Scan barcode
A review by savvyrosereads
The Trial: A New Translation Based on the Restored Text by Franz Kafka
challenging
dark
tense
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
3.5
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
A classic of legal literature and bureaucratic trauma, The Trial tells the story of Josef K., arrested for a crime he did not commit and subjected to a year-long trial with no apparent due process.
I’ve been hearing about this one for a while—it’s one of those books people say you should read when law school bound, but I missed that step—and am glad to have finally gotten to it! Overall, I’d call it relatively absurdist, which can be a lot of fun but isn’t exactly what I was expecting. That said, it’s certainly thought-provoking, and I desperately wish I was reading it in an academic context so that I could discuss and dissect it properly!
Note that I read the “new” translation by Breon Mitchell (can it still be called new when it was published in the 90’s?) and enjoyed it + the helpful introduction/translator’s note at the beginning (though the note did include some significant spoilers!)
Recommended if you like: classics; absurd fiction; character-driven stories.
CW: Violence; death; government oppression; some suggested sexual violence.
A classic of legal literature and bureaucratic trauma, The Trial tells the story of Josef K., arrested for a crime he did not commit and subjected to a year-long trial with no apparent due process.
I’ve been hearing about this one for a while—it’s one of those books people say you should read when law school bound, but I missed that step—and am glad to have finally gotten to it! Overall, I’d call it relatively absurdist, which can be a lot of fun but isn’t exactly what I was expecting. That said, it’s certainly thought-provoking, and I desperately wish I was reading it in an academic context so that I could discuss and dissect it properly!
Note that I read the “new” translation by Breon Mitchell (can it still be called new when it was published in the 90’s?) and enjoyed it + the helpful introduction/translator’s note at the beginning (though the note did include some significant spoilers!)
Recommended if you like: classics; absurd fiction; character-driven stories.
CW: Violence; death; government oppression; some suggested sexual violence.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Gaslighting