Metamorphosis and Other Stories by Franz Kafka

3.86 AVERAGE

antoman's profile picture

antoman's review against another edition

4.5
dark funny reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
lezreadalot's profile picture

lezreadalot's review against another edition

3.0
I liked this for the chance to read 'The Metamorphosis' again, which I really do like. And I thoroughly enjoyed 'In the Penal Colony'. Otherwise, most of these stories, were just okay. Didn't click with me. Found myself drifting off and thinking about other things while reading. Shrug!
nh1's profile picture

nh1's review against another edition

5.0
These are maybe not the right stories to read during a global pandemic, while there is political violence happening in the country; Kafka is like Black Mirror without the technology and with all of the bleakness. All of the stories had to do in some way with a loss or lack of some kind of physical or spiritual freedom. What is obviously impressive about his work is that the absurdities in each story are there only to serve the truths within the stories, which is a level of word and idea economy that is worth studying.
maestro_cerrotorcido's profile picture

maestro_cerrotorcido's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 35%
I  stopped at 67 pages. It is obviously not bad work, but perhaps it simply isn't the right time in my life to read it. I feel bad about not finishing, I don't know why. But I am drudging through it while I would rather be reading something else. Maybe some other time in my life I will be able to finish it.

trueaxio's review against another edition

4.25
reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

son_of_simon's review against another edition

5.0
I've been meaning to read some Kafka for a long time. I'm glad I finally did.

I'm sure there is nothing new to say about The Metamorphosis, but here are my two cents. Gregor was transformed into an isopod. Not a pill bug type, but a non-rolling woodlouse. The story is about the poor treatment of chronically ill and disabled people.

saustiram's review against another edition

2.0
unfortunately, poor translation in Indonesia

mfranchow's review against another edition

4.0
Franz Kafka is my spirit animal.

A message from the emperor: ✳️✳️✳️✳️✴️
The Metamorphosis: ✳️✳️✳️✴️✴️
The Judgment: ✳️✳️✳️✴️✴️
The Stoker: ✳️✳️✳️✴️✴️
In the Penal Colony: ✳️✳️✳️✳️✳️
A Country Doctor: ✳️✳️✳️✳️✴️
An Old Leaf: ✳️✳️✳️✳️✴️
A Hunger Artist: ✳️✳️✳️✳️✳️
Josephine the Singer: ✳️✳️✴️✴️✴️
Before the Law:✳️✳️✳️✳️✴️

jacobg's review against another edition

5.0
In all honesty, it's too hard to write a review about Kafka's short stories. There is so much hidden beneath them that reviews can go any direction and still have a pretty valid interpretation, and that's before you realise this collection also has "The Metamorphosis" in it, the novella to beat all other novellas, the one scholars are still arguing over today. However, all this symbolism is made through Kafka's exact word choices, and his deceptive writing style, which really is in a class of its own. So I'm just going to say buy the damn thing and let him show you how you write a story that can be compelling, horrifying, funny, absurd, and philosophical all at the same time.

Also, this version translated by Ian Johnson contains all these letters and context papers which helps understand his mindset better, and become all that more sadder about how he hated his own work, unable to accept just how talented and vital to the literature world he really was.

flores_1117's review against another edition

4.0
In comparison to Dostoevsky’s short stories, Kafka writes more in character against society and Dostoevsky writes in character against his internal self; although both works are much very personal and leave the reader wondering how can both authors write in such a way. My favorite short story might be “In the Penal Colony” because the explorer is seen as an outsider but has an important opinion against the officer. “A Hunger Artist” is also a compelling story but “The Metamorphosis” should not be forgotten and it is clearly shown why it is his best work.