#themetamorphosis #kafka #franzkafka

The Metamorphosis is a novella by Franz Kafka about a traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, who wakes up one morning to find himself inexplicably transformed into a giant, monstrous insect. The story explores themes of alienation, absurdity, and the burden of family, as Gregor’s family recoils from his new form, and he becomes a source of shame and disgust, leading to his complete isolation and eventual demise. Published in 1915, it is one of Kafka’s most famous works, known for its straightforward narration of a bizarre event.

Franz Kafka is renowned for his visionary and profoundly enigmatic stories that often present a grotesque vision of the world in which individuals burdened with guilt, isolation, and anxiety make a futile search for personal salvation.

Enjoy!

I'm currently reading Letters to Milena and keep thinking about the Dostoyevsky story he tells early in the book and continues referencing. To me it sounds like this metaphor is a reflection of Kafka's view of himself.

He thinks that if someone truly knows him they would hate him and he's undeserving of their affection ("These wonderful people! They're so good and noble! And I am so mean! If only they could see inside me!)

In the next letter he explains that the story makes him think of Milena but he doesn't know why. Then, a few letters later he references it again and goes in more detail.

I've attached photos of all these letters. My questions are as follows:

Do you agree with my interpretation that the Dostoyevsky metaphor is indicative of Kafka's perceived self worth?

What does he mean when he says "nor could anyone have proven it to Dostoyevsky on that night, and my life consists of one night." Why would he say his life is one night?

What do you think Kafka could have done to "prove" to himself that someone (Milena) truly loves him?

Love this book and am super excited to discuss!

Have there been any recent, and good, translations into English of "Josephine the Singer, or the Mouse Folk"?

I have been looking for more modern translations of the stories than what is in Schocken's Complete Stories. For many stories I have found more recent translations but I am struggling to find one for Josephine.

I’ve read metamorphosis before already and I started one of his shorter stories about a sailor or something like that? (It’s been a while since I started it and I didn’t read much of it)
I’ve been wanting to read more of his work but I don’t know where to go after metamorphosis. What do you recommend?

Hi everyone. So I'm currently reading Kafka's the trial for over 3.5 months. It's so hard and complicated book for me. How long does you take to finish the trial???