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87 of 93 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
462nd interpretation of the Metamorphosis, 13 Oct 2002
Metamorphosis is one of the most famous works in 20th C literature, and possibly has the most memorable opening lines in the history of story telling, - 'As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning after disturbing dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into an enormous insect'. The standard interpretation of this allegorical tale is that Gregor's transformation from hard working travelling salesman, providing for his family, to a grotesque useless insect that provokes disgust and pity and ultimately rejection by his family, represents physical disability, and society's treatment of it. I can see this in the story, but I read Kafka as essentially portraying his nightmare of the barrier between the public and personal inner world being removed. The private mental life, with its sensitive and raw secrets, its ugly and embarrasing little features, the desires and instincts that we strive to keep hidden, and/or are forced to repress. The bug is the embodiment of the ugly and raw inside turned out, exposed for all the world to see. Particularly nightmarish for Gregor (kafka) is the fact that those who see are those he loves and whose rejecton he fears most of all - his family.
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22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Greatest Writer of the twentieth century?, 15 Aug 2003
This book has been taking up space in my cupboard for a few months, since I had to read metamorphosis for my English degree. Yesterday I picked it up again, having graduated, and have only put it down since to write this.
Kafka is perhaps the most brilliant writer of the last century in perception and the way he can imaginatively express his ideas. 'Metamorphosis' is the most famous tale here, using the central metaphor of a man who awakes to find himself transformed into an insect, but the other stories have just as much to offer.
I was particularly surprised by the early 'Meditations' that appear here. The Editor notes that Kafka told his publisher to stop printing them, embarassed by what he saw as his early failings. This view is not born out by the shorts that appear here, each one taking a situation, observing the human behaviour taking place with humour but sympathy. Kafka makes the reader aware of the absurdity of his characters actions, but at the same time we are led to inherently understand the reasons for them. He never sacrifices a basic humanity.
'The Judgement' and 'The Stoker', the latter of which is the first chapter of the uncompleted novel 'Amerika', are strikingly effective stories. Any fans of Ishiguros 'The Unconsoled' should read these to see where that writers style comes from.
Kafka seems to be able to render the uncertainties, and lurking terror in the commonplace situations that take place in the modern world, in a light which every reader can share in. He expresses the inexpressible, instinctive doubts that anyone can feel at certain times. The unlikely situation of the one page parable, 'The Sudden Walk', is perhaps my favourite, as he depicts the sudden euphoria of taking action, in however small a respect. Again, we see the slight absurdity of the feelings this arouses, but see the subjective truth in them.
This collection has reinvested my faith in the sublime quality of literature that appears too rarely these days. I will definitely be reading the novels. A necessity for all literature fans.
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37 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kafka: a tortured existentialist genuis, 7 Sep 2001
By A Customer
Metamorphosis is quite probably the greatest short story ever written. When I read it I always see it as a book about alienation, a theme that was later to be picked up on by the existenialists. This may go to explain why as a group they held Kafka in such high esteem. In the story Gregor Samsa awakes one morning to find that he has been turned into an insect. The rest follows on from here. The change is showing how indivduals can become ostrasiced by natural differences, something that perhaps they are not even aware of. What surprises us in the book is not the fact that Samsa is an insect but more the attiude he takes to this, and the shocking social consquences of what has happened. The change in the a cockroack is simply symbolic of something that aroses disgust, something that we do not like, makes us feel uncomfortable and also something that we ternd to look down on. Having a large one in our house woulkd not be pleasant. This may sound nasty but it could be comaprtive to a baeggar, Kafka though is symapthetic to this and his portayal of Samsa is very touvhing. This idea that Metamorphosis is an exploration of al;ienation is backed up by closer analysis of some of his other works. Here we see people who becpome almost divorced from reality by a nightmarish and inexplicable bureacracy. Read this book now, then rerad it again, think some and then again.
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