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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Well, what really can be said new about Franz Kafka's The Trail? Having already read most of Kafka's short stories, I wouldn't have known that this novel was incomplete by reading it. I don't think that is necessarily a criticism of Kafka's style, but more an observation of his more abstract stories. Even his completed stories can sometimes come off as purposefully obtuse.
Regardless The Trail is a powerful indictment of the possible banality of evil lying at the heart of bureaucracy. It is also a meditation of the meaning of justice, in a philosophical sense as well as the justice system in practice. But perhaps the most powerful aspect of Kafka's most famous works is their delightful ambiguousness, granting the reading a plethora of possible interpretations. Is The Trail a metaphor concerning God's judgment, as the main character sets out to defend the totality of his life's actions against a force beyond his comprehension? Or Perhaps the trail is nothing but a figment of the characters own imagination, perhaps a symptom of guilt or lack of innocence.
The Trail, much like The Metamorphosis, is a powerful work of modernist writing, defying conventions of storytelling and layered in metaphors and existential absurdity. It is a text without concrete meaning, leaving the reader up to the task of digesting and interpretation. And a must read for anyone seriously interesting in European literature.
Regardless The Trail is a powerful indictment of the possible banality of evil lying at the heart of bureaucracy. It is also a meditation of the meaning of justice, in a philosophical sense as well as the justice system in practice. But perhaps the most powerful aspect of Kafka's most famous works is their delightful ambiguousness, granting the reading a plethora of possible interpretations. Is The Trail a metaphor concerning God's judgment, as the main character sets out to defend the totality of his life's actions against a force beyond his comprehension? Or Perhaps the trail is nothing but a figment of the characters own imagination, perhaps a symptom of guilt or lack of innocence.
The Trail, much like The Metamorphosis, is a powerful work of modernist writing, defying conventions of storytelling and layered in metaphors and existential absurdity. It is a text without concrete meaning, leaving the reader up to the task of digesting and interpretation. And a must read for anyone seriously interesting in European literature.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
An absurd and chilling story of the weight of bureaucracy on every citizen (even, perhaps especially, on those lower on its ladder). It took me a bit to really understand what Kafka was going for, but once I leaned into the absurdism, I found the book very gripping. It being unfinished certainly influences my views on it, and I am still a bit uncomfortable with the portrayal of Leni; however, I really enjoyed this book, and I will most likely read The Castle soon.
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
si alguno de los que me conoce en vida se atreve a publicar lo que pedí explícitamente que quemaran y a justificarse en el postfacio de mi libro yo me veré obligado a volver a la vida con toda la furia del inframundo. quedan avisados
dicho eso, excelente libro
dicho eso, excelente libro
challenging
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny...but not funny haha...funny weird...