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scottp's review
4.0
Hard to rate. The highs are so high. The lows are so low. Much of it was too biblical for me to understand.
blindferret's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
adamcarrico91's review
4.0
I suppose if you’ve never read Kafka, this fits the bill as the best place to start. The Metamorphosis was still my favorite of the entire bunch. The collection of short stories showcases the surrealist and nightmarish qualities of his writing, which is quite out there. Of everything in this set, the letters I could mostly do without. A few gems in them, but overall it would take a Kafka obsessive to really love all the bits of personal psychoanalysis and insecurity throughout. The letter to his father was the only part of the entire collection that I just had to quit partway through. It was too personal and it’s almost shameful that it was published in the first place. That being said, dude is a classic author for a reason and it’s worth the read.
elizpaghetti's review
3.0
3 stars is based on my enjoyment of reading this, but the Hunger Artist was fantastic and worth reading. Metamorphosis… after having read the Nose and Double didn’t blow me away but it was still enjoyable.
A few stories were honestly a bit painful to read which is a shame since the hidden meaning was excellent — it was just almost impossibly boring and excruciating to get to the point where you can understand the metaphor (Best know I mean The Burrow!!). Still it’s hard to judge him or these stories in general since he probably never revised it considering the last sentence wasn’t even completed.
I made the mistake of going into this thinking it was going to be a bunch of great stories, rather than a collection meant to give a holistic view. If you don’t love this man, I’d only recommend reading the main few
A few stories were honestly a bit painful to read which is a shame since the hidden meaning was excellent — it was just almost impossibly boring and excruciating to get to the point where you can understand the metaphor (Best know I mean The Burrow!!). Still it’s hard to judge him or these stories in general since he probably never revised it considering the last sentence wasn’t even completed.
I made the mistake of going into this thinking it was going to be a bunch of great stories, rather than a collection meant to give a holistic view. If you don’t love this man, I’d only recommend reading the main few
atleastonebookperweek's review
3.0
I really wanted to try this book and see if I would like Kafka because I lovelovelove Murakami and he is a pretty big fan of Kafka’s. I absolutely hated some of the short stories and rushed through them as quickly as possible. Some of the other short stories were okay, like The Metamorphosis and A Report To An Academy. What I really loved about this collection was the diary entries and the letters that were included. Super interesting and very relatable, especially those to Felice.
cruelspirit's review
4.0
Previously, the only Kafka I had read was The Metamorphosis; which I read sophomore year of high school. Kafka has such as interesting view of the world; its dismal and depressing yet humorous at times and poignant in its messages. This collection of Kafka stories and letters is a great introduction to the author and a great way to better understand his mindset and worldview. When Kafka gets it right he really gets it right and creates some of the best literature out there but unfortunately that isn't every story in this book. My favorite stories included in this book are as follows: The Metamorphosis, The Judgement, The Hunger Artist, and The Bucket Rider.
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