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Review
"Kafka's 'legalese' is alchemically fused with a prose of great verve and intense readability."
--James Rolleston, professor of Germanic languages and literatures, Duke University
"Breon Mitchell's translation is an accomplishment of the highest order that will honor Kafka far into the twenty-first century."
--Walter Abish, author of How German Is It
--James Rolleston, professor of Germanic languages and literatures, Duke University
"Breon Mitchell's translation is an accomplishment of the highest order that will honor Kafka far into the twenty-first century."
--Walter Abish, author of How German Is It
Book Description
'It is the fate and perhaps the greatness of that work that it offers everything and confirms nothing' Albert Camus
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Lately I have been trying to read some modern literature classics. I don't think I am the type of person to ever read Dickens or the Brontė sisters (although one day I would like to try Wuthering Heights); but then again, I never thought I would be the type to enjoy chick-lit as much as I do.
The Trial by Franz Kafka is the second "classic" I have read this year (George' Orwell's 1984 being the first). Unlike 1984 however, I didn't enjoy reading The Trial as such but then that is Kafka's great accomplishment with this book in that he leads his reader to feel as helpless as his protagonist.
The Trial is about a man called Josef K, a middle-class, middle management banker, who awakes one morning to find himself under arrest. Not once in the book is he (or the reader) told what the actual charges are and in fact, he finds it quite hard to take the whole "process" seriously.
The original German title to the book was "Der Process" and in fact, I find this may have been a more accurate title as the book chronicles K's process through court bureaucracy, learning of the seriousness of the charges as the whole matter starts to permeate into all aspects of his life.
According to Wikipedia, there have been two major interpretations of this work. The first is that it refers to "human existence" and that the start of K's trial is when he wakes up one morning and questions his own existence. This is supported by the undertone throughout the book that his guilt is not entirely criminal. I don't personally subscribe to this theory but imagine that people better versed in religious or metaphysical texts might see the similarities.
The other interpretation is that this is a reflection of the process of marriage and social relations, mirroring Kafka's own relationships and failed engagements. I find this interpretation to make far more sense and can identify with the idea that once you tie yourself to someone, you are no longer in control of your own decisions. Men, especially, often feel they are at the mercy of their in-laws once they have bought that all important ring. Nevertheless, without giving away the story, I still find K's closing words to be a little harsh.
This is an excellent book that was left by Franz Kafka amongst his papers when he died. He asked that the book be destroyed but his friend Max Brod went against his wishes and published the book. One of the chapters was unfinished and in later years it has been suggested that the chapters might have been presented in the incorrect order.
This is a fine book and I would recommend it to lovers of modern fiction and existentialism. It can be a bit tedious to read at times and for that reason, I give it four out of five stars.
The Trial by Franz Kafka is the second "classic" I have read this year (George' Orwell's 1984 being the first). Unlike 1984 however, I didn't enjoy reading The Trial as such but then that is Kafka's great accomplishment with this book in that he leads his reader to feel as helpless as his protagonist.
The Trial is about a man called Josef K, a middle-class, middle management banker, who awakes one morning to find himself under arrest. Not once in the book is he (or the reader) told what the actual charges are and in fact, he finds it quite hard to take the whole "process" seriously.
The original German title to the book was "Der Process" and in fact, I find this may have been a more accurate title as the book chronicles K's process through court bureaucracy, learning of the seriousness of the charges as the whole matter starts to permeate into all aspects of his life.
According to Wikipedia, there have been two major interpretations of this work. The first is that it refers to "human existence" and that the start of K's trial is when he wakes up one morning and questions his own existence. This is supported by the undertone throughout the book that his guilt is not entirely criminal. I don't personally subscribe to this theory but imagine that people better versed in religious or metaphysical texts might see the similarities.
The other interpretation is that this is a reflection of the process of marriage and social relations, mirroring Kafka's own relationships and failed engagements. I find this interpretation to make far more sense and can identify with the idea that once you tie yourself to someone, you are no longer in control of your own decisions. Men, especially, often feel they are at the mercy of their in-laws once they have bought that all important ring. Nevertheless, without giving away the story, I still find K's closing words to be a little harsh.
This is an excellent book that was left by Franz Kafka amongst his papers when he died. He asked that the book be destroyed but his friend Max Brod went against his wishes and published the book. One of the chapters was unfinished and in later years it has been suggested that the chapters might have been presented in the incorrect order.
This is a fine book and I would recommend it to lovers of modern fiction and existentialism. It can be a bit tedious to read at times and for that reason, I give it four out of five stars.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
'The Trial' is not an easy book to read, despite its brevity. It is rough round the edges, patchy in places and often difficult to get through.
Nevertheless, it is a stunning read. The sheer incompetence of K's tormentors is often laugh out loud funny. Yet his persistent attempts to break through walls of ignorance, silence and confusion become darkly tragic in the final pages of the book. It comes with a serious sting in the tale. I immediately re-read the book from cover to cover after the stunning ending. It makes the twisted world of 'Nineteen-eighty four' seem logical. 'The Trial' is a deeply disturbing book. Yet it's also a rewarding novel too. It requires the reader to engross themself within it to truely understand the savage world that Kafka constructs around K.
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
This novel is one of those with many interpretations. Firsty, we are introduced to the main character Josef K. and taken on his journey through the pits and downfalls of the court and government at this particular time. K. is on trial, yet Kafka cleverly never lets the reader find out what for - thus leaving the novel encased in mystery and intrigue. This seems very odd and slightly annoying at first, but, as you read on you realise that this does not make the slightest bit of difference. Kafka uses fully fleshed-out characters in this work, every character having a deep psychological meaning within the plot. This novel is timeless, the stereotypes imposed were common when this was written but some are still present today. Kafka's style of writing is very easy to read, he keeps the story moving while also expounding his underlying message of hopelessness and bitterness of K.'s character. The characters of the advocate and Leni are very interesting and we are shown K's feelings towards them yet we never fully find out his opinion of them as people. This makes the novel open to interpretation. Some people find it just an odd and clever story, others find more. Don't read this lightly, there is more to it than meets the eye. A second-read may expose more to you than first.
Buy and read - see for yourself.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Requires Effort
The Trial was not an enjoyable read for me. The dense and surreal prose was arduous and while I could appreciate the effect of the writing and how the style added to the feeling... Read more
Published on 30 Mar 2010 by Alison
It's clever, but...
Just finished this a couple of days ago, and whilst the whole tone of the story is particularly intriguing, painting a nightmarish future of a system gone mad - the final impact is... Read more
Published on 3 Dec 2009 by Simon Kwong
Another turgid classic.
I had high hopes for this book as I had read countless excellent reviews. The idea behind it is extremely interesting as the term "Kafkaesque" is heard frequently in today's media. Read more
Published on 7 Aug 2009 by Random
Classic Kafka
His has got to be his best book; a person actively persecuted by a opressive and pointless society. The common preconception of Kafka as a lonely outcast isn't necessarly true but... Read more
Published on 29 Dec 2008 by Beatnik
Hauntingly prescient
Kafka depicts a terrifying world, a man lost in a world of utter unintelligibility - it is the horror story of the 20th century, where man has sought to negate both his own... Read more
Published on 9 Jun 2008 by Aquinas
You will care about your privacy after reading this
Kafka takes George Orwell's nightmare of the Big Brother state of 1984 to the next level. "The Trial" is a powerful story of an individual accused of a crime but told of neither... Read more
Published on 3 Aug 2007 by R. Streeter
The Trial - Franz Kafka
Brilliant! I have finally finished this stinker of a book!
I have heard of Franz Kafka being spoken of in almost revered terms and the adjective Kafka-esque has appeared... Read more
I have heard of Franz Kafka being spoken of in almost revered terms and the adjective Kafka-esque has appeared... Read more
Published on 3 Aug 2005 by Daniel Donnelly
Newbie to Kafka
I had never read any Kafka before this book. Everywhere I looked I kept seeing references to him - everything seems to be Kafka-esque these days. Read more
Published on 16 Aug 2004 by blowski
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