The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

[Tressa]

The Metamorphosis (German: Die Verwandlung, also sometimes translated as The Transformation) is a novella by Franz Kafka, first published in 1915. It has been cited as one of the seminal works of fiction of the 20th century and is studied in colleges and universities across the Western world. The story begins with a traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, waking to find himself transformed into a giant bug. It is never explained in the story why Samsa transforms, nor did Kafka ever give an explanation.

http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/stori...

[Char]

I picked this up a couple of weeks ago. I guess I should get to reading it.

[Tressa]

I read it in college and love it to this day. It grosses me out but at the same time makes me feel sorry for the hardworking, put-upon Gregor Samsa and his selfish family.

[Giovanni]

One of all time favorite authors and for its time this story was perhaps one of the most original things to ever be written. In fact even today, it holds strong.

[Angel]

when i read it in college i thought it was like sci-fi and it really happened. that he actually turned into a bug. my class thought i was crazy lol. but i still got an "A"" in that class.

[Tressa]

Hell, it's even original for today. Love literary horror.

[Char]

I just now finished reading that Edith Wharton story from a couple weeks back. I enjoyed it. I love her style.

[Terri]

I read it in High School in German. Then again years later in English. It holds up. It is original and its the family dynamics that are what makes it great

[Leigh]

I would have to argue that the transformation is metaphorical and Gregor's family responds not to the disgust of living with a cockroach but with the embarrassment of living with a very seriously mentally ill man. (Not to mention how lazy and selfish they all are; when he stops being the provider, his usefulness to all them becomes no more.)

[Ken B]

I started it a couple of years back and put it down. I still have it on the shelf. I'm going to have to dig it out tonight.

[Adam]

Very good story. Kafka nailed that one.

[Latasha]

just downloaded, i'll listen to this tonight

[Tressa]

Guess it could be a metaphor for how at anytime we have the potential to become something that's hated and feared. College was a long time ago. I do remember that the picture of the woman in her furry hat and muff represents his sexual desire.

[Latasha]

I listened to the Librivox recording of this story last night. about 5 minutes in, I realized I had heard this story before but couldn't recall how it ended. so I listened to it again. ok, just going on face value- I liked this story. his parents were awful and the ending was so sad! I like what Leigh said up there ^

[Tressa]

Ah, Librivox where the readers are volunteers. I have listened to a few books from there but most of the readers don't have the voice or talent to read/act out the parts. Some read the stories in a rushed monotone.

I may have to listen to this one, though.

Gregor's family seemed to become more strong and independent as he was declining. I hated (view spoiler)[when his father threw an apple and it smashed Gregor's back and caused the wound that got infected and led to his death. I hated the housekeeper and the father quite a bit. (hide spoiler)]

[Latasha]

I usually know within the first few minutes if I can handle the readers or not. The lady that read this story was good.

[Tressa]

Thanks for letting me know. I listened to "The Monkey's Paw" and that reader was good; and Ethan Frome and she was great. But I kept trying book after book and their voices were awful.

[Latasha]

I don't like when the people speak so low I can't hear them even with the volume all the way up. I usually listen at work & there is a lot of background noise. And thick accents can be rough sometimes too.

[Tressa]

Most of the women's voices on Librivox are low and, IMO, kind of timid. One needs to enunciate! when reading a book. And use inflection. Nobody wants to listen to a story told in a rushed monotone voice.

[Char]

I'm reading this now, so I just skimmed the posts above until I'm done. I like it so far.

[Latasha]

Yeah! I listen to stay awake not to doze off!

[Char]

I enjoyed this. I felt bad for Gregor...especially when we learned that his father had grown fat and lazy while Gregor was busting his ass.
So was this a cautionary tale about not putting too much pressure on a young man too soon? Was it a tale about how if people don't have to work, they become fat and lazy, and then resent the one who had supported them if that support wanes? Or was this just a story about a guy turning into a bug?

[Tressa]

All the above. And then some.

[Char]

What am I missing?

[Heather]

As I recall from somewhere (Wikipedia, maybe, or TvTropes), Kafka was diagnosed with tuberculosis (or something), and went to bed one night the bread winner, and woke up the next a terrible, verminous, burden.

Consider how the family never really thinks, "I should go get a job now," or seem that upset when Samsa dies.

[Tressa]

Charlene, I don't know. I was just making light of the fact that it's one of those stories jam packed full of so many points of discussion. It's not just a man turning into a bug, that's for sure. I wish I could remember my college professor's take on it, but it was so long ago.

Copper, I knew Kafka had tuberculosis, but didn't know that he was the bread winner that turned into a dependent burden on his family. I can see why he wrote the story now.

[Tressa]

[Tressa]

I would LOVE to see this play.

http://www.momardi.com/kafkas-metamor...

[Latasha]

That would be awesome!

[Char]

The family did go and get jobs. The dad had a job doing something (for which he never took his uniform off), the mother started taking in sewing and the sister also got a job.
Only after they were forced to, due to Gregor's illness, the lazy asses.

[Latasha]

Tressa wrote: ""

oh wow, that is frightening!