Book Review : The Metamorphosis

Name: The Metamorphosis
Writer: Franz Kafka
Publisher: Maple Press
Publication date: 2 December 2017
Pages: 64
Price: Rs 68
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★

Plot:
The Metamorphosis is a novella written by Franz Kafka which was first published in German in 1915 and is one of Kafka's best-known works.
The Metamorphosis is cited as one of the seminal works of fiction of the twentieth century. A story of Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman, who wakes up one day to discover that he has metamorphosed into a bug, The Metamorphosis is a book that concerns itself with the themes of alienation, disillusionment and existentialism.
As Samsa struggles to reconcile his humanity with his transformation, Kafka, very deftly, weaves his readers into a web that deals with the absurdity of existence, the alienating experience of modern life and the cruelty and incomprehensibility of authoritarian power, leaving them at once stunned and impressed.
My thoughts:
I have been reading the book repeatedly since the past 3 days only to grasp more meaning out of the context. And here are my thoughts from what I could understand.

“I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself.”

• Gregor is the sole-earner of the family. He is a traveling salesman, who is tired of his job but cannot quit because of his duties and responsibilities towards his family.
• One day, Gregor wakes up only to find himself transformed into a large insect. Unlike any other person, Gregor looks at the wall clock and worries about him being late for work. Because waking up as an insect is nothing to be worried about, right?
• Gregors transformation to an insect is a metaphor to him being afflicted by a disease.
• When Gregor's family discovers about his disease, they alienate him almost completely. He is locked into his room. His sister, Grete, takes up the responsibility to get food for Gregor and look after the cleanliness of his room. Yet, she never had a direct conversation with him.
• Being alone in a room for months, Gregor feels depressed and detached. Thus, when he listen to the voice of the violin played by Grete, he couldn't stop himself from escaping from the room. But this incident only worsens off the situation for him.
• When Gregor listens to his family discuss of how his existence is nothing but a burden upon their family, he decides to make the situation easier for them. He is found dead the next day in his room. The death of Gregor brings a sense of relief to the family.
• I honestly couldn't find any instances of comic or satire. This was more of a pitiful tale of a guy who spent his entire life working for sustaining his family but was never acknowledged for his hard work.
• When flipping through the pages, I had higher expectations from the book. The story mainly revolves around the reaction of Gregor's family upon his transformation. I wish the story focused more upon Gregor's struggles instead.

"From the window he witnessed the beginning of the general dawning outside. Then without willing it, his head sank all the way down, and from his nostrils flowed out weakly out his last breath."

Recommend?

Maybe. If you are looking for a different read, you could give it a try.