Metamorphosis Paperback – January 1, 2014

This is a well-translated, very portable version of a truly extraordinary book. If you're looking for the most affordable version of The Metamorphosis, this is the best fit I've found! It's clear and engaging, and has slightly simpler vocabulary than many. This means it would be great for a classroom setting or as a gift for a younger reader, a current English learner, or anyone who doesn't enjoy being sent to the dictionary when they're trying to enjoy a book. The story itself is fresh as ever--while this isn't personally my favorite of Kafka's work, I love the absurdism and the economy of language that he employs within it! I was very pleased with the binding quality as well, and there are several amusing graphics inside the book that made it just that bit more fun to read. The biggest selling point for me personally was the size-- I'm a pack rat, so it is often difficult to find books that will fit wherever I need them to. This has made a wonderful addition to my commute this week, for the price of a Starbucks order or a single decent sock. You can't go wrong!

You could see this as an allegory for disability, really. It can strike suddenly and without warning, only to entirely and irrevocably alter your entire life and the lives of those around you. From being the main support to the one needing to be supported, the transition can come in a flash. Gregor was mistreated and eventually hated by his family who he had loved and provided for for years. They spared few thoughts for his own health and well being beyond the barest minimum. Rather than putting in the effort to even try to communicate with him, they assumed him nonhuman and incapable of language. Gregor however, was forced to experience his family's hardship in ultra detail, privy to many conversations he was allowed to hear and many that he wasn't meant to. At the same time his quality of life sharply declined, he had to overhear his family wishing he would go away. So he did. Alone, injured, weak, and with no one left in the world who loved him truly, Gregor died. He was unceremoniously gawked at and discarded, and his family breathed a sigh of relief then got on with their lives. This story is a tragedy. A little rambly at times, it's a painfully vivid metaphor. Well worth the brief read.

This is a great story it entertains young adults and is a great summer read. I would recommend this to young adults everywhere

This book is an abrupt short story that is engaging from start to finish. The story is surreal yet the main character Gregor is completely relatable. The story starts out as funny, but grows sadder and sadder until the ending, which admittedly is strange enough to be the ending of a Sundance film. Honestly, if this book had come out a few years later it could've been an artistic surrealist cartoon. This is one of those speculative frictions that doesn't actually explain why something is happening, only that it is. Franz Kafka explains how turning into a roach would affect Gregor in a way that is understandable, sympathetic, yet well researched. It feels like the story is an allegory for something, yet is so dedicated to its premise that it's difficult to say what the allegory is. Overall, I would recommend this story for those that like the modern abrupt method of storytelling, who like strangeness, and who like to cry. Seriously, this one is depressing despite it's moments of levity.

Blessedly, this is a short read. The story juxtaposes one fantastic event--the protagonist changing overnight into a beetle from a traveling salesman supporting his parents and sister--against a backdrop of realism. The protagonist spends the remainder of his life in the family's apartment, almost entirely in his bedroom--spoiler alert--eventually starving himself to death, to the ultimate relief of his family, whose members have become self-sufficient, no longer dependent on his income and repelled by his appearance.Two matters--at least--exceeded my willing suspension of disbelief: the metamorphosis itself was unexplained, as was the family's recognition of the beetle as indeed their family member. Why did he change? Why did the family not conclude that the protagonist was a giant insect that had eaten its family member?The book is short and contains some details about everyday life (the strength of historical fiction by the way), but other writers cover that ground as well or better. The story is simple, as is its narration, and it is hard to see its merit from a modern perspective. Perhaps the relation of interior thought in a novel was innovative at that time. Or perhaps this particular translation stripped down eloquent German into simple English. As a novel, I think this work can best be appreciated from a historical perspective. Otherwise, it can be appreciated for philosophical and psychological observations.Why read it? It is often mentioned in critical writing, and doesn't take long to read.

This is a great and funny book for anyone looking for an easy read. The author Franz Kafka is great.

Brand new condition. Shipped fast.

This was $0.15 on Amazon.I listened 🎶 to this as part of the Classic Tales of Horror - 500+ Stories. It was very interesting with well developed characters lots of action and misdirection leading to the conclusion. I would highly recommend this novella and author to 👍 readers of fantasy horror novels. 2023 😀👒☺🏡