lines in literature: "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect."

Well, this will certainly be a day unlike all others.

A classic work of expressionism. A metaphor for what happens to an individual when he lives a life he loathes, for extreme alienation and rebellion. What the reader brings to the text will inform his or her interpretation, and that makes the work all the more extraordinary. ( )

Although difficult to understand, this is a great source for a literature class. It will get students to think critically about alternate meanings and symbolism. It shows the psychological process of depression and not being who you want to be. ( )

This is a hard book to nail down. That despite the fact that the basic (infamous) premise is revealed in the first sentence. It was about all I knew about Kafka or The Metamorphosis when I started the book--that the "hero" wakes up as a cockroach:

As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. He was lying on his hard, as it were armor-plated, back and when he lifted his head a little he could see his domelike brown belly divided into stiff arched segments on top of which the bed quilt could hardly stay in place and was about to slide off completely. His numerous legs, which were pitifully thin compared to the rest of his bulk, waved helplessly before his eyes.

I'd read this work published in 1915 was a seminal work of the early 20th century. I'd read it was important to the Existentialist movement, surreal and absurdest and despairing. So what surprised me about this short novella--it's only about 22 thousand words--is how funny it is. I just found this all pretty hilarious. Is that bad, and wrong? It has been described as horror--but I mean, just the way Kafka describes poor Gregor trying to get around on his little legs--or trying to squeak out explanations to his supervisor or his family... I found nothing very heavy in this--or anything all that philosophical--at least not in any ponderous or pedantic way. It felt more light humor than anything--and really, an engaging introduction for me to this writer who'd I'd definitely read again. ( )