Metamorphosis (Hesperus Classics) [Paperback]

Franz Kafka (Author), Richard Stokes (Translator), Martin Jarvis (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2002

In this, his most famous story, Franz Kafka explores the notions of alienation and human loneliness through extraordinary narrative technique and depth of imagination. Gregor Samsa awakens one morning to find himself transformed into a repulsive bug. Trapped inside this hideous form, his mind remains unchanged—until he sees the shocked reaction of those around him. He begins to question the basis of human love and, indeed, the entire purpose of his existence. But this, it seems, is only the beginning of his ordeal. Franz Kafka is one of the most prominent figures of 20th-century literature; his work, much of which was published posthumously, includes The Trial and The Castle.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An impressively chosen list." -- Simon Schama

"The Hesperus catalog is worth a look, especially if you're searching for off-the-beaten-path classics." -- Washington Post Book World --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Hesperus Press; First Printing edition (August 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0736231781
• ISBN-13: 978-1843910145
• ASIN: 1843910144
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,494,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Look, I'm a Bug!, June 13, 2002

By 

A.Trendl HungarianBookstore.com "What should ... (Glen Ellyn, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Metamorphosis and Other Stories (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

"Look, I'm a Bug!" No, no, no... the plight of Gregor Samsa as he awoke as a beetle is no laughing matter. In this tidy little Dover edition, Kafka's famous short story breathes of the futility and alienation men face, and the fear in the midst of it all.

"The Metamorphosis and Other Stories" is worth every penny.

The beauty of the Dover edition is the ability to sample Kafka, rather than indulge in a complete works. He is not for everyone, but at such an inexpensive price, you'll get to taste his style and complex ideas.

Note that there are several stories here, including the oddly-styled one paragraph "A Country Doctor," which effectively challenges the view of common man of the almost godlike pedestal we put doctors on.

Stories include:
The Judgment
The Metamorphosis
In a Penal Colony
A Country Doctor
A Report to an Academy

I fully recommend "The Metamorphosis and Other Stories" by Franz Kafka. The price can't be beat, and would make a great addition to a larger Amazon purchase.

Anthony Trendl

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow. I haven't read the other stories yet but..., February 14, 2001

By 

Andy (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Metamorphosis and Other Stories (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

the Metamophosis is INCREDIBLE. It is one of the greatest stories I have ever read. I found it extremely disturbing, especially the ending. After I finished, I was kept awake for an hour or two in bed just thinking about it. A MUST for any reader.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bewilderingly blunt and terrifying. Sizzling in frustration., May 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Metamorphosis and Other Stories (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

Kafka presents to the reader a shockingly horrific account of a man, subservient to his aging parents' financial needs, awakening one morning to find himself a bug. Readers are awestruck by his response to this, as Gregor's immediate thoughts shift to fear of missing the train and the "five or six years of debts" he must pay to his employer on behalf of his parents. Struggling with such "arbitrary confusion", Gregor's journey through several months of living with his disastrous calamity is horrific to his audience in it's disgusting truth in the thrill of the routine and thus we see that this metamorphosis is really strictly a physical one, as Gregor has always been an "insect" and object of income to the household. Splendidly executed, Kafka provokes otherwise dormant sentiments of passiveness and futility in his reader and ultimately elicits bewildering feelings of helplessly gradual servility and suppression in one's environment.