Reviews with content warning for Violence - The Trial

Look, I get it, Kafka is dry and literally nothing happens for too long before everything happens in one fell swoop. It's unpleasant either because its boring or the subject matter is untoward.

This shit is still hilarious.

It is by design that K. is unlikeable, that he endlessly struggles for answers that will never arrive, and that the otherwise setting follows a sort-of surreal, dream logic that is inaccessible. Kafka's concern with the long-winded legal and bureaucratic systems is made evident through all of these features and amplified. It's like capitalism is literally reinforcing itself and pressing down upon me, and all I can do is laugh. And I totally get how that is NOT the vibe for some readers, but for myself I applaud Kafka's ability to conjure such dread and absurdism in his deadpan prose-style.

On a more heartfelt note, the epilogue with Max Brod's note is bittersweet and it provides a bit of context for the surreal and endless purgatory K. (as well as many of Kafka's other characters) finds himself in.

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lynxpardinus's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective

4.25

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hannah_cogo's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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danicam's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? No

2.0

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_katie_little's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

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bishopbox's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? No

It wouldn’t feel fair to rate this because it’s not really a finished work. There’s several plot lines that don’t go anywhere and it feels very disjointed.
However, what is actually on page has an idea it’s going for, but it just keeps getting distracted. Overall, read it if you want to, but don’t expect this to be some masterpiece.

Spoiler review below:

I understand that this is supposed to be all about the hopelessness of being in a corrupt system where anyone can be declared guilty of a crime and punished without any sort of way to defend yourself, or even understand what is going on. And I think the character of Block and the final words of K do a good way of representing that. But DANG this book is mostly just K freaking out and everyone around him telling him to chill out and then him being super stubborn and argumentative. It also really left a bad taste in my mouth that the women are all treated terribly or as props. It’s hard to feel too sad for a guy that is so unlikeable.
I can see why somebody might connect with this book, but it just wasn’t for me. </spoiler

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sani0622's review against another edition

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challenging informative slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

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