The Metamorphosis and Other Stories (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

by Franz Kafka (Author), Stanley Appelbaum (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

Review
aI think of a Kafka story as a perfect work of literary art, as approachable as it is strange, and as strange as it is approachable.a
aMichael Hofmann --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
“I think of a Kafka story as a perfect work of literary art, as approachable as it is strange, and as strange as it is approachable.”
—Michael Hofmann --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (April 12, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486290301
• ISBN-13: 978-0486290300
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,517 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 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 "RIP MJ" (Glen Ellyn, IL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

"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

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More than just "The Metamorphosis", April 30, 2004

By	"bookjunkie84" (Indiana) - See all my reviews

As someone who had only read "The Metamorphosis," I found this collection of Kafka's works to be very refreshing. Since I had not enjoyed reading "The Metamorphosis" in high school I was skeptical about reading other works by Kafka. I was pleasantly surprised when I read "In the Penal Colony", "A Country Doctor", and "A Report to an Academy." These works were assigned as part of a college class I had, and I found that they were not only very personally thought provoking, but they inspired a lot of insightful in-class discussion. I would recommend this collection to anyone who has not yet read any of Kafka's works, or who have only read The Metamorphosis.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars compelling: there is something about this story, June 20, 2003

By A Customer

I have never been able to determine what it is about this story that I find so compelling. I don't have a defeated and alienated outlook, but still I relate to Gregor. More than that, I feel compassion for him. It's such a deeply sad story, and it says so much about the way people can objectify others. His family really uses him for their own selfish comfort, rather than truly loving him for who he is. For some strange reason, though, I find some hope in the story. By telling it, Kafka tells us that people should not be treated this way, or should not be made to feel unloved or insignificant. As with most moral fiction, the story is negative, I believe, for the purpose of effecting change. We don't have to treat others badly, and we don't have to allow ourselves to become alienated and neglected. By recognizing the pain, we can attempt to change this dynamic.

Perhaps I'm too optimistic for the spirit of the story, but that's what I see. I've taught this story to my students, and some of them get that, while others find the story annoying. Still, I continue to be compelled to read it and to teach it again.