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A review by rafaeltheraven
The Castle by Franz Kafka
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.
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.