Gregor Samsa, a salesman burdened by his parents' debts, wakes as an enormous insect and cannot leave his room. Kafka tells what follows in three short parts: the shock at the door, the family's awkward attempts to look after him, and the slow withdrawal of care until Gregor becomes an embarrassment. The deadpan style, with its precise details of food, furniture and sound, makes this one of the most discussed short works in German literature.
Anyone interested in twentieth-century fiction will find it a quick way into Kafka. It rewards rereading, since each time a different character, whether Gregor, his father or his sister, seems to carry the story's moral weight.
Deep, inward-looking, contemplative, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1986
- Publisher
- Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag
- ISBN
- 9783596258758
- Language
- DE
