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manicpixiepdreamgrl's review against another edition
4.0
(4'5 stars) An incredibly sad and melancholic book although you may not think of it at the beginning. The family dynamics as well as the psychological profile of the characters is on point.
elizabethrose7's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
thornehall's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
i read this book in less than 45 minutes and it is the most deeply upsetting collection of words i have ever glazed my terrible little eyes across
dirtydave's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
estelle_rt's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
damn why did they do greg like that
robyn1998's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
It took me ages to find this specific edition to review! This was probably the worst quality audiobook I've ever listened to, but I kept going because I was enjoying The Metamorphosis so much. I always imagined being a giant bug as quite a fun experience but Kafka made it sound very inconvenient and painful which was a shame. I didn't enjoy the short stories by Guy de Maupassant so much - the first few were interesting but by the time it got to The Inn I was zoning out and just waiting for them to be over.
Metamorphosis would be 4 star and Guy de Maupassant's stories 3 star - so 3.5 in total
Metamorphosis would be 4 star and Guy de Maupassant's stories 3 star - so 3.5 in total
nietlauramaarmaura's review against another edition
4.0
Glad to have finally read a Kafka! This could have been incredibly weird but in some weird way it wasn't. It was almost relatable... almost.
xinquo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
5.0
Just read it for third time. The first time I love it, for call it makes for literary faith in the very first line and never giving it reasons for same.
Now, I love it for depression it gives me each time. It is a very pathological relationship. And it gets worse when you come to know the imprints of Kafka's real life that it is based on - the perceived betrayel by his sister, the feeling of being like a insect in company of his well built father etc. May be last is where he got the idea of book from - he mentioned the feeling in his Letter to his father which one can't read without a feeling of guilt. Twice within the book, Samsa's father comes near hurting him.
Many people have felt angry and disgusted at the perceived betrayel by Samsa's family. Nabhokov, who loved the book (Being into both insects and sketches, he even drew the sketch of insect Samsa turned into.) was critical of them too.
Personally, I can't think too critically of them. The parents had just retired after a hard life. The sister Grete is young, just a teenager. I wonder Kafka chose the name ironically to present a grim version of Grimm's brothers tale 'Hansal and Gretel' - where a much going sister undertakes forsakes her freedom and undertakes an equally troublesome life to save the life of her brother. Kafka normally don't do such illusions, but in other hand, he was very happy at how much his and Samsa's name resemble.
Anyhow it is these characters, a couple already tired from a hard life and a girl who is still a child who must take care of Samsa. We are always sympathetic with those suffering from a really terrible disease and, rightly so, it takes a great deal of courage, patience and self-discipline to fight terminal diseases. In case of a type of TB, you need to take hundreds of injections every year. Not everyone can have these qualities - different people have different forms of abilities but disease doesn't always hit a challenging enemy. But, we must also remember, it is same with carers as well - they too need those qualities and a lot of sacrifice, especially if the disease lasts too long. And most of us, aren't gifted with such qualities.
Nabhokhov is disgusted that the family can read newspaper while Samsa is lying in such condition in his room but, nobody can live in such shock and anguish all the time. Also, they won't have be able to help him if they did. And there is that constant anguish that one feels at being unable to help the diseased despite best intentions and efforts. Often people react by getting angry at things, even the one person one is trying to help (the way perhaps father did) or by trying to avoid the person (the mother). Grete shows it by getting angry when someone tries to help her. None of these ideal reactions but humanity is hardly rational in hard times. There is also the disconnect - Gregor and his family seems to hardly know about each-other - first bacause of nature of Gregor's job and later because the insect can't communicate with humanity. I think things would have been easier, the emotional connection would have survuved longer if only Kafka could talk. We know how hard it was for Gregor - but it must have been equally hard on the family, who took all those sacrifices and can't even expect a smile in return. There is also a learned helplessness, for example against the three lodgers which lasts as long as Gregor. (Throwing out of lodgers after his death, shows how much the helplessness was illusionary). And the carers must learn to compromise between their own needs and that of family or arrangement won't last. And mind you, while Gregor was disturbed by changes in furniture in his room, Grete had lost the room itself by the end. I wonder how many of readers judging them will like to exchange their lives with these characters.
In the end, it is about limits of family love, a sentiment we believe to have a fairy tale invincibility but which here is here destroyed by cruel realities of life. As the villian in bollywod movie Janat Jahan says, "when poverty enters from front door, love takes exit from back door." But it being such an unlikable conclusion we prefer to judge the characters than challenge our own beliefs, but I don't think Kafka would have written the book if he didn't thought it holds some general truth. And he was so understanding about his father in his letter that I doubt he will write a novel just to judge them.
There is no point in which he shows a feeling of betrayel. Although it could be an understandable reaction for a man in his position with all the hard work he has done and sacrifices he has made for his family, taking up a job at such an early age etc. His parents are thinking of Grete's marriage on in the end which is sort of last nail in coffin - the only sign of sexuality (there is no mention of a romantic life) in Gregor's short life was a poster of a model in his room - the only thing he tries to defend even by fighting against his family.
Now, I love it for depression it gives me each time. It is a very pathological relationship. And it gets worse when you come to know the imprints of Kafka's real life that it is based on - the perceived betrayel by his sister, the feeling of being like a insect in company of his well built father etc. May be last is where he got the idea of book from - he mentioned the feeling in his Letter to his father which one can't read without a feeling of guilt. Twice within the book, Samsa's father comes near hurting him.
Many people have felt angry and disgusted at the perceived betrayel by Samsa's family. Nabhokov, who loved the book (Being into both insects and sketches, he even drew the sketch of insect Samsa turned into.) was critical of them too.
Personally, I can't think too critically of them. The parents had just retired after a hard life. The sister Grete is young, just a teenager. I wonder Kafka chose the name ironically to present a grim version of Grimm's brothers tale 'Hansal and Gretel' - where a much going sister undertakes forsakes her freedom and undertakes an equally troublesome life to save the life of her brother. Kafka normally don't do such illusions, but in other hand, he was very happy at how much his and Samsa's name resemble.
Anyhow it is these characters, a couple already tired from a hard life and a girl who is still a child who must take care of Samsa. We are always sympathetic with those suffering from a really terrible disease and, rightly so, it takes a great deal of courage, patience and self-discipline to fight terminal diseases. In case of a type of TB, you need to take hundreds of injections every year. Not everyone can have these qualities - different people have different forms of abilities but disease doesn't always hit a challenging enemy. But, we must also remember, it is same with carers as well - they too need those qualities and a lot of sacrifice, especially if the disease lasts too long. And most of us, aren't gifted with such qualities.
Nabhokhov is disgusted that the family can read newspaper while Samsa is lying in such condition in his room but, nobody can live in such shock and anguish all the time. Also, they won't have be able to help him if they did. And there is that constant anguish that one feels at being unable to help the diseased despite best intentions and efforts. Often people react by getting angry at things, even the one person one is trying to help (the way perhaps father did) or by trying to avoid the person (the mother). Grete shows it by getting angry when someone tries to help her. None of these ideal reactions but humanity is hardly rational in hard times. There is also the disconnect - Gregor and his family seems to hardly know about each-other - first bacause of nature of Gregor's job and later because the insect can't communicate with humanity. I think things would have been easier, the emotional connection would have survuved longer if only Kafka could talk. We know how hard it was for Gregor - but it must have been equally hard on the family, who took all those sacrifices and can't even expect a smile in return. There is also a learned helplessness, for example against the three lodgers which lasts as long as Gregor. (Throwing out of lodgers after his death, shows how much the helplessness was illusionary). And the carers must learn to compromise between their own needs and that of family or arrangement won't last. And mind you, while Gregor was disturbed by changes in furniture in his room, Grete had lost the room itself by the end. I wonder how many of readers judging them will like to exchange their lives with these characters.
In the end, it is about limits of family love, a sentiment we believe to have a fairy tale invincibility but which here is here destroyed by cruel realities of life. As the villian in bollywod movie Janat Jahan says, "when poverty enters from front door, love takes exit from back door." But it being such an unlikable conclusion we prefer to judge the characters than challenge our own beliefs, but I don't think Kafka would have written the book if he didn't thought it holds some general truth. And he was so understanding about his father in his letter that I doubt he will write a novel just to judge them.
There is no point in which he shows a feeling of betrayel. Although it could be an understandable reaction for a man in his position with all the hard work he has done and sacrifices he has made for his family, taking up a job at such an early age etc. His parents are thinking of Grete's marriage on in the end which is sort of last nail in coffin - the only sign of sexuality (there is no mention of a romantic life) in Gregor's short life was a poster of a model in his room - the only thing he tries to defend even by fighting against his family.