Methamorphosis

by Franz Kafka

Genres: Classics, Fiction, School

Paperback

Published May 13, 2020

About the author

Franz Kafka was a German-speaking writer from Prague whose work became one of the foundations of modern literature, even though he published only a small part of his writing during his lifetime. Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Prague, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Kafka grew up amid German, Czech, and Jewish cultural influences that shaped his sense of displacement and linguistic precision. His difficult relationship with his authoritarian father left a lasting mark, fostering feelings of guilt, anxiety, and inadequacy that became central themes in his fiction and personal writings.
Kafka studied law at the German University in Prague, earning a doctorate in 1906. He chose law for practical reasons rather than personal inclination, a compromise that troubled him throughout his life. After university, he worked for several insurance institutions, most notably the Workers Accident Insurance Institute for the Kingdom of Bohemia. His duties included assessing industrial accidents and drafting legal reports, work he carried out competently and responsibly. Nevertheless, Kafka regarded his professional life as an obstacle to his true vocation, and most of his writing was done at night or during periods of illness and leave. Kafka began publishing short prose pieces in his early adulthood, later collected in volumes such as Contemplation and A Country Doctor. These works attracted little attention at the time but already displayed the hallmarks of his mature style, including precise language, emotional restraint, and the application of calm logic to deeply unsettling situations. His major novels The Trial, The Castle, and Amerika were left unfinished and unpublished during his lifetime. They depict protagonists trapped within opaque systems of authority, facing accusations, rules, or hierarchies that remain unexplained and unreachable. Themes of alienation, guilt, bureaucracy, law, and punishment run throughout Kafka’s work. His characters often respond to absurd or terrifying circumstances with obedience or resignation, reflecting his own conflicted relationship with authority and obligation. Kafka’s prose avoids overt symbolism, yet his narratives function as powerful metaphors through structure, repetition, and tone. Ordinary environments gradually become nightmarish without losing their internal coherence. Kafka’s personal life was marked by emotional conflict, chronic self-doubt, and recurring illness. He formed intense but troubled romantic relationships, including engagements that he repeatedly broke off, fearing that marriage would interfere with his writing. His extensive correspondence and diaries reveal a relentless self-critic, deeply concerned with morality, spirituality, and the demands of artistic integrity. In his later years, Kafka’s health deteriorated due to tuberculosis, forcing him to withdraw from work and spend long periods in sanatoriums. Despite his illness, he continued writing when possible. He died young, leaving behind a large body of unpublished manuscripts. Before his death, he instructed his close friend Max Brod to destroy all of his remaining work. Brod ignored this request and instead edited and published Kafka’s novels, stories, and diaries, ensuring his posthumous reputation.
The publication of Kafka’s work after his death established him as one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century. The term Kafkaesque entered common usage to describe situations marked by oppressive bureaucracy, absurd logic, and existential anxiety. His writing has been interpreted through existential, religious, psychological, and political perspectives, though Kafka himself resisted definitive meanings. His enduring power lies in his ability to articulate modern anxiety with clarity and restraint.

Reviews

[Josipa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this book twice. The first time was during high school, and the second time was last year when I was 27. During my initial reading, I found myself sympathizing with Gregor Samsa after he became isolated from society and nearly disowned by his family. Now, as a 27-year-old, I grasp how each step of his life led him to become an insect, actively working on it throughout his existence. This book has been instrumental in showing me how my perception of life has evolved. Growing older, you come to realize that you are solely responsible for your life, and every action is a reflection of who you are. If you wake up one day as an insect, you have no one else to blame but yourself.

[Berth Mina · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's heartbreaking how can someone you've known and trusted all your life become someone you used to know.

[atheus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gregor Samsa is literally me

[Casualdejekyll · Rating 4 out of 5]

chlop sie w zuka zmienil

[Anvi (warner's version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only Kafka could make me cry for a vermin. Such an out of the box concept, left me feeling empty and worthless. 3.75 ⭐

[Essie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Echt een leuke classic. Het taalgebruik is niet moeilijk, het is kort en er zit (ondanks het donkere thema) wat sarcasme in en het leest makkelijk. De onderliggende gedachte en boodschap van dit boek zijn best verdrietig, maar wel ten alle tijden actueel. Must read. 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Ellin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je až dechberoucí jak rychle dokáže lidská paměť zapomenout

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no idea how to find the translation I read, but I did read it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's bizarre and sad and thought-provoking. It also read SO much better than I anticipated. I'd read it again.

[ninvic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Menos disturbing de lo que me esperaba pero es terrible pensar en lo que significa que Kafka escribiera esto :(

[Milena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cudo, przeczytałam jednym tchem.

[Kizia mizia❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

12.05.25

Reread:
This will probably forever be one of my most favorite books, it's devastating, heartbreaking and cruelly good. Imagine one day you wake up and all of your family is disgusted by you, the biography of kafka makes it even sadder cause he always wrote from his experience. This is the best metaphor for loneliness you can find. The books shows you everything from gregor's perspective, the misunderstanding he gets from his family, and yet in the end, when he dies, they're happy and reliefed since they never really understoof the issue after all. I'll forever cherish this book for simply existing and hate the word for making franz kafka think his work isn't worthy of publishing. Forever a kafka girl, everyone should read this book❤️

5/5⭐️



15.03.24

What the actual hell, this is the scariest, weirdest and the most heartbreaking book i've ever listened to, love it

5/5⭐️

[Sarah Cardoso · Rating 5 out of 5]

“every living creature dies alone”

[Mongorzel Stepowy · Rating 5 out of 5]

POV napisałeś książkę, która jest odpowiedzią na odwieczne pytanie: Czy kochał*byś mnie, gdybym był* robakiem?

Już nigdy w życiu nie przejdę obojętnie obok żuka :(

[Robin van Gelooven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best wel een grimmig boek maar toch een enigszins wholesome einde. Het is dat het zo kort was anders was mijn motivatie om het uit te lezen verpulvert door de neergeslagen stemming van het verhaal. Niet per se een aanrader

[Negin · Rating 4 out of 5]

این اولین کاریه که از کافکا خوندم . من کتاب رو چند وقت پیش نسخه ی انگلیسی خوندم و دوباره با ترجمه فرزانه طاهری”مسخ و درباره ی مسخ “ سراغش رفتم (که به شدت پیشنهاد میکنم) .اخرش تحلیل کامل کتاب و تک تک صحنه ها رو داره . خیلی برام ملموس تر بود مخصوصا اینکه خیلی بیشتر و راحت تر می شد با طرز فکر و نوشتار کافکا آشنا شد .

آیا میشه منکر شد که این کتاب یه شاهکاره ؟ خیر!

[Radina Nacheva · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the concept, it’s very out of the box. The absurdity of the story is tangled with real life scenarios, showing how your close people might turn their back once they don’t need you anymore.

[Mimi · Rating 2 out of 5]

tt eres un jodido escarabajo enorme de un día al otro por la cara, yo tampoco querría convivir contigo lol

[Ula Dzwigalowska · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5

[Luna Wetzels · Rating 3 out of 5]

De liefde voor Gregor was duidelijk niet onvoorwaardelijk

[Jon Ranero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me gusta cuando anda por la pared y el techo, pero luego lo de la manzana me da pena

[tiTa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,85/5

Finish it..
​I read this and realized that Kafka wasn’t just writing about a man turning into an insect. He was writing about the fear of no longer being "useful" in a world that only values you for your productivity.

​First, what I remember most is Gregor Samsa’s first thought upon waking up as a giant insect. It isn't "Help, I'm a bug," but "How am I going to catch the train for work?" It’s a sharp, painful satire on how we’ve been conditioned to prioritize our "to-do list" over our own humanity.

​But then, well, fo me, the worst tragedy for Gregor wasn't his physical transformation, but the isolation that followed. It’s about how quickly the world (and even those closest to us) can turn away when we no longer fit into the "shape" they expect us to be.
​
And I think that we all undergo metamorphoses. Sometimes we change to survive, and sometimes we change because we’re exhausted. Kafka captures that "bug-like" feeling when you feel small, misunderstood, and tucked away in a dark room while the world goes on outside.
​
It’s a dark, claustrophobic read, but a necessary one. It’s a reminder to look at the "human" behind the "work."

I want to save this quote;
​"He had to go to work in the morning and they would find him, and his whole day would be spoiled."
— The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka

​For you whose days are filled with work and the excitement of what you love, I sincerely wish for the complete opposite: a life filled with connection, joy, and a grateful 마음 (ma-eum/heart).

​May every day be filled with a sincere smile and good health.

​I hope that any transformations life brings you are beautiful, and that you are always surrounded by people who see your true self. May your journey ahead be filled with nothing but happiness.

​It's an early-late-and timeless birthday message. Happy Birthday.. I hope that a happy happy days will always find its fastest and easiest way to catch you. 20250802_Sign from Me

[Jet Timmers · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a book that's for sure
Not that crazy as others make it seem?

[Iqbal Safirul Barqi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a parable. Thought experiment. Legendary story, as the rest of Kafka. But maybe this is just not for me.

[Meyo S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life is one, I suppose, and this book is in many ways proof that people often burden themselves with trivial matters and waste time on those who would never do the same for them. Gregor is someone who understands, empathizes, and wants to help. I’m not sure what’s sadder— the fact that, as an insect, he worries more about his job than the fact that he’s turned into one, or the fact that his family didn’t have the patience for him that he always had for them.

In the end, The Metamorphosis forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about human nature—how quickly love can turn to indifference, and how easily people are defined by their utility rather than their humanity. Gregor’s tragedy is not just his transformation, but the realization that his worth to others was conditional all along.

[Arjen Koomen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An novel describing angst and existentialism when Gregor gets transformed into a monstrous vermin. While the novel takes place into one isolated room, the state of descriptions don’t fail to captivate the reader, in waiting for the end of the creature. The loss of humanity of Gregor or his human form is a major theme is the novel, and its changing reaction of his family, especially his sister Grete.

[Wierzba · Rating 5 out of 5]

BARDZO DOBRE NIE WIEM CZEMU MI TAK DŁUGK ZAJĘŁO

[ester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demorou um tempo pra processar e entender tudo que o kafka quis transmitir ao longo do livro. Mas assim que entendi, achei genial sua forma de retratar um evento (para nós já tão normalizado) que é a desumanização feita pelo nosso consciente quando não há ternura e continuidade de afeto por alguém.

Quem era Gregor Samsa para sua família além do provedor da casa? Para onde foram as memórias boas e lembranças da companhia do menino em suas mentes? Sua mãe sequer se lembra do momento em que ele começou a falar? Seu pai sequer se lembra do momento em que o ensinou a amarrar os sapatos e andar de bicicleta?

Nada disso é retratado na história porque, após sua metamorfose, a família se encontra mais indignada por perceber que Gregor se tornou tão inútil quanto eles do que triste pela perda de seu parente.

Eu gosto muito da forma em que Kafka satiriza a situação do protagonista o transformando em um inseto (coisa que a maioria da humanidade não suporta) e tornando mais difícil a empatia pelo sofrimento do personagem. Quando pergunto a opinião de alguém que já leu o livro, as respostas são sempre duas: ou acham a situação engraçada, ou nojenta.

Mas a verdade é que Gregor representa a inutilidade de um ser preguiçoso demais pra encontrar a alegria e se torna um peão da única coisa que sabe fazer: trabalhar.
E sua família representa a ignorância (e a preguiça, também) do ser egocêntrico demais pra não perceber sua própria insignificância. Até por que, quem queriam eles sem o dinheiro de Gregor?

[🦢 · Rating 3 out of 5]

bu kitabi almanca okumak isterdim ama suanki almanca seviyemle mumkun degil o yuzden ingilizce okumayi tercih ettim. uzerine binlerce insanin bin tane farkli yorum ve elestri yaptigi bir kitap hakkinda konusmak biraz sacma geliyor cunku yeni bir sey soylemek mumkun degil gibi bir sey.

kitap oldukca surukleyici, tek oturusta bitirmek gayet mumkun, hem kisa. benim tek bir seye odaklanip bitirmem icin cok cok sevmem lazim ama bu kitap beni o kadar etkileyemedi. bunun sebebinin ceviriden kaynakli da olabilicegini dusunuyorum. sanki okurken tiyatro senaryosu okuyormusum gibi hissettim, karakterlerin yaptiklari hareketler o kadar sacma geldi ki dogru mu anliyorum diye tereddut ettigim zamanlar oldu. hareketten kastim verdikleri kararlar falan degil bu arada. fiziksel hareketlerinden, koreografi mi diyim artik. cok tuhaf geldi. karakterler insan kiligina girmis uzaylilarmis gibi sanki.

onun disinda gregor’un kitabin sonlarina dogru insanligini yitirdigini cok guzel hissetirebilmis kafka. kitabin konusu basli basina yeterince klostrofobik yapiyor zaten insani, ama baska biri yazsaydi ayni beceriyle yazamadi bence. bu kitabi okudugumu soyledigimde cok fazla okumaya baslayip sikilan insan oldugunu fark ettim. onlari da anlayabiliyorum bir nebze. ama kitap o kadar kisa ki zaten sikilsan bile aman olsun biter birazdan diye diye bitiyor zaten. 10/6.5

[Luis Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

El libro me pareció una analogía hacia la depresión en la cual cae Gregorio Samsa donde él se siente a si mismo una cucaracha, un ser para la sociedad repugnante, dado el intenso estrés al cual está sometido y la enorme responsabilidad que carga en sus hombros, aunque en realidad si se transforma en una cucaracha en el libro ya que toda su familia lo ve transformado lo que me causa curiosidad es porque los 3 inquilinos no se asustan al verlo, como si el autor nos dijera que ellos ya habían visto algo parecido, sin embargo de todas maneras al pasar los meses la familia va haciéndose responsable de su propia vida y dependiendo menos de Gregorio, y este se sume más en ser una cucaracha ya que su razón de existir eran ellos, poco a poco es desplazado de la familia y en un último intento de reintegrarse al escuchar a su hermana tocar el violín este, al estar gravemente enfermo y herido por un altercado con su padre, fallece finalmente y la familia continua con su vida, los padres teniendo un nuevo “proyecto” en la hermana menor de Gregorio, pero que se refería la sirvienta cuando dijo que se había encargado de él y el padre ni le dio oportunidad de explicar, nunca lo sabremos, yo por un momento pensé que de esa cucaracha saldría Gregorio nuevo y reformado pero me equivoqué.

[lay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una historia de transformación, no solo la transformación espantosa del protagonista, pero también la aún más aterradora transformación de toda la familia.

La metamorfosis es una metáfora que aunque simple, es impecable. Y la impotencia que sientes a medida que el golpe de la manzana se infecta poco a poco no te la quita nadie. Me parece excelente como Kafka describió todos los movimientos del bicho tan grotescamente, haciendo incluso difícil la lastima por él en algunos momentos (al menos para mi, que no puedo evitar mi repudio a los bichos), justo en la forma en la que la familia lo percibía.

Gregorio no dejó de ser humano por su horrible apariencia. Fue cuando Gregorio se convirtió inútil para sus ingresos, cuando este dejó de ser humano.