The Metamorphosis: Franz Kafka by Franz Kafka, 3 stars

[Jen]

Very sad in my opinion. To work hard for everyone else and support everyone else only to be considered an inconvenience and a problem when you need help and support is soul destroying. To be ignored because you are no longer useful hurts. That they celebrated when he died is horrid. To be desperately trying to explain yourself and communicate while others don't try to understand is very frustrating. People suck.

The typos were really annoying too.

[KateNZ]

I agree. Brilliant novel. Unremittingly sad

[Sarah]

Thanks for sharing thoughts about Kafka. As I prepared for a late September trip to Prague, I thought...Hmmmm...I know nothing about Kafka, I need to educate myself. Then, I heard of a newly published book, Kafka, Selected Stories translated by Mark Harman. I ordered and read it post-haste. I was fascinated and felt educated. Being a psychologist, my looming question was/is Did Kafka ever meet Freud? In Prague, I visited the site of the Kafka Museum, bridges and residences close to where he wrote and mused. The tour guides didn't want to speak much about him and for the most part said his writing was "strange and disturbing". Thanks to Mark Harman, I suggested - "He was a very complex person". Harman worked with the Prague City Library on the Kafka Centenary Celebration. Though I didn't get to see it in person (there are daily long lines once word got out), the library has a fabulous book sculpture, The Idiom. Then, lucky me, I was able to get a ticket for Mark Harman and colleague's Nov 7 Charleston Literary Festival presentation. I was able to talk to Harman and give him a souvenir Kafka Euro I brought home. A lot of excitement for this book nerd!

[NancyJ]

Sarah wrote: "Thanks for sharing thoughts about Kafka. As I prepared for a late September trip to Prague, I thought...Hmmmm...I know nothing about Kafka, I need to educate myself. Then, I heard of a newly publis..."

That’s a great story! Did you ever get an answer to the question about Freud? This book is incredibly powerful. I think I read The Trial when I was young (or tried to). I’d but it would probably make more sense to me now.

[NancyJ]

Jen wrote: "Very sad in my opinion. To work hard for everyone else and support everyone else only to be considered an inconvenience and a problem when you need help and support is soul destroying. To be ignore..."

It’s painful but impossible to forget. It can be interpreted in so many ways. It’s weird that there would be typos after so many publications.

[Sarah]

NancyJ wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Thanks for sharing thoughts about Kafka. As I prepared for a late September trip to Prague, I thought...Hmmmm...I know nothing about Kafka, I need to educate myself. Then, I heard of ..."

Still cogitating. Don't know of any primary source information. The Trial is hard for me. Found a couple of movie adaptations, The Trial was one. Will skip The Trial but might try Metamorphosis or The Castle.