Customer Reviews

Metamorphosis and Other Stories (Penguin Modern Classics)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"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

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.

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.

I'm sure you will be shocked to learn the Kindle edition is NOT the Michael Hofmann translation. Amazon, do a better job.

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.

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.

This story is one of pure genius. Upon reading the first paragraph I was baffled. The story is pure: it begins with a climax, one it takes a few pages to believe. None of us have ever been exactly in Gregor's position, but everyone can identify with his struggle. Well-written and poignant, this short story deserves a go by everyone.

Begin and end the piece with an open mind.

Ok, this book is short ... just 88 pages but, what a great price! Like so much of kafka's other writings, these stories are surreal, almost like nightmares. The Metamorphasis has much in common with kafka's novel "The Trial" in that the main character, a low level white collar worker, wakes up one morning and finds his life has changed. In "The Trial," he wakes up to discover he is under arrest. In "The Metamorphasis," he discovers he has turned into an insect. The reaction of his family is the main thrust of the story and is probably based upon Kafka's own autobiographical insecurities. Another truly surreal story is "A Country Doctor." Like in a bad dream, many disturbing events occur and reality changes and becomes distorted. The nightmarish mood Kafka creates is masterful. To be sure, these stories are often hard to truly understand but they are woth reading and pondering. For a rock bottom price, treat yourself to some excellent and very challenging literature.

I compared three different translations of this book, and this one is my favorite. Hofmann has a sensitivity to Kafka that comes through in his translation.

I think part of the English-speaker's view of Kafka as a miserable, dejected writer in part comes from the dry translations of his work. But when you read his work translated and I'm sure Kafka would have meant (and which I believe Hofmann has done with this volume) then the undercurrent of amusement is apparent in Kafka's work.

As a little bonus, this Penguin edition has bits of a Kafka graphic novel on the flaps and back cover.

Kafka is certainly not for everyone, that being said if you like Kafka or are new to his writing this is certainly a good volume to pick up. It includes some of his shorter pieces that are less well known (they weigh in at a little over or right at a paragraph in length) such as A Country Doctor and longer classics like The Metamorphosis.

The hardback with the thick weight of the paper makes this a volume you can keep for many years without fear of damage and overwear from rereading that can occur with paperback copies. The translation is wonderful and better than many that are available for purchase, the low price also makes this a fine addition to your home library without the worry that taking it off the shelf every now and then won't cover the cost. This collection of Kafka is worth every penny, if not a few more than Amazon is asking.

For those who have never read Kafka it is best not to spoil the authors work which is surreal in some cases, poignant in all, and entertaining in every light. If you have read Albert Camus or the sometimes acerbic but witty style of Louis Ferdinand Celine then this author is right up your alley.