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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
Dark, strange, unpredictable, with homoerotic undertones. Each tale is a weird whirlwind of a journey that tells you more about the psyche of Kafka and the despair he felt, rather than a lucid storyline.
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book pissed me off 80% of the time. The extremely long paragraphs and the small size of the font was torture. Only a handful of the stories captivated my attention - the rest were long-winded and felt pointless.
In the penal colony. When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled dreams, he found himself changed into a monstrous cockroach in his bed.
I am very glad I read The Metamorphosis! It was witty and unsettling and there are ample well written analyses and discussions to partake in that helped me delve deeper into the text as it turns out my brain isn't wired in a way that understands and therefore can truly enjoy Kafka without a helping hand. The lack of access to these resources for his other works made things more difficult. Some stories were incredibly meandering and I'd find myself emerging from them wondering it was all just one train of though or if I muddled up multiple stories without realising. Others I enjoyed but didn't really understand the social commentary. Overall an interesting writer, but one I would have probably preferred to study under tutelage.
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
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!
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.
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.
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