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Die Verwandlung
Ein junger Mann, Gregor, wohnt noch in seinem Elternhaus und arbeitet im Geschäft seines Vaters. Zu seiner Überraschung wird Gregor von seiner Familie allmählich als Ungeziefer betrachtet. Allerdings mündet die Überraschung in Verständnis, da die Veränderung von Gregors Gestalt auch für ihn selber unverkennbar ist. Immerhin kümmert sich seine geliebte Schwester rührend um ihn, indem sie ihm regelmäßig einen Teller mit Küchenabfällen vor sein Zimmer stellt. Gregor darf sein Zimmer zwar nicht mehr verlassen, aber auch das dient dem Wohl der Familie. Die Elemente Einsamkeit, (Un)Verständnis und Abhängigkeit(en) werden durch das Groteske gebündelt und wirken in das Reale.
99 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 6, 2021
119 people are currently reading
326 people want to read
About the author
Franz Kafka
3,204 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 - 30 of 117 reviews
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July 5, 2024Bei der Familie, hätte ich mich auch in eine Kakerlake verwandelt.
May 15, 2024
Would you still love me if i was a bug?
March 11, 2024
die daddy issues kicken
August 6, 2025
Ich glaube Kafka war eine Süßmaus. Aber eine gebrochene.
Fand das Buch ganz interessant aber es war auch nicht so, dass ich gesagt hätte "Boah das lese ich jetzt aber gern!". Ich glaube fairerweise, dass das auch nicht die Absicht hinter diesem Buch sein soll.
Sollte jeder mal gelesen haben! It's a classiccc
Fand das Buch ganz interessant aber es war auch nicht so, dass ich gesagt hätte "Boah das lese ich jetzt aber gern!". Ich glaube fairerweise, dass das auch nicht die Absicht hinter diesem Buch sein soll.
Sollte jeder mal gelesen haben! It's a classiccc
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March 30, 2025Würdest du mich noch lieben wenn ich ein Käfer wäre👉👈
August 5, 2025
„Als Gregor Samsa eines Morgens aus unruhigen
Träumen erwachte, fand er sich in seinem
Bett zu einem ungeheueren Ungeziefer verwandelt.“
Mit diesem ersten Satz ist der Leser in der Geschichte, ein sachlicher, schnörkelloser Ton trifft auf die Ungeheuerlichkeit des Geschehens. Diese Gegensätzlichkeit ist ein Kernelement von Kafkas Erzählung.
Nach „Betrachtung“ ist dies mein zweites Kafka-Werk. Gut, dass ich weitergelesen habe. „Die Verwandlung“ ist ganz berechtigt so legendär, steckt doch so viel drin in diesem kurzen Text. So zahlreich auch die Interpretationen. Geht es um Entfremdung, Vereinsamung, Aufopferung? Ist die pathologische Vater-Sohn-Beziehung das Kernthema? Wieviel Autobiographie steckt in dem Text?
Da kann trefflich gestritten werden und es ist interessant, sich mit den unterschiedlichen Ansichten zu beschäftigen. Gut finde ich dafür den YouTube-Kanal „Literatur und Whisky“, den ich gefunden habe. Hier werden u.a. Kafka-Themen besprochen, und es gibt eine Sendung zu „Die Verwandlung“.
Der Text wirkt bei mir nach. Ich hänge noch an dem Aspekt, dass nicht nur Gregor eine Verwandlung durchläuft, sondern auch die Familie. Nicht nur zum Schlechten. Hat sich Gregor am Ende gar für nichts so sehr aufgeopfert?
Absolute Leseempfehlung! 5 von 5 Sternen.
Träumen erwachte, fand er sich in seinem
Bett zu einem ungeheueren Ungeziefer verwandelt.“
Mit diesem ersten Satz ist der Leser in der Geschichte, ein sachlicher, schnörkelloser Ton trifft auf die Ungeheuerlichkeit des Geschehens. Diese Gegensätzlichkeit ist ein Kernelement von Kafkas Erzählung.
Nach „Betrachtung“ ist dies mein zweites Kafka-Werk. Gut, dass ich weitergelesen habe. „Die Verwandlung“ ist ganz berechtigt so legendär, steckt doch so viel drin in diesem kurzen Text. So zahlreich auch die Interpretationen. Geht es um Entfremdung, Vereinsamung, Aufopferung? Ist die pathologische Vater-Sohn-Beziehung das Kernthema? Wieviel Autobiographie steckt in dem Text?
Da kann trefflich gestritten werden und es ist interessant, sich mit den unterschiedlichen Ansichten zu beschäftigen. Gut finde ich dafür den YouTube-Kanal „Literatur und Whisky“, den ich gefunden habe. Hier werden u.a. Kafka-Themen besprochen, und es gibt eine Sendung zu „Die Verwandlung“.
Der Text wirkt bei mir nach. Ich hänge noch an dem Aspekt, dass nicht nur Gregor eine Verwandlung durchläuft, sondern auch die Familie. Nicht nur zum Schlechten. Hat sich Gregor am Ende gar für nichts so sehr aufgeopfert?
Absolute Leseempfehlung! 5 von 5 Sternen.
August 22, 2025
Es wor net so brutal scheiße und i glab do konn man viel einiinterpretiern, ober de gschichte wor so random und wtf, i hons net gfühlt. Di Familie fum Samsa sein orschlecher und der Samsa isch jo übelst lost
March 21, 2025
gregor asked "would you love me if i were a bug?" and his family said "FUCK NO"
April 12, 2025
Man turns bug, bug is a picky eater, bug dies
November 26, 2025
finally reread it again (kinda have to for school- lahn mich in rueh Literaturprüefig aaaahhhh).
still love it. still iconic. period. point. out.
still love it. still iconic. period. point. out.
August 8, 2023
Starker Anfang mit leider sehr schwachem Ende, was Kafka aber selbst bewusst war
April 25, 2025
Wie einsam der Mensch wird, wenn er aufhört zu funktionieren und das System sich still weiter dreht - "Der Anblick der leeren, weißen Wände schien ihn geradezu freundlich zu begrüßen"
May 20, 2025
clown gregor 🤡🪳
October 23, 2025
erinnert mich an die Frau Mählmann deshalb nur 2/5
August 21, 2024
muss erst richtig darüber nachdenken im nachhinein um zu wissen wie ichs fand
January 18, 2025
Sagt niemals Franz Kafka ohne die F's 🫣
March 12, 2025
gregor my poor little guy who was turned into an ungeziefer by his family...
July 27, 2025
unterhaltsam und crashout zugleich
August 17, 2025
Zu Beginn war es schwer für mich die Handlung des Geschehens zu interpretieren, bis ich ein wenig recherchiert habe. 'Die Verwandlung' von Franz Kafka ist ziemlich komplex, aber im Grunde ist die Metapher der Geschichte wunderbar und gut durchdacht. Der Fakt, dass viele ,die die Geschichte nicht genau interpretieren, denken, dass Gregor in Realität wirklich zu einem Ungeziefer/Käfer verwandelt wurde, zeigt im Endeffekt, wie verpackt das Ganze ist. Die 'Verwandlung' in ein Ungeziefer war die Metapher für die Lebensumstände, in welchen er Leben musste. Ungeziefer werden sofort mit negativen Ansichten assoziiert. Die Menschen um ihn herum änderten sich, sobald er sich nicht mehr um sie Kümmern konnte und ließen ihn alleine und isoliert von der Gesellschaft in seinem traurigen Zimmer sterben.
Nun, ich würde das Buch auf jeden Fall weiter empfehlen, da es einen wirklich lehrt und zeigt wie toxisch Menschen werden können, wenn man ihnen nichts mehr nützt
Nun, ich würde das Buch auf jeden Fall weiter empfehlen, da es einen wirklich lehrt und zeigt wie toxisch Menschen werden können, wenn man ihnen nichts mehr nützt
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2024
Wow, das ist so absurd. Liebe das sehr.
July 16, 2025
Broke my heart…
October 19, 2025
Bin überraschenderweise echt begeistert.
April 15, 2025
I have been wanting to read this for literal decades but have been intimidated. Mostly because I wanted to read it in German, but also because it’s such a well-respected Classic, I thought it must be challenging. Well it is challenging, but not in the respect I had thought it would be. It is short and written in German that I could easily understand.
I listened to Sven Görtz’ narration after sampling Sven Regener and abandoning him (he was too robotic in his inflection and frankly put me to sleep). Görtz, on the other hand, was an excellent narrator.
I did expect there to be more discussion as to why Gregor went through the Metamorphosis, but in the end it didn’t matter. The main thrust of the book was not about that, but rather about how the rest of the world treated him after he changed. Heartbreaking and a call to empathy and compassion to all forms of otherness.
I listened to Sven Görtz’ narration after sampling Sven Regener and abandoning him (he was too robotic in his inflection and frankly put me to sleep). Görtz, on the other hand, was an excellent narrator.
I did expect there to be more discussion as to why Gregor went through the Metamorphosis, but in the end it didn’t matter. The main thrust of the book was not about that, but rather about how the rest of the world treated him after he changed. Heartbreaking and a call to empathy and compassion to all forms of otherness.
August 12, 2024
hät ni denkt dasi so invested wirde si i sone weirdi gschicht, aber ha ds henne gern glost o wenis huere tragisch gfunge ha aues. Gregor Samsa poor man:(
January 22, 2025
Einer von Familie Samsa verwandelt sich einfach in ein Käfer, ich denke damit er Arbeitsbefreiung bekommt.
August 21, 2025
It's short, generally readable in a day. The transformation of the main character - Gregor Samsa - into a massive vermin (ungeheueres Ungeziefer) is hilarious and absurd. Initially he seems not to want to believe his transformation, does not notice its severity, and insists that he can keep working as a traveling salesman. The reaction of his family on the short and long term is what makes this book the social critique that I see in it. His family, moments after the discovery of his transformation, starts worrying about their livelihood, the loss of an income, the payment of the rent. There is no curiosity why it might have happened, no attempt or ambition to revert the process, no doctor is called, especially curious for the fact that the city hospital is across the street. In fact, the hospital is the only thing that Gregor gets to see from the window of his room.
Instead of self-pity or anger, Gregor is mostly ashamed. He puts a tarp over himself when his sister or mother comes in to feed him food scraps. He loves his family and feels disgusted by his appearance and inability to provide for them. Would it have been different if he had not been the exception? Would he have thrived in a society composed of beautiful insects instead of 'Ungeziefer'? He is still a social being and devastated that he is now the exception, having worked so hard to meet the norm.
The 'kleinbürgerliche' attitude of the family, the narrow-minded, self-centered and materialistic reaction to Gregor's predicament manifests itself with increasing severity towards the end of the story. When Gregor shows himself in the living room, his father throws an apple at him, wounding Gregor for months. Anger presides, the father chases Gregor through the living room as punishment for leaving his room (or prison), for attempting to be a human. At some point, his sister pleads that 'something should be done about Gregor', not out of love for her brother, but about a kind of utilitarianism towards her family.
Gregor grows weaker, he dies while expressing his love for his family, they go out for a lovely day to the park, feeling relieved and thinking about their future. To them, Gregor had already been dead.
'Kafkaesque' is generally seen as a word describing a societal power structure, like a legal or governmental body, that is complex, irrational, of which only limited knowledge can be obtained, and that wields uncomfortable power over its subjects. In the Trial (Der Prozeß), Kafka's longest work and my favorite book by him, the main character is indeed entangled in a legal trial over which he has no power. It's this lack of control and the subjection to power that can be seen as well in 'Die Verwandlung'. In the case of this short story however, this power comes from society and family. Arguably even scarier, since Gregor Samsa has full knowledge of their hate for him after his transformation. There is no obfuscation, no mystery - yet still a real Kafkaesque description of irrational power. It reflects the potential horror of social pressure, it is a warning against the 'tyranny of the majority' as described by JS Mill.
I definitely recommend reading it for its social critique and vivid storytelling. Additionally, I recommend to read 'der Prozeß', as both stories complement each other.
Instead of self-pity or anger, Gregor is mostly ashamed. He puts a tarp over himself when his sister or mother comes in to feed him food scraps. He loves his family and feels disgusted by his appearance and inability to provide for them. Would it have been different if he had not been the exception? Would he have thrived in a society composed of beautiful insects instead of 'Ungeziefer'? He is still a social being and devastated that he is now the exception, having worked so hard to meet the norm.
The 'kleinbürgerliche' attitude of the family, the narrow-minded, self-centered and materialistic reaction to Gregor's predicament manifests itself with increasing severity towards the end of the story. When Gregor shows himself in the living room, his father throws an apple at him, wounding Gregor for months. Anger presides, the father chases Gregor through the living room as punishment for leaving his room (or prison), for attempting to be a human. At some point, his sister pleads that 'something should be done about Gregor', not out of love for her brother, but about a kind of utilitarianism towards her family.
Gregor grows weaker, he dies while expressing his love for his family, they go out for a lovely day to the park, feeling relieved and thinking about their future. To them, Gregor had already been dead.
'Kafkaesque' is generally seen as a word describing a societal power structure, like a legal or governmental body, that is complex, irrational, of which only limited knowledge can be obtained, and that wields uncomfortable power over its subjects. In the Trial (Der Prozeß), Kafka's longest work and my favorite book by him, the main character is indeed entangled in a legal trial over which he has no power. It's this lack of control and the subjection to power that can be seen as well in 'Die Verwandlung'. In the case of this short story however, this power comes from society and family. Arguably even scarier, since Gregor Samsa has full knowledge of their hate for him after his transformation. There is no obfuscation, no mystery - yet still a real Kafkaesque description of irrational power. It reflects the potential horror of social pressure, it is a warning against the 'tyranny of the majority' as described by JS Mill.
I definitely recommend reading it for its social critique and vivid storytelling. Additionally, I recommend to read 'der Prozeß', as both stories complement each other.
August 14, 2024
Franz Kafka hat einen erschreckend Präzision. Eine noch nie da gewesen Modern. Zeitlos, lassen seine Texte uns interpretieren.
Die Geschichte der Verwandlung hat es mir angetan. Es gibt stellen, da verbleibt man in einer solchen Euphorie am lesen, dass man gar nicht aufhören möchte.
Dieses Buch ist für alle, die einen Interpretation ihres eigenen Lebens brauchen, die sie wiederfinden werden, in Franz Kafka: Die Verwandlung
Die Geschichte der Verwandlung hat es mir angetan. Es gibt stellen, da verbleibt man in einer solchen Euphorie am lesen, dass man gar nicht aufhören möchte.
Dieses Buch ist für alle, die einen Interpretation ihres eigenen Lebens brauchen, die sie wiederfinden werden, in Franz Kafka: Die Verwandlung
October 1, 2025
Der Plot, dass Gregor Samsa in einen Käfer verwandelt ist an und für sich natürlich schonmal unschlagbar und sorgt für einen humoristisch-trockenen Einstieg.
Die Geschichte verläuft dann natürlich recht tragisch - wie sollte sie auch sonst.
Hat im Deutschunterricht spaß gemacht zu analysieren, in der Mitte dann teils etwas unspannend; besonders der Zusammenhang zwischen Gregors Verhältnis zu seinem Vater und dem Verhältnis von Kafka und seinem Vater waren interessant zu diskutieren.
Die Geschichte verläuft dann natürlich recht tragisch - wie sollte sie auch sonst.
Hat im Deutschunterricht spaß gemacht zu analysieren, in der Mitte dann teils etwas unspannend; besonders der Zusammenhang zwischen Gregors Verhältnis zu seinem Vater und dem Verhältnis von Kafka und seinem Vater waren interessant zu diskutieren.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews