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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
The imagery was great, just this is not for me .
Edit: a couple stories stuck with me and reflecting back, make more sense now than they did before. Bumped from 2.5 to 3.5 stars
Edit: a couple stories stuck with me and reflecting back, make more sense now than they did before. Bumped from 2.5 to 3.5 stars
The Metamorphosis: I've been meaning to read this short story for years. For some reason I believed I read it in primary school, but now I'm not sure if that's the case. Would you really read this to a bunch of 7 year olds? Nevertheless, I've held a fondness for this story like I've known it for years. So this may be a reread decades later, or it may be my first read.
What I didn't realise was how sad it would be. It's one of those things that could either be comical, or sad. And this one was sad.
*spoilers* The biggest commentary I got from this story was the reliance on health. How intrinsically our wealth is tied to our health. This family had been making ends meet by relying on the only healthy and productive member of the family, but then suddenly he's incapacitated and they start to struggle and suffer.
We also get the commentary on Gregor's life as a commercial traveller/salesman. As someone who worked in tourism the fifth paragraph resonated with me,
"what a strenuous career it is that I’ve chosen! Travelling day in and day out. Doing business like this takes much more effort than doing your own business at home, and on top of that there’s the curse of travelling, worries about making train connections, bad and irregular food, contact with different people all the time so that you can never get to know anyone or become friendly with them. It can all go to Hell!"
It was also interesting what he was saying to the company secretary. Pleading with the secretary to give him a chance, have some understanding and cut him some slack.
The stress is real in this book. We get the vivid descriptions of his now grotesque body, his difficulty and struggle to move, the uncomfortable-ness of the sensations of his now hairy and sticky body, the stinging and pain and attacks he recieves. His battle to be understood, while he attempts to do the basics such as simply move, eat, and try to get some entertainment.
The rejection he receives from his family, who refuse to look at him, talk to him, and eventually care for him. How he was just cast aside and essentially left to rot. How the little care he recieved slowly disintegrates into outright malice towards him. How he still retained his love and care for his family despite his now mistreatment. It was all a very real and stressful description of struggle.
And that ending! The cleaner was the only character who brought some respite, finally someone who cared, showed him some respect, recognised his intelligence and treated him with compassion. And how the family treated her! The ungrateful, impatient, selfish family. Casting her off before she explained what was obviously going to be an exciting explanation. And it just gets cut off, she's cast away and then the family goes for a jolly old walk and realises they're fine. We didn't even get any remorse for their actions...
How did he go away? For that matter, how did it even happen to him. I was expecting him to revert back to a human and they would find him like that in his room, but the ending was very abrupt and leaves us with a lot of questions. Questions, and sadness. Poor Gregor!
What I didn't realise was how sad it would be. It's one of those things that could either be comical, or sad. And this one was sad.
*spoilers* The biggest commentary I got from this story was the reliance on health. How intrinsically our wealth is tied to our health. This family had been making ends meet by relying on the only healthy and productive member of the family, but then suddenly he's incapacitated and they start to struggle and suffer.
We also get the commentary on Gregor's life as a commercial traveller/salesman. As someone who worked in tourism the fifth paragraph resonated with me,
"what a strenuous career it is that I’ve chosen! Travelling day in and day out. Doing business like this takes much more effort than doing your own business at home, and on top of that there’s the curse of travelling, worries about making train connections, bad and irregular food, contact with different people all the time so that you can never get to know anyone or become friendly with them. It can all go to Hell!"
It was also interesting what he was saying to the company secretary. Pleading with the secretary to give him a chance, have some understanding and cut him some slack.
The stress is real in this book. We get the vivid descriptions of his now grotesque body, his difficulty and struggle to move, the uncomfortable-ness of the sensations of his now hairy and sticky body, the stinging and pain and attacks he recieves. His battle to be understood, while he attempts to do the basics such as simply move, eat, and try to get some entertainment.
The rejection he receives from his family, who refuse to look at him, talk to him, and eventually care for him. How he was just cast aside and essentially left to rot. How the little care he recieved slowly disintegrates into outright malice towards him. How he still retained his love and care for his family despite his now mistreatment. It was all a very real and stressful description of struggle.
And that ending! The cleaner was the only character who brought some respite, finally someone who cared, showed him some respect, recognised his intelligence and treated him with compassion. And how the family treated her! The ungrateful, impatient, selfish family. Casting her off before she explained what was obviously going to be an exciting explanation. And it just gets cut off, she's cast away and then the family goes for a jolly old walk and realises they're fine. We didn't even get any remorse for their actions...
How did he go away? For that matter, how did it even happen to him. I was expecting him to revert back to a human and they would find him like that in his room, but the ending was very abrupt and leaves us with a lot of questions. Questions, and sadness. Poor Gregor!
I bought this anthology of Kafka's work purely to read The Metamorphosis and plan on updating this review once I get around to reading his other works.
The Metamorphosis has always been a short story open to interpretation. The way Gregor's importance in the family is quickly stripped from him, and his family members begin to see him as a burden, is reminiscent of people who undergo life altering injuries or experience severe mental health episodes. I found myself somewhat relating to Gregor's increasing dread and anxiety throughout the story because I experienced similar emotions after I had been hit by a drunk driver and needed medical attention for 5 months. The constant feeling that you are a burden to those around you is not a pleasant one and the growing social anxiety associated with that is equally insufferable. In the book we see how these feelings of increased anxiety and stress result in Gregor not sleeping and starving himself, ultimately killing him. While the meaning of the story itself is a bit muddy, I still rated a 4/5 because it is beautifully written. Even over 100 years after publication, Kafka's writing is very descriptive and flows beautifully.
The Metamorphosis has always been a short story open to interpretation. The way Gregor's importance in the family is quickly stripped from him, and his family members begin to see him as a burden, is reminiscent of people who undergo life altering injuries or experience severe mental health episodes. I found myself somewhat relating to Gregor's increasing dread and anxiety throughout the story because I experienced similar emotions after I had been hit by a drunk driver and needed medical attention for 5 months. The constant feeling that you are a burden to those around you is not a pleasant one and the growing social anxiety associated with that is equally insufferable. In the book we see how these feelings of increased anxiety and stress result in Gregor not sleeping and starving himself, ultimately killing him. While the meaning of the story itself is a bit muddy, I still rated a 4/5 because it is beautifully written. Even over 100 years after publication, Kafka's writing is very descriptive and flows beautifully.
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed the Metamorphosis but I'm not sure how to feel about Kafka's other short stories. His writing is very unique but it doesn't really move me in the way it moves others. Maybe I need to give them a reread at a later date.
The Metamorphosis on the other hand was brilliant; a universally loved story and understandably so! I started off finding the story quite amusing but was shocked by how sad I felt at the end of it....much to reflect on.
3.3/5
The Metamorphosis on the other hand was brilliant; a universally loved story and understandably so! I started off finding the story quite amusing but was shocked by how sad I felt at the end of it....much to reflect on.
3.3/5
Intriguing, interesting, well written and well translated! It took me a long time to actually pick up a book by Kafka, but once it finally happened I was very happy. The stories are fascinating, creative and show life in a different angle. However, I only give it four stars, as the language can be rather complicated and some stories are lengthy. Not all of them are easy to read, nevertheless all of them are worth it.
First time reading Kafka, very cool style I like it a lot
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes