Reviews

The Castle by Franz Kafka

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rafaeltheraven's review against another edition

mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Having finished The Trial and a collection of Kafka's short stories (including Metamorphosis) I found The Castle to be the most difficult to get through.

I think it is, ironically, because it at first glance seems the most possible to be coherent. A singular goal is established early on and it's constantly just on the horizon, only for various circumstances (and the strangeness of the system) to prolong the struggle. Whereas with The Trial I found myself accepting the strangeness of everything, with The Castle I kept trying to understand how the relationships and systems functioned, making it much more frustrating.

It's interesting to read if you're already into Kafka I think, but probably not the best to start with.

mattydata's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious medium-paced

5.0

tribican97's review against another edition

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3.0

I guess the novel served its purpose, as it nearly drove me to madness. A very descriptive book, which includes a detailed explanation of the (non-existent) process of communicating with the castle officials and the rules surrounding life in the village that makes you suffer, not even that much with K. himself, but just on your own. You almost feel like you are there yourself. I guess Kafka accomplished what he intended, but for me, it was simply too much.