The Metamorphasis and Other Stories

by Franz Kafka

Genres: Classics, Fiction

Paperback

Published January 1, 2003

About the author

Prague-born writer Franz Kafka wrote in German, and his stories, such as " The Metamorphosis " (1916), and posthumously published novels, including The Trial (1925), concern troubled individuals in a nightmarishly impersonal world.

Jewish middle-class family of this major fiction writer of the 20th century spoke German. People consider his unique body of much incomplete writing, mainly published posthumously, among the most influential in European literature.

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

Despite first language, Kafka also spoke fluent Czech. Later, Kafka acquired some knowledge of the French language and culture from Flaubert, one of his favorite authors.

Kafka first studied chemistry at the Charles-Ferdinand University of Prague but after two weeks switched to law. This study 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, 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.

Writing of Kafka attracted little attention before his death. During his lifetime, he published only a few short stories and never finished any of his novels except the very short "The Metamorphosis." Kafka wrote to Max Brod, his friend and literary executor: "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 told Kafka that he intended not to honor these wishes, but Kafka, so knowing, nevertheless consequently gave these directions specifically to Brod, who, so reasoning, overrode these wishes. Brod in fact oversaw the publication of most of work of Kafka in his possession; these works quickly began to attract attention and high critical regard.

Max Brod encountered significant difficulty in compiling notebooks of Kafka into any chronological order as Kafka started writing in the middle of notebooks, from the last towards the first, et cetera.

Kafka wrote all his published works in German except several letters in Czech to Milena Jesenská.

Reviews

[Cali · Rating 3 out of 5]

this happened to me once

[Meiling Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

#JusticeforGregor

[catie seegmiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh, kafka. we in it now.

[Trenton Class]

You can listen to this whole story on a drive to Santa Barbara and back.

[lyn 🫐]

only read the metamorphosis but good reads hates me and doesn’t have that as an option.

[Zarathustra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literally me lol :3

[emilymustdie · Rating 3 out of 5]

honestly disappointing. i’ve always tried to like his work and i’ve realised after pushing through this collection of stories that his work simply isn’t for me. Kafka’s ideas are nothing short of perfect but i personally find his writing style insufferable to the point where i have to force myself through stories where the main plot line should be enchanting. I personally loved the judgement and the penal colony and found that the stories really shone through the writing. Overall it may just be an issue with the translation i read but i don’t think i’ll read anymore of his work because it feels like a chore. Kafkas ideas are charming and lighthearted whilst really leaving you thinking but it’s just not for me.

[M Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

thought provoking and absurd. loved.

[Emi Fennessy · Rating 4 out of 5]

intriguing, depressing

[Hannah Boltz · Rating 5 out of 5]

What the hell, sure

[Lzabelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read the Metamorphasis, not the Other Stories but it was quite a silly tale that made me laugh from the images it put in my head.

[Abs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gross. Repulsive. Riveting! I loved it and I found that the symbolism and the writing is so easy and clear. I loved it!

[Ava Grefrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not suffering from clinical depression, I'm merely Kafkaesque.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I loved metamorphosis. I also really liked the judgement, in the penal colony, and the hunger artist. It feels like Kafka just has an idea and totally riffs off it wherever it goes. It sometimes felt sort of surrealist or like a fever dream. The low-ish star rating is for all the pieces together and it makes sense given I think he actually didn’t want most of these stories published. A lot of the short stories don’t really go anywhere and feel like a maladaptive daydream that he just wrote down. Like paints a scene but probably meant more to him than to me. I also hear that he was really good with words and this is a translation so I’d probably appreciate it more if I could read German.

[Jess Grootenboer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short book read it while tanning but man it sits heavy. I was very confused at first why I was reading a book about a literal cockroach (idk if it was acc a roach but seemed like it) but it gives burnt out oldest sibling energy. I finished it and it made me never want to work in corporate America where you’re simply a shell of a human only as valuable as your physical well being. Shout out casey for the rec

[Naomi Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Filled with some pretty epic short stories that would be a 5 (metamorphosis, penal colony, etc) but kinda tough bouncing between so many other unrelated short stories and without feeling very immersed in the story having it suddenly end

[Jade Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH my gosh do i love his writting skills!! he explains how random things that most people dont care about make us feel the most human!! AND THE WAY HE DESCRIBED FAMILY DYNAMICS WAS PWRFECT!!! amazing, EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS

[Maia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for AP Lit and was disappointed by how mid it was! Did not live up to the hype given to it by my fave movie The Squid and The Whale

[Shihab Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh man, subhanallah, that was a depressing short story.

[sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on true events (me)

[Carly McClear · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic but lowkey dragged on...

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ this says a lot about society!

[Lily Bowie]

amazing

[Ryan Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

ima get a pet beetle and name him gregor, ill take good care of him

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had a lot of stories, some quite boring, but others were very fun to read. It was very worth while if you enjoy Kafka or philosphy

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A depressing view of modern society

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

happened to a friend once

[Helpmereadmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

????

[genesis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morphed unexpectedly.. fire

[Julia E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only read The Metamorphasis - so well written and fun/freaky.