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The Metamorphosis and Other Stories

by Franz Kafka, Jason Baker (Introduction), Donna Freed (Translation)

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 13,710 ratings · 589 reviews

The Metamorphosis and Other Stories, by Franz Kafka, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classicsseries, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics:
All editions are beautifu...more The Metamorphosis and Other Stories, by Franz Kafka, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics:
All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. Barnes & Noble Classics pulls together a constellation of influences—biographical, historical, and literary—to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works.

Virtually unknown during his lifetime, Franz Kafka is now one of the world’s most widely read and discussed authors. His nightmarish novels and short stories have come to symbolize modern man’s anxiety and alienation in a bizarre, hostile, and dehumanized world. This vision is most fully realized in Kafka’s masterpiece, �The Metamorphosis,” a story that is both harrowing and amusing, and a landmark of modern literature. Bringing together some of Kafka’s finest work, this collection demonstrates the richness and variety of the author’s artistry. �The Judgment,” which Kafka considered to be his decisive breakthrough, and �The Stoker,” which became the first chapter of his novel Amerika, are here included. These two, along with �The Metamorphosis,” form a suite of stories Kafka referred to as �The Sons,” and they collectively present a devastating portrait of the modern family.

Also included are �In the Penal Colony,” a story of a torture machine and its operators and victims, and �A Hunger Artist,” about the absurdity of an artist trying to communicate with a misunderstanding public. Kafka’s lucid, succinct writing chronicles the labyrinthine complexities, the futility-laden horror, and the stifling oppressiveness that permeate his vision of modern life.

Jason Baker is a writer of short stories living in Brooklyn, New York.(less)

Paperback, 224 pages

Published July 1st 2003 by Barnes & Noble Classics (first published 1915)

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Jul 17, 2009 Dave Maddock rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-story, horror

I suspect interpreting Kafka says more about the reader than the author so here's some insight into my psyche:

Gregor's family are losers. Gregor takes over the "bread winner" position after his father's business fails and provides enough money for the family to live as well as help to pay down the large debt his father's business incurred. The rest of them are fine to let him and sit on their asses. Gregor's father is perfectly healthy, but is happy to mooch too. Then, we find out that his fathe...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Jenn(ifer) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-shorts, read-in-2012, 5-f-ing-stars, dark, gave-me-chills, the-tops, own, awesomely-weird

It's totally kafkaesque (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpAVa6...)

I would have given this collection 5 stars based on "The Metamorphosis" alone. The rest of the pages could have been filled with grocery lists, recipes, driving directions, what have you, I would still have given it 5 stars. But the thing is, there are so many other stellar stories in this collection, five stars seems like an insult. "The Judgement" astounded me; "A Hunger Artist" captivated me; "In the Penal Colony" sickened me....more

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Jan 02, 2010 Lamski Kikita rated it 5 of 5 stars

Do not, under any circumstances, believe any of the introductions to Kafka books especially if they tell you that there is no point of trying to interpret, read into, or analyze Kafka's writing, and that it just is; read it for its poetic prose and for the beauty of the stories... BULLSHIT!!!
If you have any sense at all, you will read Kafka, and you will read into the stories, you will come up with hidden messages, and you will see the politics and sociology in it, and it will mess up with your...more

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Jan 04, 2008 Chris rated it 2 of 5 stars

Riddle me this…… why is it that Kafka is praised for having a continuous theme of ‘alienation and anxiety in a bizarre, hostile, and dehumanized world’ (taken right from the introduction by Kafka-aficionado Jason Baker) but Art Alexaksis of Everclear is constantly derided for never giving up the theme of his parent’s divorce and family instability in his suburban American life?

Really, who is more pigeonholed and obsessed with a single theme; a guy who puts a few 3-minute, 3-chord, hastily-writt...more Riddle me this…… why is it that Kafka is praised for having a continuous theme of ‘alienation and anxiety in a bizarre, hostile, and dehumanized world’ (taken right from the introduction by Kafka-aficionado Jason Baker) but Art Alexaksis of Everclear is constantly derided for never giving up the theme of his parent’s divorce and family instability in his suburban American life?

Really, who is more pigeonholed and obsessed with a single theme; a guy who puts a few 3-minute, 3-chord, hastily-written songs with the same motif on each of his albums, or a guy who spends his entire life churning out several volumes of written work with the same underlying theme throughout? I’ll let a wiser man than myself be the judge of that. Let’s face it, pretty much anyone involved in any form of ‘art’ is pretty much always magnetically drawn to some persistent theme which they probably feel defines them and their struggles in this mortal coil. Everclear and Kafka just happen to exceed at staying as close to home without straying from their designated bounds; note to Kafka and his slavishly obedient idolaters, being the Everclear of literature doesn’t justify being considered one of the most influential wordsmiths in human history. All the stories within pretty much blow; here are some comments on the tiny tales that blow the most:

•“A Message From the Emperor” – How this can claim to be ‘published’ (in 1919) is quite beyond my feeble understanding; this concise tale is basically the length of a paragraph in an HP Lovecraft story. No sh-t. Exactly one-trade-paperback-page long. How this can be called a ‘story’ is even less understood. This editioni was created by Barnes & Nobles, and for them to choose this as their readers’ first taste of Kafka is quite perplexing.

•The Metamorphosis – For all of the acclaim surrounding this story, it’s far-flung appeal is lost on me. Let’s cut to the chase; the protagonist, a lame-ass named Gregor, can’t go to work one fine morning due to his transmogrification into some form of insect (what exact classification of insect is shrouded in mystery, the literary quandary equivalent to the smirk on the Mona Lisa). His family detains him into his room and then treats him like shit. I wouldn’t so much consider this treatment 'alienation’ as I would common sense; I personally won’t dine at the dinner table with a giant cicada, relative or not. Boring story with intermittent vestiges of near-human/insect-incest. I don’t have any idea what the statement behind this fabled work is; Gregor apparently supports this lazy ass family of his until his turn of fate, and when left to fend for themselves they get real lives and jobs and move on happily.

•“The Judgment” – Regrettable. One of the most pointless pieces of smegma I’ve perused in my days. Too much build-up for too little of interest.

•“Josephine The Singer, Or The Mouse People” – While the story sucks, let me quote some stupidity from within: “It is truly no feat to crack a nut, and therefore no one would think to gather an audience for the purpose of entertaining them with nutcracking.” Obviously, this poor fool had no conception of what a thriving industry porn would become. Reading this story is akin to reading the same damn sentence over and over; a society of shitass rats is beset by the troubles of a social unit, Josephine, who believes she is a star, a unique mouse as opposed to some random and commonplace rodent. Sixteen pages concerning a varmint’s debated ability to sing (contrary to the rat’s universal ‘piping’), which considers both sides of the argument to confirm or deny her public appeal and whether this unclassifiable talent warrants privilege. Trust me, the tale of any human superstar’s life bores the tits off me, much less their rotten and pussified attitude, and reading the equivalent in the world of vermin is pretty piss poor. (less)

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Jun 09, 2011 Sonia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, have

Okay, I guess the first thing that I should mention is that I didn't actually read the "other stories", mainly because those other stories were not attached to my nookbook version of this short novel.

Of course, I selected the wrong version of this work from the 10,000,000 options that Goodreads provided and now it's just too complicated to change editions so . . . on to my review.

I have this obsessive need to write a review on everything I read. Not because I think anyone really cares, but beca...more

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Aug 17, 2010 Emir Never rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*Thank you Doc Ranee for lending me this book!*

This copy is composed of two separate stories: Metamorphosis and The Judgement .

First, The Judgement. A tale of a man, who is set to marry, and asks his father, who appears to be senile, about telling his friend, from whom he have kept the news of his marriage and much of his life status, about the matrimonial news. There follows verbal exchanges from father and son, with the father dominating, and ending with the father pronouncing The Judgement w...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Velvetink rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, read-2009

Just got the Barnes & Noble 2003 edition for my daughter.Wonder why I cannot add that edition to my shelves as well. Annoying.

Ok well apart from Metamorphosis (which is brilliant), I'm not that impressed. Several of the stories are basically just a paragraph or two...mere observations...well done, but ho hum. The Stoker was interesting and leaves you hanging wanting more. I actually really preferred reading the Introduction by Michael Hofmann who translated this edition.

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Sep 02, 2012 K.D. Oliveros rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to K.D. by: Shiela

Shelves: short-stories, fantasy, classics, saddest, challenging, philosophical

This book is composed of 6 short stories by Franz Kafka. The writing is glorious and the storytelling is engaging. However, most of the messages are unclear to me. I just don't see the point of reading these except to savor Kafka's eccentrically beautiful prose and give oneself a chance to pick his/her own takeaway when he/she is finally done reading the whole book the book.

Metamorphosis. 3 STARS
I really felt sad for Gregor Samsa. He is the family breadwinner because he is the only one working i...more

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Dec 04, 2009 Joseph D'Lacey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kafka is mindblowing. I wish I could have met him. In this collection is a story titled 'In the Penal Colony' - one of the most horrific tales I've ever read. I salute your spirit, Mr. Kafka!

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Mar 24, 2012 Simon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: short-story-collections

In reading this I have strayed quite far outside of my usual comfort zone. But what attracted me to Kafka is that he apparently wrote about the horror of the human condition and that his stories were are often quite surreal and weird. I found all this to be quite true.

It would seem that his stories are often metaphorically alluding to something else but I haven't felt compelled to dwell on that aspect too deeply, enjoying the stories for their strangeness and humour, their full meaning often all...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Dolors rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, best-ever

Reading Kafka in Prague: that was luxurious.
Metamorphosis is not about change, it is about the human beings' selfishness, it is about close people who are supposed to love us, disposing of oneself when one is not useful anymore. No matter what problems you have, life goes on around you, you are left behind, and sooner or later, you have to face your destiny, which is to die alone.
In the other stories, there is always a common theme: oppressiveness and critical metaphors about life and love. And...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Rose rated it 4 of 5 stars

A difficult book to rate because some stories I loved, a couple I didn't care for & one bored me stupid. The Metamorphosis was by far my favorite in this collection of stories. I give that one 5 stars. I haven't read anything so humorous & sad in such equal measures in a long time. I read it in just a few minutes because I just had to find out what happened in the end & when I finished the book I went back & read The Metamorphosis again. I'd never read Kafka before though I'd cer...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Ryan Milbrath added it · review of another edition

Kafka. I remember reading the metamorphosis in twelve grade english. My friend sitting in front of me remarked how when she finished the short story she was so depressed looking while sitting at the dinner table her mother thought it had something to do with the food. Indeed stories like the Stoker, the Metamorphosis, the fasting-artist, Country Doctor, etc. all seem to invoke the same depressing feeling the first time I read the metamorphosis. This is going on my third time and I still feel for...more

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Oct 10, 2010 Mike Puma rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, austrailian-author, classic-lit

An amazing collection of shorter works by Kafka. For my money, “In the Penal Colony” is the entry that will, likely, prove the most memorable—perhaps, it’s due to my recently reading Christopher Hitchens’ God Is Not Great or it might be owing to my being midway in Sam Harris’ The End of Faith, but I kept picturing an Inquisitor in the role of the ‘officer’ and wishing that the story had been true. I’m likely to have appreciated the entire collection more had I taken more time to read it—spread t...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Fatin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, favorites, owned, banned-books, short-stories, hello-hi-please-read-this

If the other 4 stories are only a tenth of the brilliance of Metamorphosis and In The Penal Colony, this book is a wonder everybody should read.
(Also, how beautiful and intriguing the cover is! Little paint blobs metamorphosing into bugs. Aww.)

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Sep 10, 2010 Derek Davis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Was Kafka a semi-closeted genius or simply a sickly, reclusive fellow who told wonderful stories out of his misery? Does it matter? Either way, the constricted language (you can feel the nots tied around the words) and sideways outlook created a wholly new form of writing. No one else could have written these stories, not then, not now.

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Mar 20, 2012 Ami rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

Interesting set of psychological thrillers. Anne Rice's foreword proclaims them "the first horror stories", but if that's true, they're certainly not the blood & gore type of horror stories. The premises are dark twists on reality, but the (re)actions of the characters are real enough to be the scary part.

From reading some of the other stories in the book (namely "In the Penal Colony", "Conversations with the Supplicant", "The Hunger Artist", and some pieces from the collection of "Meditati...more

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Jun 20, 2011 Doreen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'd never read any Kafka before, but the concept that his writing lends his name to is impossible to avoid in modern culture. I did find the title story to be one of the best in the bunch (and I found the ending satisfying,) though I thought his breakthrough story, The Judgment, to be incredibly silly. The stories I enjoyed otherwise were In The Penal Colony, A Hunger Artist and Josephine. The very short pieces I found delightfully (if that word can be used to describe Kafka) atmospheric. Overal...more

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Apr 20, 2010 Rebecca rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: masochists

These stories are dry, humorless, contrived, awkward, and overly-earnest in tone. I had always heard the phrase "Kafkaesque" applied to situations that are dreary and bureaucratic, like standing in line at the DPS. I always assumed that this was because the characters in Kafka's stories were faced with these types of situations and had to overcome them. However, I now realize that the term "Kafkaesque" actually refers to the reader's situation, because each of Kafka's short stories, from the rea...more

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Jun 04, 2009 Virginia rated it 4 of 5 stars

My mentor always referenced this story in the Intro course I TA'd in, using it as an example of the necessary confidence any fiction must exude. He'd say that first sentence, "When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous insect."

As a reader, you don't take the time to question the validity of this observation. It's stated in such a way that you buy it, and you go on. Gregor Samsa is a monstrous insect. Fine. Now, what?

You wan...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Sarah Ryburn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: modern-classics, short-story

why does a man wake up one morning to find himself transformed into a giant insect? i picked up a collection of kafka's short stories mainly interested in "the metamorphosis" since i managed somehow to navigate the hallways of higher learning without ever reading it. now having addressed this grievous omission, i must admit that i find myself at something of a loss.

my best guess is that gregor's metamorphosis is less a comment on any deficiency in him than on the base ingratitude of his family....more why does a man wake up one morning to find himself transformed into a giant insect? i picked up a collection of kafka's short stories mainly interested in "the metamorphosis" since i managed somehow to navigate the hallways of higher learning without ever reading it. now having addressed this grievous omission, i must admit that i find myself at something of a loss.

my best guess is that gregor's metamorphosis is less a comment on any deficiency in him than on the base ingratitude of his family. gregor had worked for years under the tyranny of a miserly and unsympathetic employer, to whom his parents, not he himself, owe money. his immediate plans for the future revolved around sending his sister, who does not work and whom he also supports, to the music conservatory for formal education as a violinist. gregor's confidence in her talent seems more the result of a loving brother's willful belief in an idea of greatness than actual musical ability when the family's lodgers respond to her playing with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. that the end of gregor's tragically diminished dreams should come on that very evening, when he has dragged his grotesque form to his sister's feet in adoration, suggests that kafka means to expose not just the naivete of gregor's dream but the shameless exploitation of those whom he intended to benefit. he has worked for years like a drudge, like an insect, to support them, and their selfishness succeeds in turning him into one. kafka gives some consideration to the theme of guilt, manifested in the family's brief caretaking of their transformed son and brother. still, the care is brief and entirely self-centered. his sister insists on the role of martyred caregiver, flying into a passionate tirade when she discovers that her mother has cleaned the filth in gregor's room, while she allows her brother slowly to starve. ultimately they convince themselves quite easily that the insect could not possibly be gregor who surely would have "realized long ago that human beings can't live with such a creature" and would have "gone away of his own accord."

other stories in this collection fail to intrigue– "a common confusion," "the new advocate," and "an old manuscript" find their way into the collection as examples of kafka's "finest and most representative work" according to the fly leaf. they are wholly inscrutable to this reader– i abandoned "investigations of a dog" after four pages, and "the great wall of china," while no doubt accomplishing something fascinating and original, underwhelms me. "in the penal colony" and "the hunger artist" strike me as more on the level of "the metamorphosis" and seem also to deal with naive and, in the case of "penal colony," horrifyingly misguided idealism. the hunger artist, like gregor, wastes away slowly, but he is starved neither by the malice of others nor by personal idealism but, simply and tragically, because he never could find what he liked to eat. strange necessity elevated to artistry– how often is this really the case, one wonders...

(rating based on "the metamorphosis")(less)

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Mar 25, 2008 Don rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First off: I've wanted to read "Metamorphosis" (or "The Transformation", as it's called here) for years. Everyone knows the one-line premise - guy wakes up one morning to find he's now a grotesque thing - but where, I always wondered, does it go from there? What does he do next? So I was fascinated and tickled to see that his immediate response is to lie back in bed for a while and lazily fret about typical work woes.

The rest of the collection, sadly, is a bit of a mixed bag.

The stories pre-"Met...more First off: I've wanted to read "Metamorphosis" (or "The Transformation", as it's called here) for years. Everyone knows the one-line premise - guy wakes up one morning to find he's now a grotesque thing - but where, I always wondered, does it go from there? What does he do next? So I was fascinated and tickled to see that his immediate response is to lie back in bed for a while and lazily fret about typical work woes.

The rest of the collection, sadly, is a bit of a mixed bag.

The stories pre-"Metamorphosis" are uncompelling. The subjects aren't of much excitement or interest, and the telling is generally dull. Perhaps unsurprising, when reading the earliest stories of a writer who was still learning his craft.

The stories post-bug, on the other hand, are very hit-or-miss. When Kafka has a wholly original idea to work with, the stories are truly fascinating, often from the opening line: For instance, "Public interest in exhibition fasting has suffered a marked decline in recent decades." Or, "Esteemed gentlemen of the academy! You have done me the honour of asking me to present a report to the academy concerning my past life as an ape." Lines that immediately make you sit up and take notice, immediately interested in knowing the rest.

But some of his later stories also suffer from a tendency to be almost entirely symbolic, with very few surface elements or any sort of compelling narrative. The writing might be confusingly dreamlike ("A Country Doctor"), or drily didactic ("Eleven Sons"), but in either case it's offputting, frustrating, and an entirely exhausting read. There is still the occasional gem like "In the Penal Colony", but these tend to be rare.

I do need to point out, though, that the translation is barely adequate, and in some cases frankly terrible. Franz Kafka is notoriously hard to translate, as his writing style in the original German used certain tricks and leaps that can't really be replicated in English ... but I think that just proves the importance of a translation that does more than just re-encode the precise words from one language to the next: That approach, especially here, just leaves a style of writing that comes off as dry, overly explanatory, and almost wholly without flavor.

The stories I did like, I liked a lot, so I might be interest in attempting a novel at some point. But I'd want some assurance that the translation is one that's actually been praised, and not just tolerated or banged-out. It really does make all the difference.

(less)

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Jun 24, 2010 Candice Beever rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the second time I've read The Metamorphosis, both times for class. The first was just over a year ago for German 101b, since the story was originally written in German and the second was today for English 204 (Long title: Literary Perspectives on the Modern World).

I've got to say that this read through was much more enlightening. In a nutshell, it's the story of a guy, Gregor, turning into a bug. Yeah, a bug. It's absurd and funny and incredibly tragic all at the same time. But more than...more

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Nov 04, 2011 Francis rated it 5 of 5 stars

An insectuous tale

A dedicated employee is unappreciated by his employer and is poorly treated – like an insect.

He wakes up one morning to find he has changed into a giant insect. His family is shocked by the change. However, he and his family determine to make the situation as unpleasant for each other as possible.

However as time passes the family begins to treat him more like an insect while his soul becomes more human.

He dies; his sister then stretches her back – like an insect.

Leaving us the...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

For no particular reason, Kafka is one of the reknowned writers that I have managed to not only not read (although I had vague memories of having read "In the Penal Colony" in high school), but also have learned little about. Of course, I have heard a number of writers, novels and films described as Kafkaesque.

What I found remarkable about reading his work is how un-Kafkaesque it is. I suppose it is much like Orwell not always being "Orwellian." I couldn't think of anything else that seemed to h...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Smcleish rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

Originally published on my blog here in August 2001.

Kafka's most famous short story is one of the peaks of twentieth century fiction; in this collection, it is accompanied by others which explore related themes and were chosen as his best.

Metamorphosis itself is about the reaction of Gregor Samsa's family when he turns into a giant insect overnight; this is an allegory about how invalids are perceived and treated by those around them. The title is obviously a reference to Ovid's famous stories o...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Jie Hao rated it 5 of 5 stars

kafka is at the same time original and hackneyed. he repeats what we all think, but in words so elegant i am almost sure i had not thought the same thoughts or felt the same emotion. but on second reading, sure enough, he knows me better than i know myself. of course, i’m trusting the translator to do his job but i’m fairly certain penguin wouldnt hire a hack to do the job so.

The Stoker was a strange story with a strange setting, one that rails against injustice and reflects serendipity, a combi...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Stacy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Kafka’s Metamorphosis is a bizarre tale full of dark humor that sometimes had us laughing out loud. Gregor is turned into an insect and forced to live out his days at the mercy of his horrified family. Jason was hoping for a little more closure I think. I remember reading it in college and not liking it then and nothing this time changed my opinion. Jason and I read this and a few of the others out loud to each other and were ambivalent.

There were a few stories in this collection that I enjoyed...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Chrissy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

Simply wow. I would rather have someone hold my eyes open with tape and force me to read 50 Shades of Grey six times over than ever have to read a passage from this book again. Honestly. Maybe it was the translation, or maybe I am too literal... but nonsensical rambling is nonsensical rambling, no matter how "profound" it is. And it's not profound. Or interesting. It's rambling. Endless pages upon pages of run-on sentences filled with more hyphens, commas, and semi-colons than I could even keep...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Eccentrika rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, classics, short-stories

Come al solito i racconti non sono il mio forte, non riesco a trovare il giusto feeling. I racconti in questa raccolta di Kafka sono un po' criptici, deliranti, alcuni talmente corti da essermi passati di mente subito dopo aver girato pagina, altri non li ho capiti, e altri ancora hanno avuto un finale molto deludente che mi hanno lasciata interdetta. Come il racconto "Il medico di campagna" o "La condanna" che subito mi stavano piacendo e stavo riuscendo ad entrare in sintonia con l'autore, ma...more

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About Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka (German pronunciation: [ˈfʀants ˈkafka]) was one of the major fiction writers of the 20th century. He was born to a middle-class German-speaking Jewish family in Prague, Bohemia (presently the Czech Republic), Austria–Hungary. His unique body of writing—much of which is incomplete and which was mainly published posthumously—is considered to be among the most influential in Western lite...more Franz Kafka (German pronunciation: [ˈfʀants ˈkafka]) was one of the major fiction writers of the 20th century. He was born to a middle-class German-speaking Jewish family in Prague, Bohemia (presently the Czech Republic), Austria–Hungary. His unique body of writing—much of which is incomplete and which was mainly published posthumously—is considered to be among the most influential in Western literature.

His stories include The Metamorphosis (1912) and In the Penal Colony (1914), while his novels are The Trial (1925), The Castle (1926) and Amerika (1927).

Kafka learned German as his first language, but he was also fluent in Czech. Later, Kafka acquired some knowledge of French language and culture; one of his favorite authors was Flaubert.

Kafka first studied chemistry at the Charles-Ferdinand University of Prague, but switched after two weeks to law. This offered a range of career possibilities, which pleased his father, and required a longer course of study that gave Kafka time to take classes in German studies and art history. At the university, he joined a student club, named Lese- und Redehalle der Deutschen Studenten, which organized literary events, readings and other activities. In the end of his first year of studies, he met Max Brod, who would become a close friend of his throughout his life, together with the journalist Felix Weltsch, who also studied law. Kafka obtained the degree of Doctor of Law on 18 June 1906 and performed an obligatory year of unpaid service as law clerk for the civil and criminal courts.

Kafka's writing attracted little attention until after his death. During his lifetime, he published only a few short stories and never finished any of his novels, unless "The Metamorphosis" is considered a (short) novel. Prior to his death, Kafka wrote to his friend and literary executor Max Brod: "Dearest Max, my last request: Everything I leave behind me ... in the way of diaries, manuscripts, letters (my own and others'), sketches, and so on, [is] to be burned unread." Brod overrode Kafka's wishes, believing that Kafka had given these directions to him specifically because Kafka knew he would not honor them—Brod had told him as much. Brod, in fact, would oversee the publication of most of Kafka's work in his possession, which soon began to attract attention and high critical regard.

Max Brod encountered significant difficulty in compiling Kafka's notebooks into any chronological order as Kafka was known to start writing in the middle of notebooks, from the last towards the first, etc.

All of Kafka's published works, except several letters he wrote in Czech to Milena Jesenská, were written in German.(less)

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“And so gentlemen, I learned. Oh, if you have to learn, you learn; if you’re desperate for a way out, you learn; you learn pitilessly. You stand over yourself with a whip in your hand; if there’s the least resistance, you lash yourself.” — 8 people liked it

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