Metamorphosis and Other Stories (Penguin Modern Classics)

I don't know all the metaphorical significance of this book, but I feel on the surface that the book is an intersting read, that you want to know what is going to happen to the family and especially the protagonist. You also feel for these people, which is, considering how short the story is, uncommon.
You have to read it to appreciate it, but it definately deserves a place as a classic.

Superb (12/16 people found this helpful)

Incredibly witty, Kafka's is a writer of a remarkable sense of humour. The excitement and the thrill mingled in a flavour of mystique made his stories supreme. Kafka is simply superb!! The metamorphosis reflects some of Kafka's most personal issues; in its brilliant manifesto it conveys a harsh critique against both family and society. For what is wrong with being different? What does it mean? How does it affect one's life when one suddenly becomes vulnerable and weak? The dun beetle, I believe most readers might have guessed what Kafka meant by its chief role. The metamorphosis is simply superb. A real masterpiece.

Here goes yet another interpretation (2/3 people found this helpful)

Metamorphosis is one of the most famous works in world literature, and possibly has the most memorable opening lines in the history of story telling, - 'As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning after disturbing dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into an enormous insect'. A standard interpretation of this allegorical tale is that Gregor's transformation from hard working travelling salesman, providing for his family, to a grotesque useless insect that provokes disgust and pity and ultimately rejection by his family, represents physical disability, and society's treatment of it. I can see this in the story, but I read Kafka as essentially portraying his nightmare of the barrier between the public and personal inner world being removed. The private mental life, with its sensitive and raw secrets, its ugly and embarrasing little features, the desires and instincts that we strive to keep hidden, and/or are forced to repress. The bug is the embodiment of the ugly and raw inside turned out, exposed for all the world to see. Particularly nightmarish for Gregor (kafka) is the fact that those who see are those he loves and whose rejecton he fears most of all - his family.
That a short story of less than one hundred pages allows so many interpretative possibilities stands as a testament to Kafka's unique power to draw the reader into a hypnotic world of dark archetypal imagery. Upon finishing this novella, you may feel as though awoken from disturbing dreams, dreams that will nevetheless have cast some strange new light on your waking day.

Creepy yet gripping (2/3 people found this helpful)

Although the creepiness of this short by Franz Kafka is apparent from the opening, disturbing paragraph, its true weirdness isn't made clear until halfway through the story. Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman, awakes one morning to find that he has been transformed into a hideous "insect" - cleverly, in true Kafka style, we never find out what type of insect he has metamorphosized into, our only insights are Kafka's various detailed descriptions of Gregor's feelings and physical apperance to his family... and himself. The style of this extremely enjoyable novel is reminiscent of his unfinished work, The Trial in which a man is on trial for an unknown reason (and it works well).

Struggling to hold his family together, the weirdness and fierceness of this story is now made apparent. Gregor's father attacks him - causing a turning point within the story as we now see Gregor's family resent his condition.

We never find out why or how Gregor has transformed but again, like in The Trial it simply doesn't matter. Using little direct speech, Kafka has woven Gregor's horror and disgust with his family's despair and fright to make a totally impossible situation seem almost real. The fact the only setting is Samsa family's apartment makes the atmosphere disturbing and creepy(very isolated and tense).

Gregor's family depended on him for money and therefore, as I think Kafka is trying to say, a bearable life. Gregor has to witness his family's downfall silently (literally, as he has lost the ability to talk), his only communication being indirect (I mean, with no speech) with his sister and the cleaner who visits him room ocassionally to clean and bring food. We see the Samsa family fall rapidly and become unable to cope with Gregor any longer.

The ending is no surprise, but I don't want to give it away simple because it significantly affects the ending - however, I feel that Kafka struggles to make his point stand-out - even though his ending paragraphs are brilliantly profound. Obviously, the plot in a child's nutshell is about a man who has turned into an insect and, seemingly without being able to help it, causes his family's downfall because of their dependence on him financially and emotionally - however, I think the novel should have been longer and therefore fleshing-out Kafka's point further.

I enjoyed this book very much, a classic - read it for the amazing language if nothing else. A brilliant story and message, Franz, but... a bit more material and it'd be perfect!

Final impression is that Kafka is a truly fantastic author. His use of language and tone is perfect (I noticed this in both Metamorphosis and The Trial). Buy and see for yourself!

Strange yet brilliant in ways (5/12 people found this helpful)

It was not my choice to read this book - it is a set book for an English course. If it hadn't have been for the course, I may not have ever read it. However, having now read the majority of the book, I have enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
This was the first book by Kafka that I have read. I was struck by how different his writing style is compared to writers I usually read. There is little dialogue in most of his stories, instead there are long sections of prose, which is highly punctuated.
The collection of stories in this volume are very weird. "Metamorphosis" for example is about a young man who awakens to find that he has changed into a "monstrous insect". It is a really surreal story, because of the absurdity of the situation, yet it is thought-provoking and quite insightful.
My only criticism of this volume is that, at times, his stories are a little too surreal. There are some included in the section entitled "The Country Doctor", which I have no ides what is trying to be said.
If, like me, you have never read a book by Kafka before, try reading this first. There are moments of tragedy, comedy and horror - what more could you really want?

Metamorphosis and Other Stories (Penguin Modern Classics)

Franz Kafka

Reader Reviews:

Interesting read (0/0 people found this helpful)

Superb (12/16 people found this helpful)

Here goes yet another interpretation (2/3 people found this helpful)

Creepy yet gripping (2/3 people found this helpful)

Strange yet brilliant in ways (5/12 people found this helpful)

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