The Metamorphosis and Other Stories by Franz Kafka -> Starting January 12th, 2019

[Alaina]

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.

[Caroline]

A Message from the Emperor
(view spoiler)[
I don't get it. Does the message/messenger symbolize something?
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The Metamorphosis
(view spoiler)[
This was my favorite because of how strange the premise was, and how seriously it was presented!
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The Judgment
(view spoiler)[
This one made no sense to me at all. What was going on with the father? Was he insane? And why did Georg kill himself at the end?
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The Stoker
(view spoiler)[
I didn't really see why Karl got so obsessed with the stoker so fast. And he spent the whole story worrying about his trunk - he should have just gone back to get it! The plot twist where he met his uncle was surprising, especially since the man didn't actually have the same name as his uncle. It seems this is actually the first chapter of a novel, I suspect something else was going on with that uncle that will be revealed later.
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In the Penal Colony
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What a horrible "contraption". I thought it was really interesting how the traveler was at first too timid to say what he really thought, since he was just visiting, but in the end he spoke up and gave his opinion.
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A Country Doctor
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I'm not sure if this was meant to be a dream, or just a bit fantastical. The way the horses appeared out of nowhere, the doctor got to the destination too quickly, worms started coming out of the boy's stomach (ew), and the doctor suddenly became naked, all felt very dreamlike.
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An Old Leaf
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I feel there was some larger point to this one that I missed? Not sure.
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A Hunger Artist
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I really liked the idea of a man who would do a hunger strike so people would come and look at how skinny he was. I mean, it was pretty horrid, but I found it interesting. I also liked that he always wanted to keep fasting longer and longer, and he said it was because he never found anything he liked to eat. Clearly something was not right about him.
(hide spoiler)]

Josephine the Singer
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I didn't really identify with all the arguments over whether Josephine's singing was actually any good, and whether she was singing or just "piping", whatever that means. If you like the singing, then it is good, right? The best part was the argument over whether she should get off from her other work because of the singing. I think the mouse people made the wrong decision on that one, but I can see both ways. It also depended on how much they needed the work she was doing to survive.
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Before the Law
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I wonder what it means to be admitted to the Law, or why this guy wanted it enough to spend his whole life waiting. The bit at the end about the gate being just for that man was also very mysterious to me.
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[Charley Girl]

Thanks for doing this with me! I just got the book today. The one I tried to purchase originally wasn't the same one. Updates tomorrow!

[Charley Girl]

A Message from an Emperor
I had to read it twice, but since it was a single page, that was not hard. I think it was about hard endeavors (like getting a degree perhaps) we have to do and think we will never accomplish them because we keep thinking, "and then I have to do this or that and I'll never get that done" but we keep dreaming about getting a degree.

[Caroline]

@Charley Girl, hm, interesting interpretation. I kind of see it.

And I had no idea this book would be so hard to find! Maybe they should have picked a more descriptive name, lol! Glad you got it eventually. :)

[Charley Girl]

@Caroline
It is fine. I like his quirky stories.


The Judgment
(view spoiler)[Not sure why Georg's fiancee is offended by him not wanting to invite his down-on-his-luck friend? Ok, I've finished this and I think Georg is the friend in Russia? I really don't know but that is what I'm guessing.<\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

[Charley Girl]

The Stoker

(view spoiler)[Karl needs to focus. I thought it was a little overboard to send such a young kid to the US because of a baby, but I'm looking at it from the ideals of today. Anyway, I thought the Stoker was going to be the devious one and maybe he would have been but I just felt like it was a story Kafka started and never finished.

The Uncle was awkward. No idea where that was going. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Charley Girl]

In the Penal Colony
(view spoiler)[This was kinda scary. I didn't expect the officer to go into Contraption. At the beginning I thought the officer was speaking about a compass. I wasn't quite sure why the traveler left without the prisoner. (hide spoiler)]

A country Doctor
(view spoiler)[The poor maid! I thought groom was the devil and that is why everything happened illogically but for his advantage and the ending stating that "it can never be made right." (hide spoiler)]

An old Leaf
(view spoiler)[Well, huh. Maybe something to do with when you don't keep things in order they become chaotic? Where the town and emperor represent order and the nomad are chaos? (hide spoiler)]

[Charley Girl]

A Hunger Artist
(view spoiler)[Hmmm...he fasts because he doesn't like food. It was strange in that it seemed like he was lonely and just wanted companionship. (hide spoiler)]

Josephine the Singer
(view spoiler)[This one weirded me out. Mice? No! I guess if no one can sing but her that is a good reason to only sing to me (hide spoiler)]

Before the Law
(view spoiler)[Is the Law supposed to be Heaven? Then he does things trying to try to get in. I don't think bribing is gonna do it. (hide spoiler)]