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Insect Dreams: The Half Life of Gregor Samsa

by Marc Estrin

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Will said: " In 1915, Franz Kafka published The Metamorphosis, a short story depicting the life of Gregor Samsa after he awakes one day in the form of a giant cockroach. By the end of the short story, Gregor is presumed to have died after he is injured, but nearl In 1915, Franz Kafka published The Metamorphosis, a short story depicting the life of Gregor Samsa after he awakes one day in the form of a giant cockroach. By the end of the short story, Gregor is presumed to have died after he is injured, but nearly a century later Marc Estrin decided that Gregor in fact survived and sought to write his life after Kafka had finished his work. Estrin’s Insect Dreams was published in 2002 and illustrates Gregor’s many travels and encounters with famous figures of the early 20th century. While Kafka’s original work was more of a thought experiment, exploring how one would react if they were suddenly transformed into a massive insect, Estrin seemed to be more interested in Gregor’s character. While many characters are introduced, most are temporary, as the story follows Gregor and his many travels from Austria to New and Los Alamos.
I chose to read this novel for the pure absurdity of its premise. I was intrigued by the thought of a giant man-turned-bug having adventures all across the world. The novel proved to charming in its own strange and exotic way. No where else could a cockroach be helping design the first atomic bomb or listening to FDR read A Christmas Carol in his bedroom.
The entire novel is centered around Gregor experiencing the world beyond his home. He leaves his town in Austria, first out of fear, but eventually out of his desire to experience. Early in the novel, Ludwig Wittgenstein, a real life Austrian philosopher, meets with Gregor after he is invited to America. Gregor explains his dilemma of either leaving or staying, to which he responds “maybe you should go. Large cockroaches are suspicious enough here, but large Jewish cockroaches...” (Estrin, 60). It being 1910’s Austria, perhaps it was a smart decision that Gregor ultimately decided to leave. It was in his travels that learned to live with his arthropod self, it first being a struggle, but later becoming quit helpful, notably in gaining attention to reach his destinations.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Forrest Gump. It may seem to be a strange comparison, but the cultural references that made Forrest Gump so memorable also make up a large portion of the appeal of the novel. The many instances in which Gregor meets with some famous figure, sometimes before they even reach their fame, are quite entertaining. In total, I enjoyed the surreal tone of the novel. ...more "

May 15, 2018 05:36PM · see review