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Die Verwandlung: Text und Kommentar Suhrkamp BasisBibliothek
Franz Kafka is one of the most important figures in twentieth-century culture. The fascination of his work has long since reached international proportions, and the concept 'Kafkaesque' has entered the English Language as an everyday part of speech. This new edition of Kafka's famous story contains a critical introduction and notes which help to explain how the author achieves his particular effects. The editors are concerned less with what the story means then with how it blocks and baffles its reader, provoking them into an interpretation through its combination of clues and counter-clues, its questions and its uncertainties. Careful attention is therefore paid to the 'openness' of the text, to point of view, and to Kafka's use of language. The editors also consider the important biographical and cultural influences which shaped the writing of the story, and they outline some of the very different ways in which it has been interpreted --biographically, socially and psychologicall
Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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About the author
Franz Kafka
3,209 books38.3k followersPrague-born writer Franz Kafka wrote in German, and his stories, such as "
The Metamorphosis
" (1916), and posthumously published novels, including
The Trial
(1925), concern troubled individuals in a nightmarishly impersonal world.
Jewish middle-class family of this major fiction writer of the 20th century spoke German. People consider his unique body of much incomplete writing, mainly published posthumously, among the most influential in European literature.
His stories include "The Metamorphosis" (1912) and " In the Penal Colony " (1914), whereas his posthumous novels include The Trial (1925), The Castle (1926) and Amerika (1927).
Despite first language, Kafka also spoke fluent Czech. Later, Kafka acquired some knowledge of the French language and culture from Flaubert, one of his favorite authors.
Kafka first studied chemistry at the Charles-Ferdinand University of Prague but after two weeks switched to law. This study offered a range of career possibilities, which pleased his father, and required a longer course of study that gave Kafka time to take classes in German studies and art history. At the university, he joined a student club, named Lese- und Redehalle der Deutschen Studenten, which organized literary events, readings, and other activities. In the end of his first year of studies, he met Max Brod, a close friend of his throughout his life, together with the journalist Felix Weltsch, who also studied law. Kafka obtained the degree of doctor of law on 18 June 1906 and performed an obligatory year of unpaid service as law clerk for the civil and criminal courts.
Writing of Kafka attracted little attention before his death. During his lifetime, he published only a few short stories and never finished any of his novels except the very short "The Metamorphosis." Kafka wrote to Max Brod, his friend and literary executor: "Dearest Max, my last request: Everything I leave behind me ... in the way of diaries, manuscripts, letters (my own and others'), sketches, and so on, [is] to be burned unread." Brod told Kafka that he intended not to honor these wishes, but Kafka, so knowing, nevertheless consequently gave these directions specifically to Brod, who, so reasoning, overrode these wishes. Brod in fact oversaw the publication of most of work of Kafka in his possession; these works quickly began to attract attention and high critical regard.
Max Brod encountered significant difficulty in compiling notebooks of Kafka into any chronological order as Kafka started writing in the middle of notebooks, from the last towards the first, et cetera.
Kafka wrote all his published works in German except several letters in Czech to Milena Jesenská.
Jewish middle-class family of this major fiction writer of the 20th century spoke German. People consider his unique body of much incomplete writing, mainly published posthumously, among the most influential in European literature.
His stories include "The Metamorphosis" (1912) and " In the Penal Colony " (1914), whereas his posthumous novels include The Trial (1925), The Castle (1926) and Amerika (1927).
Despite first language, Kafka also spoke fluent Czech. Later, Kafka acquired some knowledge of the French language and culture from Flaubert, one of his favorite authors.
Kafka first studied chemistry at the Charles-Ferdinand University of Prague but after two weeks switched to law. This study offered a range of career possibilities, which pleased his father, and required a longer course of study that gave Kafka time to take classes in German studies and art history. At the university, he joined a student club, named Lese- und Redehalle der Deutschen Studenten, which organized literary events, readings, and other activities. In the end of his first year of studies, he met Max Brod, a close friend of his throughout his life, together with the journalist Felix Weltsch, who also studied law. Kafka obtained the degree of doctor of law on 18 June 1906 and performed an obligatory year of unpaid service as law clerk for the civil and criminal courts.
Writing of Kafka attracted little attention before his death. During his lifetime, he published only a few short stories and never finished any of his novels except the very short "The Metamorphosis." Kafka wrote to Max Brod, his friend and literary executor: "Dearest Max, my last request: Everything I leave behind me ... in the way of diaries, manuscripts, letters (my own and others'), sketches, and so on, [is] to be burned unread." Brod told Kafka that he intended not to honor these wishes, but Kafka, so knowing, nevertheless consequently gave these directions specifically to Brod, who, so reasoning, overrode these wishes. Brod in fact oversaw the publication of most of work of Kafka in his possession; these works quickly began to attract attention and high critical regard.
Max Brod encountered significant difficulty in compiling notebooks of Kafka into any chronological order as Kafka started writing in the middle of notebooks, from the last towards the first, et cetera.
Kafka wrote all his published works in German except several letters in Czech to Milena Jesenská.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 1, 2022
my mans gregor samsa deserved better
October 22, 2022
A normal man wakes up one day as a huge roach and his first thought is how he’s going to get to work; thats the best description of a German I ever read
February 25, 2016
Dieses Buch hatte ich schon in meiner Muttersprache gelesen, deshalb habe ich mich entchieden Gregor Samsa auch auf Deutsch kennenzulernen. (Natürlich um meine Kentnisse und Wortschatz zu verbessern) Die Geschichte finde ich interessant - sowohl auf Tschechisch als auch auf Deutsch werden die Personen wirklich gut beschrieben. Das Buch ist Niveau B1 und veständlich. Nur die Stimmen auf der CD haben ein bisschen seltsam und unnatürlich geklungen.
Weil ich die Handlung ziemlich einfach gefunden habe, habe ich vor nicht nur die gekürzte Version, sondern auch das originale Werk zu lesen und zu hören.
Weil ich die Handlung ziemlich einfach gefunden habe, habe ich vor nicht nur die gekürzte Version, sondern auch das originale Werk zu lesen und zu hören.
September 24, 2022
This book is my very first German novel that I have read in this language.
I thought it was a very sad story since the moment Gregor Samsa was transformed nobody took any notice of him.
He had to provide for himself and his family who he had taken care of just thought about their own disadvantages.
Gregor tries to adjust himself in every way possible to his new situation but his family is not able to adjust. They just miss the money he brought into the house as it is stated that he was the breadwinner for his family.
When they have to make do without his money they seek solutions with his sister Anna and to rent room to lodgers.
One day Anna decides that that beast in Gregors room is quite a nuisance to be get rid of as early as possible.
The event in this story show that a person can be dehumanized in every way possible.
I thought it was a very sad story since the moment Gregor Samsa was transformed nobody took any notice of him.
He had to provide for himself and his family who he had taken care of just thought about their own disadvantages.
Gregor tries to adjust himself in every way possible to his new situation but his family is not able to adjust. They just miss the money he brought into the house as it is stated that he was the breadwinner for his family.
When they have to make do without his money they seek solutions with his sister Anna and to rent room to lodgers.
One day Anna decides that that beast in Gregors room is quite a nuisance to be get rid of as early as possible.
The event in this story show that a person can be dehumanized in every way possible.
August 3, 2021
Well written, easy to understand for a B1 level in German, not the greatest of the stories tho
December 5, 2023
Was für ein trauriges Buch!
Armer Gregor, er hat etwas Besseres verdient.
Armer Gregor, er hat etwas Besseres verdient.
November 25, 2021
Interessante Intention, aber 1/4 der Länge hätte für den Inhalt gereicht 😅
March 3, 2023
I have never felt so empty after a book in my life as I did after this one....
April 14, 2023
The story in itself was quite interesting to read, but it still felt like such a pain to get through it.
August 3, 2021
This version seems to be well simplified and proposes great exercises and questions, that really help interpreting the novel. The other chapters, about related themes, are also very pertinent and interesting.
It's not an easy read for a B1 student, though. However, since the solutions are easily found online, I could manage and had a lot of fun
It's not an easy read for a B1 student, though. However, since the solutions are easily found online, I could manage and had a lot of fun
March 9, 2022
Good language learning book of a German classic with descent illustrations and activities. I had read Kafka’s Metamorphosis (Verwandlung) ober a decade ago, so great to follow up with it in the original language (albeit simplified).
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews