One morning, Gregor Samsa finds himself in bed as a monstrous vermin. The novella follows the following weeks in his room, as his boss visits, his parents panic, and his sister Grete, at first his caretaker, slowly stops tolerating him. Gregor used to pay off the family's debts, and his change reveals how much they relied on his salary. Kafka keeps the tone matter-of-fact, so the strangeness comes from how ordinary the reactions are.
It is a good fit for anyone who wants to see what people mean by "Kafkaesque." It takes a couple of hours to read, and it invites you to think about identity, usefulness and what we owe to family members who can no longer provide.
Deep, inward-looking, contemplative, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2006
- Publisher
- Companhia das Letras
- Language
- PT
