The Metamorphosis

By Franz Kafka

A man struggles to maintain his humanity when he transforms into a monstrous insect in this masterful novella by the celebrated author of The Trial.

A young traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa is the sole breadwinner in his family—a role he can no longer fulfill when he awakes one morning to discover he has transformed into a “horrible vermin.” While Gregor is unable to communicate and forced to relearn how to move in his new body, his family is preoccupied with the question of their financial stability.

Epitomizing the term “Kafkaesque,” the tale of Gregor and his absurd fate have become emblematic of modern existential dread. A truly iconic work, The Metamorphosis remains one of the most famous and analyzed works of twentieth-century literature.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Media
• Release date: Jul 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781504063838

Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka (1883-1924) was a primarily German-speaking Bohemian author, known for his impressive fusion of realism and fantasy in his work. Despite his commendable writing abilities, Kafka worked as a lawyer for most of his life and wrote in his free time. Though most of Kafka’s literary acclaim was gained postmortem, he earned a respected legacy and now is regarded as a major literary figure of the 20th century.

Book preview

I

One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked.

What’s happened to me? he thought. It wasn’t a dream. His room, a proper human room although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls. A collection of textile samples lay spread out on the table—Samsa was a travelling salesman—and above it there hung a picture that he had recently cut out of an illustrated magazine and housed in a nice, gilded frame. It showed a lady fitted out with a fur hat and fur boa who sat upright, raising a heavy fur muff that covered the whole of her lower arm towards the viewer.

Gregor then turned to look out the window at the dull weather. Drops of rain could be heard hitting the pane, which made him feel quite sad. How about if I sleep a little bit longer and forget all this nonsense, he thought, but that was something he was unable to do because he was used to sleeping on his right, and in his present state couldn’t get into that position. However hard he threw himself onto his right, he always rolled back to where he was. He must have tried it a hundred times, shut his eyes so that he wouldn’t have to look at the floundering legs, and only stopped when he began to feel a mild, dull pain there that he had never felt before.

Oh, God, he thought, what a strenuous career it is that I’ve chosen! Travelling day in and day out. Doing business like this takes much more effort than doing your own business at home, and on top of that there’s the curse of travelling, worries about making train connections, bad and irregular food, contact with different people all the time so that you can never get to know anyone or become friendly with them. It can all go to Hell! He felt a slight itch up on his belly; pushed himself slowly up on his back towards the headboard so that he could lift his head better; found where the itch was, and saw that it was covered with lots of little white spots which he didn’t know what to make of; and when he tried to feel the place with one of his legs he drew it quickly back because as soon as he touched it he was overcome by a cold shudder.

He slid back into his former position. Getting up early all the time, he thought, it makes you stupid. You’ve got to get enough sleep. Other travelling salesmen live a life of luxury. For instance, whenever I go back to the guest house during the morning to copy out the contract, these gentlemen are always still sitting there eating their breakfasts. I ought to just try that with my boss; I’d get kicked out on the spot. But who knows, maybe that would be the best thing for me. If I didn’t have my parents to think about I’d have given in my notice a long time ago, I’d have gone up to the boss and told him just what I think, tell him everything I would, let him know just what I feel. He’d fall right off his desk! And it’s a funny sort of business to be sitting up there at your desk, talking down at your subordinates from up there, especially when you have to go right up close because the boss is hard of hearing. Well, there’s still some hope; once I’ve got the money together to pay off my parents’ debt to him—another five or six years I suppose—that’s definitely what I’ll do. That’s when I’ll make the big change. First of all though, I’ve got to get up, my train leaves at five.

And he looked over at the alarm clock, ticking on the chest of drawers. God in Heaven! he thought. It was half past six and the hands were quietly moving forwards, it was even later than half past, more like quarter to seven. Had the alarm clock not rung? He could see from the bed that it had been set for four o’clock as it should have been; it certainly must have rung. Yes, but was it possible to quietly sleep through that furniture-rattling noise? True, he had not slept peacefully, but probably all the more deeply because of that. What should he do now? The next train went at seven; if he were to catch that he would have to rush like mad and the collection of samples was still not packed, and he did not at all feel particularly fresh and lively. And even if he did catch the train he would not avoid his boss’s anger as the office assistant would have been there to see the five o’clock train go, he would have put in his report about Gregor’s not being there a long time ago. The office assistant was the boss’s man, spineless, and with no understanding. What about if he reported sick? But that would be extremely strained and suspicious as in fifteen years of service Gregor had never once yet been ill. His boss would certainly come round with the doctor from the medical insurance company, accuse his parents of having a lazy son, and accept the doctor’s recommendation not to make any claim as the doctor believed that no-one was ever ill but that many were workshy. And what’s more, would he have been entirely wrong in this case? Gregor did in fact, apart from excessive sleepiness after sleeping for so long, feel completely well and even felt much hungrier than usual.

He was still hurriedly thinking all this through, unable to decide to get out of the bed, when the clock struck quarter to seven. There was a cautious knock at the door near his head. Gregor, somebody called—it was his mother—it’s quarter to seven. Didn’t you want to go somewhere? That gentle voice! Gregor was shocked when he heard his own voice answering, it could hardly be recognised as the voice he had had before. As if from deep inside him, there was a painful and uncontrollable

Reviews for The Metamorphosis

[bookson23rd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don’t know why I thought reading Kafka might be difficult. The Metamorphosis is just a story about a guy who wakes up as a beetle. A very large beetle. What’s so difficult about that?
His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, were waving helplessly before his eyes.
Gregor Samsa is entirely believable living as a beetle. He still thinks mostly like a human and isn’t generally alarmed at his changed body. When his manager comes to the apartment to see why Gregor didn’t show up for work, Gregor tries his best to get out of his room:
He actually intended to open the door, actually present himself and speak to the manager; he was eager to find out what the others, who were now so anxious to see him, would say at the sight of him.
Gregor’s family, although never decisive as to what to do with Gregor, seems to carry on just fine by getting jobs themselves and taking in boarders, after previously living off of Gregor’s income for five years. Of course they are upset that their son, and brother, is unable to communicate with them.
“Did you understand a word?” the manager was asking his parents. “He isn’t trying to make fools of us, is he?”
I liked the story. Without dissecting it to smithereens trying to eke every meaning out of it, I’m satisfied to think of it as a story about the stifling oppression of working for a corporation, where you are no more than a bug.
The ending left me depressed, probably because I sensed that I understood the futility Gregor felt.
READ THIS BOOK because it’s a classic!

[karalawyer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

great novella. Amazing how you can develop such empathy for an insect!

[ts5_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read the Bantam classic edition. It's 200 pages long, with only 60 being the actual story, and the rest being essays and critical analysis. I have to say that the analysis made me respect the novella so much more. When you read something casually you don't pick up on repetitions and elements, but the critical analysis opened my eyes to the repition of 3 occurring in the book, as well as the possible religious or devil connotations, etc etc.Kafka did not intend this to be a story of a man who turned into a beetle. He had much more in mind while he wrote it and so if you pick this one up, try to find a copy with analysis, it'll make you appreciate it so much more.

[dracopet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Although Kafka isn't considered an existentialist author to the extent that Camus is, this novella is about a million times more compelling than 'The Stranger' could ever hope to be, and does what the 'The Stranger' was supposed to do: portray how terrifying the world is if there is no rhyme, reason, or fairness.

[trebleclef_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I find myself sort of going back and forth between a 3.5 and 4 star rating, what we have here is a brilliant little novella... but it would help if it were longer. I can't help but feel it would have benefited greatly from a little more material, would have made it feel far more complete. I still enjoyed this book tremendously, it was an incredibly interesting read. I also recommend picking up the edition with essays and analysis on the book, it really helps you better understand The Metamorphosis.

[missyr46 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an abstract piece about a man who wakes up andrealizes he is a bug, however, this does not concern him. He is more worried about being late for work. This is a sad tale of a man, who, after an unfortunate event, loses the love of his family, as they think he is an awful disgusting creature. He has to learn to live with the things he cannot change and accept himself for who he is.

[gbill_7 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

“When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin.” Ya gotta love that opening line. Who hasn’t felt acute alienation from the world? That one is an outcast and is isolated to the point of being despised and ugly? Gregor the bug is Kafka the artist and Kafka the man. And Kafka was troubled: “If there were not these ghastly sleepless nights, I would not write at all. But in this way I am always conscious of my dark solitary confinement.” And: “Art for the artist is only suffering through which he releases himself for further suffering.”Gregor has difficulty living up to the expectations of his father, has a tyrant for a boss, and feels guilt and shame. Published in 1915, these are modern, existential thoughts as Gregor/Kafka attempts to cope with what seems like a suffocating, absurd world. It’s a little sad that Kafka was so tortured that these thoughts were in his head; I wonder what his domineering father thought when he read this book, and if he felt ashamed.Despite all of that great angst and the creativity that went into the concept of a man turning into a bug, I had only a lukewarm reaction to the book, and for me it’s downhill after that first line. It is an important book and one that you should probably read once in your life, but I also think it’s a bit over-analyzed. In the edition I have, for example, there a 12 page introduction, the 55 page text, and then 135 pages of notes, analysis, and letters. Don’t get me wrong, I normally love that type of thing, Norton Critical Editions and all of that, but here the commentary often seems “off” in the sense of being over-thought.

[jimocracy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This a well-written but bizarre story. I'm sure there's a moral or lesson in there somewhere but it has eluded me.

[bdtrump · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A classic and short must-read, Kafka's work addresses how a family adjusts to an absurd event, and ultimately comes to despise a once-beloved family member

[trilliams · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Tale as old as time. Boy turns into insect. Family abandons boy. Boy dies alone. It's probably a lot deeper than that.

[daniellemd-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Unfortunately I haven't read most of the classics, so I've set out to change that. This book was pretty fascinating. It's very short, and packs a lot of story into about 100 pages.
Before I read this book I assumed the titular metamorphosis was this man changing into whatever he changes into. That notion was shot when on the first page, he had already transformed. The metamorphosis is not his physical change (Which is never explained or questioned by him or his family, which is fine by me) but the change/decline of his emotional and mental state, and the change that his family undergoes while dealing with this horrifying development.
As someone who has dealt with having a seriously ill family member in the home, I felt this story was a metaphor for that experience. Other people may take away another moral or metaphor from it, and that's the beauty of stories like this. They mean something different to everyone, and almost everyone can find something that they may identify with.

[devil_llama · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kafka's famous novella is a quick and lively read, able to be consumed in a single sitting. A story about a man who awakens one morning to find himself morphed into a giant insect and the reaction of his family and other acquaintances. It is a tragic story, a story of what happens when someone no longer conforms to societal expectations and finds himself an outsider in a world where he used to belong. It's also an interesting study in the changes that have occurred in literature over the past century. Any editor or creative writing instructor today would refuse to accept this classic work because it doesn't fit the "rules" of writing. Perhaps that should be a lesson to those who would impose arbitrary rules; Kafka has written a masterpiece.

[garypatella · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A story that is short enough to read in a couple of hours, yet interesting and bizarre enough to stay with you for a lifetime. Amount gained from reading is incredible when compared to the short amount of time it takes to read.

[calavari · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was interesting and weird. I hadn't known what to expect when I started it, so I was astounded by what was there. Obviously, the writing was amazing. It kept me wondering what was going on and how things were going to end until the last word. Heart-wrenching, but enjoyably so.

[knotbox · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Depressing, Freudian symbology, not too enjoyable and wholly tear-inducing. A very bitter take on the world and humanity. Cynical and not too much of a story as a philosophical study of the doomed future of mankind. Don't read unless you feel you should...

It is profound, and terribly worth delving into for the fact of how bizarrely interesting it is. But don't anticipate reading it more than once.

[aoibhealfae · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is the story where a successful man found himself turned into a huge monstrous vermin. Because of it, he lost his job and he became totally reliant upon his family who had become reliant on him prior his transformation. While his mother can't bare the sight and the smell of him and his father's emotional and physical abuse, his sister somehow provide him an anchor and at times he pondered about the significance of his existence the entirety of his fate as a giant insect stuck inside a house.

I am not quite sure how to respond to this overanalyzed book without being repetitive. I understood the symbolism of the text and the psychology of the author while he was writing this because soon it became more apparent that this is getting too personal. I also didn't think that Kafka had any prior knowledge in entomology at the time of writing. He was quite specific about his reaction as an insect which probably from observance since his mirrored character's conducts are too unspecific to be taken literally other than as a symbolic way to portray his issues in literal form.

In some strange way, I do think "Metamorphosis" is a come-of-age book. His transformation is a symbolism for puberty. His cocooned stage and avoidance of the world told a story about himself and by including his family's disappointment throughout the whole novel, it does make sense how the Japanese are more inspired by him than I ever was. There were countless of J-drama, manga and anime seemingly dedicated on the nature of this book which told much about the culture itself. Junji Ito and Kaori Yuuki made a good deal Kafka-esque influence in their work.

I do wish I could read the original untranslated work as some meanings can be lost in between since I do think the translation made the book unseemingly bland. I felt it became too passive and monotonous and weirdly predictable. Probably because I've been indirectly influenced by Kafka but psychologically speaking, this guy was obviously depressed that he had to stoop into empathising with an insect to express his feeling and downright emotionally-scarred by his family and I think he even lost his sense and his faith in humanity just by writing this.

In a sense, I do think he is hollow in the inside. Alone and disappointed in the world and severely disappointed in himself. He detailed how his family didn't care about him as their son. How can anybody be more severe on himself like that. This is a story of a confused boy who sees the world through an injured mind and became so frightened by it that he even became too afraid to be free and found death as welcome instead.

I don't love this book. I don't hate it either. I only felt this monotonous depth of sadness and pity. If this isn't an academical reading, I don't think I would revel in the work of an unhappy childhood and emotionally abusive family for the sake of reading literature pretentiously.

[dianalynn5287-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

OKKKKK so I've re-read this book because I've been thinking about it lately and I just seem to grow more fond of it...It is simply art in a novel and I don't really know why I didn't re-read it sooner. LOVE 9/10

[elpaca · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Long short story, read countless times. I have analyzed it in class, online, in my Mother-in-laws kitchen, until I am dulled by the whole thing. Did he become a butterfly or a moth? I forget.

[amberthehuman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

So, is it like if he died but had to watch his family cope afterward? Or is it just cause I was thinking about The Sixth Sense before I started?

[bolgai · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When I first read this book in high school my impression of it was "What terrible drivel! And this guy is a literary heavyweight!?", which is just more proof that what is considered literature was not written for children and therefore children are not the best audience for these works. They're just not equipped to understand the nuances of the story and to read between the lines. Of course there's always the option that my teacher wasn't all that good or that I was a particularly dense teenager, but I prefer the first theory. If you read up on Metamorphosis you'll see the opinion that Gregor's transformation into an insect was just a physical manifestation of what he already was. Another commonly-accepted view is that the more important metamorphosis was that of the Samsa family as a result of Gregor's transformation. These interpretations made me think about the significance of Gregor changing into a creature that is revolting, a creature the family tries to accept but at the end cannot, and I wonder, for what is that a metaphor? What kind of person is Kafka writing about, what is it about him that is so unacceptable to his family? There is a passage toward the beginning of the book that indicates that there's something wrong with the lower abdomen of the insect Gregor, that it's diseased in some way. Then toward the end there is a passage about Gregor wanting to kiss his sister's neck. Do these passages reveal something about the nature of this character that overnight makes him a pariah in his own family? I think they do, and maybe I'm over-thinking it, but when viewed through that prism the story makes more sense than when it's not. I'm pleased to say that this re-reading confirmed for me that Kafka's work deserves every bit of its exalted reputation. He really was a master of weaving stories that feel very close when you read them, despite the fantastical nature. Reading this book you can see the Samsas' apartment, them, and their issues. You even somewhat understand why the family feel about Gregor the way they do, regardless of his present state. After all, you know the man who dreams about kissing his sister's neck was odd even before his transformation into a gigantic insect. In fact, Metamorphosis is full of such implied revelations, but you have to be paying attention to see them. I would definitely recommend reading closely to get the most of out this book, and indeed any other of Kafka's work, because it seems that the boldest ideas are the closest to the truth with this author. Just bear in mind that often his imagery is far from innocent. I'm curious to read more of Kafka's work now and I'm fully prepared to take my time with every piece, because his writing is just not something you should breeze through. Should you decide to pick up anything he's written I recommend you prepare yourself to take your time as well.

[borrows0n0wants · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved this! It was heart-breaking, but still good, nonetheless. I love how it starts out with Gregor waking up as a "bug" and then just mildly taking notice, more concerned about how he needs to get up because he is late for work. I also love how Kafka doesn't try to explain how Gregor woke up this way; he just takes the idea and runs with it. Absolutely wonderful.

[thecriticaltimes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Probably the first thing you learn when you start a creative writing program is that you never ever start a novel with: "When I woke up this morning ...". Kafka's Metamorphosis starts with essentially that, but not in first person perspective. A clerk/office worker/ salesman wakes up one morning transformed into a bug. Most likely a cockroach, but whichever insect he transformed into isn't mentioned, and isn't important. His entire life Gregor Samsa has worked hard to support his mother, father and younger sister. He diligently accepts any task his office assigns to him and he does not spend a single penny of his earnings on himself. His first thought after waking up isn't: what the hell just happened to me, instead his first source of panic is the fact that he can't take care of his family anymore and that he can't fulfill his assigned social role. From the beginning of the novel the main character's reaction gives the text a humorous overtone, which does slowly dissipates as you get towards the ending. During the reading of the novel I felt that Kafka teases those who pick up the book to come up with possible conclusions, none of which are as depressing or as surprising as the one actually featured.The Metamorphosis is a novel that many scholars have studied for a long time and for which they have given many explanations and analyses. Granted the short story is written as a tease for intellectuals. But I'm not sure the text warrants this. One glaring piece of evidence comes from the edition of the book I read, in which scholars argue that the main character's name Gregor Samsa is an anagram for Kafka. In the same edition we find an account of Kafka in dialog with a friend who asked him about this idea upon which the great author responded: don't be absurd that's utter nonsense.Some argue that the novel is a form of social criticism in which Kafka magnifies roles and stereotypes to show the absurd expectations of the cultural atmosphere at the time. Gregor is a hard worker who does not question the tyranny and unrealistic expectations of his family and colleagues, a battle he can not win. For his blindness he is punished by being transformed into the physical incarnation of his family's already existing scorn. His eventual lot is to succumb to his unquestioned acceptance of his role and live out the lifeline laid out for vermin.

[pmsyyz · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting first half, wondering what would happen next, but the ending was not a satisfying resolution for me.

[anagarika0sean · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a great story! Kafka's symbolism is absolutely fantastic. A master. I hope to read more of his work soon.

[shambler_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved it. I can't really put it any better than that. I grabbed it as a public domain ebook and read the thing on my lunch break. Darkly humorous, absurd yet relatable, and almost painfully mundane.

[potterhead9.75 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I know exactly how Grete feels. I have a bug for a brother, too. =_=

Writers from Prague tend to leave indelible impressions on my mind. I'll admit it, I have a pro-Prague bias, I love all things European with the intimacy only a foreigner can achieve. Kafka and Kundera, they are inevitably infused with some of the magic of Prague. Their works are steeped in nuance, they play with overtones and instil their words with ambiguity. All stories are so inherently beautiful in their own right, the act of writing reviews often consist of little more than the cherry-picking of a few choice adjectives, and private, fragmentary reflections on the impotency of words that stubbornly refuse to convey to others the very emotions they provoke in us. The job of the modern writer, then, is to capture that elusive, transient feeling with their words, to bottle it and sell it. Kafka sells despair, but a subtle form of hopelessness that uses the theme of alienation from the rest of the world to express itself. Leaves you just as, if not more, utterly devastated by the end.

[la2bkk · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There are many layers to The Metamorphosis, revealing the book's symbolism and complexity. What I enjoyed most was Kafka's writing style. Short, simple yet tremendously engaging. While no doubt odd, the storyline was captivating. Interestingly, few reviewers have noted the subtle humor which permeated the book, some of the best I have ever read (perhaps along with Dostoyevsky's novella Notes From the Underground).While many classic works can require effort, this book flowed seamlessly and left me wanting more. A true classic and a must read.

[thedreadlink · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When I read the first line of this book I was amused. I instantly thought of the image of a giant beetle lying on a bed and almost laughed. This book was absurd and well-written. Kafka expertly wrote Gregor's downward mental spiral from human into insect. He kept the story familair with adding a strong sense of the unkown because no one can really relate to the book. The family felt odd and detached as they delt with Gregor and ending up letting him die. Also the description of the guests the family had stay with them made me view them as two of the members of ZZ Top. This book was good and the images it made me think of kept it moving along nicely.

[jacobflaws · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Strange, but he is such a good writer.

[vincentdarlage · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a strange and fascinating story! Wow.