Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

70 reviews

zauet's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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blattprinzessin's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Odd, but interesting little story that explores themes of work, family, duty, expectation, isolation...
I just know I'll be thinking about this one years from now. Partially because insects are my greatest fear, but also what an absurd and horrifying concept. Reading this felt like a detailed, long nightmare you wake up from at 4 am and can't go back to sleep after. 

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molliford's review against another edition

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reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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sperpe's review against another edition

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dark sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Even though I wasn't captivated by the premise of the novel, once the allegory and symbolism became clearer, the story itself became way more captivating. The novel perfectly represents the lack of acceptance of what we consider different from us and the loneliness forced upon the person left behind, alone, closed in a room as a devious beast. Right from the beginning, it shows how the family and the rest of the society portrayed in the story pressure our protagonist to be part of an indistinct mass of workers, stripped of their own identity from their employer and forced to obey the rules for the sake of the family, rather than accept him for the person he turned into. Even though I didn't particularly enjoy the writing style or the imagery used in the novel, I cannot notice how its theme is unfortunately still very relevant to our contemporary society, drenched in people who want to be right and just refuse to listen and accept other people's truth. Even if a big part of our Western society has luckily moved forward, allowing more freedom of expression and learning to celebrate uniqueness, the repression of people's identity to conform to hetero-cis patriarchal standards still happens, especially for young people, leading them to an ending like the one portrayed in the story. 

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jesse_jellyfish's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Very strange story, but thoroughly enjoyed.

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epeolatrist's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad medium-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? Yes

3.0


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missgrangerr's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad 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? Yes

1.0

I hated this book. I found it very boring and slow moving. I wouldn't have read this is book at all if it wasn't required for school. It is clear what the author is trying to convey in the first few pages ...

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cocorenfroe's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


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gabriella_'s review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This ripping my heart out and stomped on it. It broke me. I know the obvious themes in this reflect on ableism but it also makes me think of caretaking more broadly (including eldercare and dementia) and it was just so tragic. I love the protagonist, he was so lovable and I almost cried multiple times reading this. 

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wuthrinheights's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I first read this story for my class and I read it again almost immediately. Today I reread it after years of not coming in contact with it, and I think it was better when I first read it.

The Metamorphosis was a strange, sad and almost funny (in a way that you pity him so much, you almost want to laugh at its absurdity) story. 

I couldn't help but feel that it was more than just a nonsensical fictional story, that it was symbolic of his own life. It felt a bit too personal, as if Kafka himself woke up one day feeling like a monster who disappointed his family, in which their confusion, fear, and worries quickly turned to resentment. My heart goes out to Kafka, I hope he's resting peacefully.

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