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The trail
Written in 1914, The Trial is one of the most important novels of the twentieth century. A terrifying psychological trip into the life of one Joseph K, an ordinary man who wakes up one day to find himself accused of a crime he did not commit, a crime whose nature is never revealed to him. Once arrested, he is released, but must report to court on a regular basis-an event that proves maddening, as nothing is ever resolved. As he grows more uncertain of his fate, his personal life-including work a
252 pages, Hardcover
Published May 3, 2022
43 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
Franz Kafka
3,215 books38.4k 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
November 5, 2025
This must be how people on drugs feel, because I swear it feels like I’ve tried weed before.
So I'm going to tell you my experience with fake drug, I want to tell you mine.
•
(As I laugh as a crazy person)
∆
Imagine waking up in the morning and two men are waiting for you to accused you of a crime that you did not commit, a crime whose nature is never revealed to you now you have to defend yourself.
∆
• This is a psychological prose with each passing pages showcasing the madness of the bureaucratic system.
•
Which begs the question:
Was Josef k. guilty?
Yes, he was.
Wait, before you go all witch hunt on me:
I think I would say in the eyes of the court society, he was guilty not of a crime but of something rather different.
I.
K. was a well-off, educated banker, representing the respectable, rational, and organized middle class while the court society, in contrast, is poor, chaotic, and morally decayed — operating in filthy, dark rooms filled with lower-class officials and beggars.
This stark contrast however, reveals Kafka’s critique of social hierarchy:
wealth and status do not guarantee power or justice. Despite his social position, K. is powerless in the face of the corrupt system — showing that the law reduces everyone to the same helpless state.
II.
K.’s trial never truly takes place inside the courtroom.
Instead, it unfolds in his daily life, mind, and soul. Every encounter — at the bank, in the lodging house, in the painter’s attic, in the cathedral — becomes part of his judgment.
Kafka uses this to show that the real trial is internal, not legal. K. is being tested morally, spiritually, and existentially.
K. is trapped not by laws but by his own ignorance, pride, and refusal to understand the hidden “rules” of the system.
In conclusion:
I gave this a 3 because I don't like taking drugs.
So I'm going to tell you my experience with fake drug, I want to tell you mine.
•
∆
Imagine waking up in the morning and two men are waiting for you to accused you of a crime that you did not commit, a crime whose nature is never revealed to you now you have to defend yourself.
∆
• This is a psychological prose with each passing pages showcasing the madness of the bureaucratic system.
•
Which begs the question:
Was Josef k. guilty?
Yes, he was.
Wait, before you go all witch hunt on me:
I think I would say in the eyes of the court society, he was guilty not of a crime but of something rather different.
I.
K. was a well-off, educated banker, representing the respectable, rational, and organized middle class while the court society, in contrast, is poor, chaotic, and morally decayed — operating in filthy, dark rooms filled with lower-class officials and beggars.
This stark contrast however, reveals Kafka’s critique of social hierarchy:
wealth and status do not guarantee power or justice. Despite his social position, K. is powerless in the face of the corrupt system — showing that the law reduces everyone to the same helpless state.
II.
K.’s trial never truly takes place inside the courtroom.
Instead, it unfolds in his daily life, mind, and soul. Every encounter — at the bank, in the lodging house, in the painter’s attic, in the cathedral — becomes part of his judgment.
Kafka uses this to show that the real trial is internal, not legal. K. is being tested morally, spiritually, and existentially.
K. is trapped not by laws but by his own ignorance, pride, and refusal to understand the hidden “rules” of the system.
In conclusion:
I gave this a 3 because I don't like taking drugs.
February 15, 2025
As a non-native English speaker, The Trial by Franz Kafka was an excellent choice to enhance my understanding of English vocabulary. It was relatively short, and I was able to finish it in approximately five weeks. For one reason or another, I found it easy to keep reading this book (consistency is a big challenge in life).
Although this book was easy to digest, it was incredibly gloomy and dark. The plot made me feel as if I were the confined protagonist. This can be seen in both a negative and a positive light. On the positive side, it allowed me to experience the situation with all its emotions. However, on the negative side, it also made me feel quite sad! 😅
Eventually, as I always say, there are some prohibited actions in the story that do not represent my own religious beliefs.
Although this book was easy to digest, it was incredibly gloomy and dark. The plot made me feel as if I were the confined protagonist. This can be seen in both a negative and a positive light. On the positive side, it allowed me to experience the situation with all its emotions. However, on the negative side, it also made me feel quite sad! 😅
Eventually, as I always say, there are some prohibited actions in the story that do not represent my own religious beliefs.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2025
There is no defence, and accusations are most certainly held to be true. The opinions of
people seem almost unchangeable—not just the judges, but nearly every character in the
story. Furthermore, the courtrooms being located in the attic struck me as symbolic of the
human mind—a place where all the questioning, anxiety, and breathlessness (i.e., the
crowdedness of thoughts) seem to reside—all of which we saw in the courtroom scenes.
The thought of something not fully known—like the charges pressed against K.—demands a
substantial portion of our mental space. Eventually, these thoughts begin to reflect in our
actions toward others, and slowly, we succumb to the tension of the unknown.
The more we seek help—like Merchant Block employing multiple advocates—the more we
kneel to that help and become confined, even enslaved by it. At this point, I could only think
of religion—not as a belief, but as a system people often turn to in fear. Hoping to find
answers, salvation, or relief from their burdens, they end up more bound, more enslaved.
Instead of finding freedom in faith, they become afraid of stepping beyond it. Maybe the real
answer is not to seek escape from the unknown through systems—but to accept uncertainty
as a condition of life. To live freely within it. To understand that our thoughts, actions, and
beliefs are ours—not the doorkeeper’s. Because in the battle between your thoughts and
what you presume others think about you—and your sanity—you can never receive a true
acquittal (i.e., absolute freedom), only apparent acquittal, until death. This, I believe, is where
Albert Camus may have found inspiration to write The Myth of Sisyphus.
The part where courtrooms were present everywhere symbolizes those judgments about us
are made everywhere and all the time. The battle we have in our own minds—holding
ourselves accountable and constantly feeling the need to explain ourselves—this is why "the
court is always in session." The trial doesn’t just happen in buildings—it’s constant. It occurs
in how we are observed, judged, and categorized—at work, in society, online.
But amidst all this, I couldn’t quite make sense of the roles played by the female characters.
Each one seems positioned not just as a distraction, but as a symbol—of temptation,
helplessness, or perhaps false hope.
This whole novel reminded me of a conversation between King Baldwin IV and Balian in
Kingdom of Heaven:
“None of us know our end really and what hand will guide us there. A king may move a man,
a father may claim a son, that man can also move himself and only then does that man truly
begin his own game. Remember howsoever you are played or by whom, your soul is in your
keeping alone, even though those who presume to play you be kings or men of power. When
you stand before God you cannot say, ‘But I was told by others to do thus,’ or ‘Virtue was not
convenient at the time.’ This will not suffice. Remember that.”
The kings and the playing hand could be seen as the doorman or the bureaucrats. Although I
do not directly associate the novel with God, this reference helps make a difficult idea easier
to express.
people seem almost unchangeable—not just the judges, but nearly every character in the
story. Furthermore, the courtrooms being located in the attic struck me as symbolic of the
human mind—a place where all the questioning, anxiety, and breathlessness (i.e., the
crowdedness of thoughts) seem to reside—all of which we saw in the courtroom scenes.
The thought of something not fully known—like the charges pressed against K.—demands a
substantial portion of our mental space. Eventually, these thoughts begin to reflect in our
actions toward others, and slowly, we succumb to the tension of the unknown.
The more we seek help—like Merchant Block employing multiple advocates—the more we
kneel to that help and become confined, even enslaved by it. At this point, I could only think
of religion—not as a belief, but as a system people often turn to in fear. Hoping to find
answers, salvation, or relief from their burdens, they end up more bound, more enslaved.
Instead of finding freedom in faith, they become afraid of stepping beyond it. Maybe the real
answer is not to seek escape from the unknown through systems—but to accept uncertainty
as a condition of life. To live freely within it. To understand that our thoughts, actions, and
beliefs are ours—not the doorkeeper’s. Because in the battle between your thoughts and
what you presume others think about you—and your sanity—you can never receive a true
acquittal (i.e., absolute freedom), only apparent acquittal, until death. This, I believe, is where
Albert Camus may have found inspiration to write The Myth of Sisyphus.
The part where courtrooms were present everywhere symbolizes those judgments about us
are made everywhere and all the time. The battle we have in our own minds—holding
ourselves accountable and constantly feeling the need to explain ourselves—this is why "the
court is always in session." The trial doesn’t just happen in buildings—it’s constant. It occurs
in how we are observed, judged, and categorized—at work, in society, online.
But amidst all this, I couldn’t quite make sense of the roles played by the female characters.
Each one seems positioned not just as a distraction, but as a symbol—of temptation,
helplessness, or perhaps false hope.
This whole novel reminded me of a conversation between King Baldwin IV and Balian in
Kingdom of Heaven:
“None of us know our end really and what hand will guide us there. A king may move a man,
a father may claim a son, that man can also move himself and only then does that man truly
begin his own game. Remember howsoever you are played or by whom, your soul is in your
keeping alone, even though those who presume to play you be kings or men of power. When
you stand before God you cannot say, ‘But I was told by others to do thus,’ or ‘Virtue was not
convenient at the time.’ This will not suffice. Remember that.”
The kings and the playing hand could be seen as the doorman or the bureaucrats. Although I
do not directly associate the novel with God, this reference helps make a difficult idea easier
to express.
December 29, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this book because it reveals something deeply unsettling about modern life: how bureaucracy diminishes our understanding of guilt, compassion, and responsibility. In The Trial, guilt is no longer a moral experience rooted in conscience or wrongdoing—it becomes procedural, impersonal, and unavoidable. One is guilty not because one has done wrong, but because the system says so.
Kafka shows a world where no one is cruel in the traditional sense, yet cruelty is everywhere. There is no hatred, no passion, no mercy—only process. Officials follow rules without understanding their purpose, and justice is reduced to endless paperwork, delays, and vague authority. This absence of compassion is more terrifying than overt tyranny, because there is no one to confront, no one to plead with, and no one who feels responsible.
Kafka shows a world where no one is cruel in the traditional sense, yet cruelty is everywhere. There is no hatred, no passion, no mercy—only process. Officials follow rules without understanding their purpose, and justice is reduced to endless paperwork, delays, and vague authority. This absence of compassion is more terrifying than overt tyranny, because there is no one to confront, no one to plead with, and no one who feels responsible.
October 14, 2024
This book was a trip! I found myself just completely taken into the story and just asking myself constantly, "What is going on!?" The long I read the more wild I thought the story got. I'm definitely reading more by Frnaz Kafka in the future.
March 7, 2025
The Trail by Franz Kafka is always true to ourselves of the darkness and reality of life. Some mistakes lead to finding yourself but here did I make a mistake? Did I deserve it was a huge question mark, it's about empathy and compassion that one has it's so hard to show off to be taken for granted
September 24, 2024
The Truman Show spinoff.
October 11, 2024
The point of the book is to make you feel irritated by the prolonging of the case and bureaucracy, which I was.
dnf
February 22, 2025Dnf
I really liked the concept of the book
To bad Kafka died before he could edit this book
The little translators note at the start was interesting the rest was a confusing mess
I really liked the concept of the book
To bad Kafka died before he could edit this book
The little translators note at the start was interesting the rest was a confusing mess
April 29, 2025
Bro lever i en anden dimension
May 23, 2025
Hm. Kafka perfectly represents the constant threat of anxiety so eloquently but idk I was just longing for a more conclusive explanation of the court system.
December 8, 2025
its a thinker
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews