The Metamorphosis in Never too Late to Read Classics

Apr 18, 2016 Sara rated it it was amazing

Shelves: classics

Hard to really say I "liked" this story, although it was a short and easy read. Kafka's penchant for absurdity is presented at its height in this story of Gregor Samsa, a salesman, who awakens changed overnight into a huge insect. No one questions how this happens or why, only what effect it will have on their circumstances. Any sympathy the family feel for Gregor dissipates almost immediately and he becomes a burden to the family that he has singlehandedly provided for up until the change. I mu ...more

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Dec 04, 2018 Jen from Quebec :0) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-horror, 2018-tbr-challenge, foreign-authors, books-i-ve-been-putting-off, public-domain-challenge-2018, horror-aff-tbr-challenge-books, classic-cartoons-challenge, 2018-public-domain-challenge-ha-gro, books-read-in-2018, gilmore-girls-challenge

Is it wrong that I often thought that this book was really quite....funny? --Jen from Quebec :0)

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Aug 19, 2020 Radwa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, e-books, adult, magical-realism, translations, classics, around-the-world, dark-and-gothic

English review below.
Around the World project: Czech Republic.

تجربتي الأولى مع الكتب الصوتية، وتأكدت أنها مش طريقتي الأمثل للقراءة. رواية غريبة وعجيبة، وأعتقد أن بدايتها وأول جملة فيها والصراع اللي بنشوفه في الجزء الأول كانوا من الحاجات المفضلة لي. سمعت الكتاب صوتي وأعتقد أن ده كان ليه دور في نقل الحالة. الرواية زي ما كتير يعرفوا بتتكلم عن جريجور سامسا اللي بيصحى من نومه في أحد الأيام ويلاقي أنه تحول لحشرة مقززة، وبنشهد في البداية ازاي مش بيتقبل ده وبيكون شغله الشاغل ازاي يلحق ميعاد الشغل من غير English review below.
Around the World project: Czech Republic.

تجربتي الأولى مع الكتب الصوتية، وتأكدت أنها مش طريقتي الأمثل للقراءة. رواية غريبة وعجيبة، وأعتقد أن بدايتها وأول جملة فيها والصراع اللي بنشوفه في الجزء الأول كانوا من الحاجات المفضلة لي. سمعت الكتاب صوتي وأعتقد أن ده كان ليه دور في نقل الحالة. الرواية زي ما كتير يعرفوا بتتكلم عن جريجور سامسا اللي بيصحى من نومه في أحد الأيام ويلاقي أنه تحول لحشرة مقززة، وبنشهد في البداية ازاي مش بيتقبل ده وبيكون شغله الشاغل ازاي يلحق ميعاد الشغل من غير ما حد يشوف هيئته الجديدة الغريبة.

من خلال سامسا، بنتعرف على عائلته من أخته اللي تقريبا تعد سنده الوحيد في العائلة لحد ما تقرر أن معدش له لازمة في البيت، والده اللي كان بيدّعي عدم القدرة على العمل عشان يخلي جريجور هو العائل الرئيسي والوحيد للبيت لـ5 سنوات تقريبا، والأم اللي مقدرتش تتقبل ابنها بعد تحوله. الرواية بتناقش أفكار كتيرة بشكل رمزي زي الانعزال والاكتئاب والهوس بالعمل فيصبح جريجور كمن يتم تشبيهم بدابة تدور في ساقية.

الرواية متفردة من نوعها في أسلوب الكتابة البسيط ولكنه المؤثر في طرح صراعات سامسا الداخلية وأفكاره. المميز في رواية زي دي، أن كل شخص ممكن يستخلص منها فكرة مختلفة، وهي رغم قصرها مؤثرة جدا وبتطرح أفكار كتيرة ملائمة حتى الآن في حياتنا العصرية. فما زلنا بنتكلم عن تأثير العزلة والوحدة على الفرد، وازاي المبالغة في العمل وتحول الشخص إلى مدمن عمل من أسوأ الحاجات اللي ممكن يمر بيها شخص ما.

It's such a strange novel, and I think that its first line and intro and the first part and Gregor's struggle are the best parts for me. This was my 2nd audiobook ever, and though I still think that audio books aren't for me, I think it was suitable for a book like this. The novel as so many people talks about Gregor Samsa who wakes up one day and finds himself has turned into a disgusting insect (a cockroach), and we see how it becomes his main concern how to get to work without anyone seeing his new form.

Through Samsa, we get to know his family from his sister, who's a pivotal character and who helps him till she decides he's no longer worth it, his father who pretended for 5 years that he's not able to work so that Gregor becomes the main breadwinner for the household, and his mother who can't stand the sight of him after transformation. The novel of course discusses a lot of ideas like isolation and loneliness and depression and obsession with work.

It's a unique novel despite its short length, with its simple yet effective writing style which conveys Gregor's inner struggle. What's special about a novel like this, is that everyone could understand in a way and ends up with a different lesson. It also still talks of topics still relevant today, as we still discuss how isolation and becoming a workaholic could affect someone. ...more

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Sep 14, 2015 Alexander rated it liked it

This is one of those novellas where if Kafka had prescribed specific reasoning behind the metamorphosis it would have lost a lot of it's value. I feel like doing so would turn it into a cheap piece of 'anti this' or 'anti that' propaganda. Fortunately he had had the foresight to produce a simple, yet powerful piece that is laden with suggestion and interpretative potential. ...more

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Jul 10, 2020 Sam Shah rated it liked it

That's limitless and bizarre imagination entwined into a novella. Gregor Samsa changing into a giant bug, his family, and sister, specifically coping up with the financial and emotional turmoil, eventually leading them to become more and more indifferent towards his existence overtime. Gregor's death by hunger or due to lack of attention/ love by his family; later his sister transformation into a glowing lady turned Metamorphosis more about Grete than Gregor himself. On the whole a good read. 3. ...more

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