The Metamorphosis

By Franz Kafka and Mint Editions

“Kafka is important to us because his predicament is the predicament of modern man.”-W.H. Auden

“The common experience of Kafka’s readers is one of general and vague fascination, even in stories they fail to understand, a precise recollection of strange and seemingly absurd images and descriptions-until one day the hidden meaning reveals itself to them with the sudden evidence of a truth simple and incontestable.” -Hannah Arendt

With the profoundly unsettling story of Gregor Samsa’s transformation into a gigantic insect, The Metamorphosis (1915) is Franz Kafka’s best-known work and one of the most influential pieces of 20th century literature. Without ever leaving the setting of a single apartment, the notion of a vast disaffection takes on universal truths about the tolls of modern work and the mind-body divide.

In the defining opening, “As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a giant insect.”, Franz Kafka begins what is one of the most analyzed and debated works of existential dread. As Gregor becomes acquainted with his new form, his boss arrives to reprimand him on his tardiness at work, and his family discovers the horrifying truth of his shocking condition. Although his sister takes measures to care for Gregor, eventually his family resents his existence as the reader is inexplicable drawn into his terrifying state of isolation. Both humane and repulsive, The Metamorphosis is an essential read of the modern classics.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Mint Editions
• Release date: Jul 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9781513264073

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.

Reviews for The Metamorphosis

[britt84 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very realistic story about a completely unrealistic event. I love how Kafka describes an absurd occurrence like it's a very natural thing and nothing to be surprised at, and how he gives a completely realistic account of the consequences and behaviour of the people involved.

[revslick_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

perfect read for late at night creepy and a great allegory for those in 12-step recovery (AA, NA, Alanon, etc.).

[krizia_lazaro_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

At first, I can't bear reading this book. It was about a person who turned into a bug. It was disgusting. I hate bugs. But towards the middle and end part you begin to feel sympathy for Gregor. Who wants to be a bug? It was something he did not choose. i just felt bad for him and how his family treated him. It actually made me cry in the end. This one classic book everyone should read.

[joybee_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not the kind of story I usually read, but it kept my interest. I found this story to be funny in places, and a little sad.Gregor Samsa "woke up one morning from unsettling dreams" and "found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin". This is how the story starts, with its climax. The rest of the story goes on to tell about Gregor's new life as a bug, and how he and his family react.I am glad I read this story.

[mamzel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gregor Samsa lives with his parents and younger sister and lives a perfectly normal life until one morning when he wakes up and finds he is now a human-sized roach. The story is an examination of how a family might react to such an event and how one might feel if this happened to him. I loved trying to imagine life as a roach.

[arkrayder · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a dark little fable. The genius of the author is to totally leave it to the reader as to whether Gregor has become a vile animal or is suffering mentally and as a consequence is shunned by his family. The tale has its funny moments, but its overall a dark story.

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

Having not read this since college, I found it much more meaningful this time around. Whatever Kafka's intent, I found the tale to be symbolic of the family dynamic when a once integral part of the family becomes helpless or worthless through illness, dishonor, etc. The death of Gregor restored life to the family.

[michaeladams1979 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A truly strange story. I actually found it more sad than anything else, people stuck in impossible situations just trying to find some sense of normalcy again, forever out-of-reach. I read it a bit as a metaphor for having an chronically ill or disabled member of the family, someone who suddenly is not the active, capable breadwinner they once were, presenting a double-burden to the family which had built its lifestyle around their contributions. A really thought-provoking weird tragedy.

[benuathanasia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A perennial favorite. Frustrating, sad, and fascinating. It begs to be dissected and analyzed, while at the same time, it just needs to be accepted as is.

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

read this twice, once in college and again in 2009. It is a creepy book but that is not the point. The point is that it examines identity and alienation. It is a classic of existential literature.

[daveinseattle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Project Gutenberg ebook

[henrimoreaux · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Metamorphosis is an intriguing book, in a way it seems to be about Kafka's life, like George Samsa, he was unable to run away from the room he was trapped within, that room being circumstances & depression. Yet at the same time, the book is also about isolation and society. It takes place in an undated time and an unspecified place with the vast majority of the story taking place in the Samsa apartment. It's well worth reading.

[indrit-76 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This has to one of the most unique stories ever written and is testament to Kafka's genius in conjuring up such powerful nightmarish, weird, absurd and enigmatic, but ultimately deeply moving and human in few pages.

[linyarai · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A great classic.

[laurenbdavis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[srumzi_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was disgusted and riveted.

[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.

[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

[sdtaylor555 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this in highschool and enjoyed it very much. A man turns into a giant bug :) What's not to like?

[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.

[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.

[eric_j._guignard · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

REVIEWED: The Metamorphosis
WRITTEN BY: Franz Kafka
PUBLISHED: MONTH, YEAR

“The Metamorphosis” is an enjoyable read, not difficult (as is often the expectation of classic literature), and interesting, in a unique, quiet way. It’s also overrated and, in my opinion, unsatisfying. The publisher’s overview is: “Gregor Samsa, a young man who, transformed overnight into a monstrous verminous bug, becomes an essentially alienated man.” That essentially sums up the entire story. There’s no more plot or build-up than that. Gregor hides in his room all day, as a bug, much to his and his family’s dismay. There’s no explanation as to what occurred to transform him as such, nor any great closing revelation; the story is simply Gregor caught up in his thoughts. It’s a book of interior voice, analogy, philosophy, satire, but not much “story.” There are many themes to contemplate, and if you are searching for a better understanding to man’s lot in life, this book may be for you. However, in terms of entertainment, it’s insufficient. Extra points allotted, however, for originality and for being the inspiration to numerous authors and genre movements such as satire and the more-recent bizarro.

Three-and-a-half out of Five stars

[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.

[hol5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really did enjoy "The Metamorphosis." I found it packed a lot of power for a such a short story, but it's so open for interpretation I recommend you read it before you read reviews hinting at what to think of it.On face value 'The Metamorphosis' just seems bizarre, and, like another reviewer said, the more you read and think about the story the more you begin to appreciate it. I have admit I cried- but only a few tears escaped while I was actually reading it. What was odd was that I really cried while I was answering a few questions on it for school (I choose it - so reading it didn't feel like a chore) and began to interpret it for myself.I was touched by Gregor's amazing devotion to his family, and felt as if his metamorphosis was some sort of catalyst for change in his family. I see it as story of sacrifice, a brother and son giving up on his on well-being to benefit the family he loves. The family that cannot overcome his "monsterous" form. It was almost like a fairy tale with an ending both happy and sad. I read most of the story in the hope that Gregor would wake one day to find it was all a dream, I even nurtured a suspicion that the heartless charwomen was some sort of witch which had imprisoned Gregor in this creature's body, and would release one day with a snap of her fingers.I actually read the Minerva edition "Metamorphosis and other stories," so haven't read the essays in this Classics edition (which- as a note... I really don't think there should be a picture on the cover. I agree with Kafka, let the reader decide). But it some ways I don't want to read a whole lot of crictical material. I think Metamorphosis is just so open to interpretation, so whether I'm academically wrong or right, it would be nice for my own thoughts on it not to be fused with others that I may not understand. Post-modernism?

[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.

[karalawyer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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

[jreynolds1959 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The title was truly apt. When Gregor metamorphosed, so did everyone around him. People are expendable, that is what I took from this story.

[hamburgerclan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One day, back in my youth, I decided to get me some culture. I was an avid science fiction fan and I had heard that there was this book--actual literature--about a man who turned into a cockroach. I determined to get a copy of that book and see how the author was able to transform such a concept into something that would be studied by university professors and the like. What fascinating cause did he devise for such a change? How deftly could he explain the biological differences between insect and mammal or the physical consequences of the mutated form? What excitement awaited as the protagonists unravelled the puzzle and either killed or saved the immense man-bug? I was disappointed. I procured a copy of the book, The Metamorphosis, and tried to devour it like an Isaac Asimov or Harlan Ellison tale. It was boring! Not one bit of pseudo-science! No explanation at all as to why this shmoe was roached. And let me tell you, Gregor Samsa made for one pathetic giant insect. I read the book once and let it gather dust.Well, about twenty years have passed and now I've had to read the story again, as part of my daughter's schooling. I'm happy to report that I have grown up a bit. I may still find Mothra more entertaining, but I was able to appreciate the depth of the tale that escaped my younger self. It's a rather depressing tale, but quite human. Of course, the multitude of essays that compose the final two-thirds of the Bantam Classics edition are still boring. I don't know if that's because I'm still to stupid to understand them, or if maybe I've grown to wise to be impressed by such intellectual endeavors.--J.

[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

[jacobflaws · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Strange, but he is such a good writer.