Reviews with content warning for Body horror - The Metamorphosis

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The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

126 reviews

thespycrowreads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.5

Having just finished "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka, I'm compelled to share my thoughts on this intriguing literary work that captured my attention from the start. Introduced to me through a recommendation on my Pinterest feed and conveniently available in my eBook library, Kafka's tale proved to be a captivating exploration of the human psyche.
Written in a straightforward style, the novel follows the unsettling journey of Gregor Samsa, who wakes one morning to find himself transformed into a colossal insect. Despite the bizarre circumstances, Gregor's initial concern is for his family, setting the stage for a poignant examination of duty, sacrifice, and the human condition.
Kafka's narrative unfolds through Gregor's perspective, inviting readers to empathize with his plight as he grapples with his newfound existence. Through Gregor's eyes, we witness his struggles to maintain his humanity amidst his family's rejection and the physical challenges of his metamorphosis. One of the novel's most compelling aspects is Kafka's masterful characterization of Gregor, whose unwavering devotion to his family contrasts sharply with their gradual abandonment of him. This theme of familial obligation resonates deeply throughout the story, underscoring the complexities of human relationships and societal expectations.
However, while Kafka's narrative prowess is undeniable, the novel leaves several questions unanswered, most notably the origin of Gregor's transformation and the lack of a detailed description of his insect form. These unresolved elements may leave some readers craving greater clarity and depth. Despite these shortcomings, "The Metamorphosis" remains a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant work that lingers in the mind long after the final page. Its existential themes and rich symbolism offer readers a compelling glimpse into the human experience, making it a worthy addition to any literary repertoire.

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1orne's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

m1m1m1m1's review

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

goemonxiii's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

Metamorphosis may not be for everybody in the sense that it's slow, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and needed to hear its message at the time. The best way I can describe the "point" of this book is that you can't wait around for people to save you regardless of your relationship with them, and in order to get better you have to take matters into your own hands and save yourself. I read this as a teenager while I was struggling with personal and family problems, and as difficult and hard as the message was, I needed to hear it. I was like Gregor Samsa in the sense that I was struggling yet wasn't getting the help I needed from my family, and it was this book that taught me that I had to be the one to take the initiative and help myself instead of waiting around for someone else to save me.

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buzzinfly's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

A fairly conceptually challenging novella from Kafka, though it's one of his shorter and easier reads. Ha.

The story famously opens up with our protagonist, Gregor Samsa, waking up from "troubled dreams" to discover that he has transformed into a "kind of giant bug" or "monstrous vermin."
This creates an image of something like a beetle, centipede, or cockroach in the reader's mind.

Samsa's first thought, unlike I would have thought, was not how to adapt to his transformation or how to somehow reverse it, but how he is going to manage to get to his work, which, implied by the narrator, Samsa hates. Further into the book, it is also revealed that his father went bankrupt before the events of the story, and Gregor took the role of the breadwinner to support his parents and teenage sister Grete.

After contemplating on his current situation for several hours, Gregor's boss comes to the house in person to either scold Samsa, or - the less likely option - simply to see if he was okay. After panicking, Gregor forces himself out of bed, and uses his teeth to unlock the door. His new appearance surprises his family and boss,

though instead of showing sympathy, his family gradually begin to ungratefully complain that he is a burden, despite the fact that Gregor in fact provided the family with food and a roof under their heads;

he was clearly

struggling with this pressure already,

as implied by the

flashbacks and reminiscing

at the start of the book.

The family begins to rent out rooms in their house to earn more money, and after the charlady neglects to close Gregor's door,

(nobody ever goes in there anymore, and Gregor had been surviving on miniscule amounts of rotten food given to him by his sweet younger sister) Gregor travels to the room where his family are watching Grete play violin. The tenants catch sight of Gregor, and immediately leave, complaining that the house is unsanitary and not fit for them to stay in.

This causes Grete to

lose her patience, and tell her parents to get rid of "it" or they will all be "ruined."

Gregor,

realising he is not wanted, returns to his room

and

commits suicide by starving himself;

he is

dead when the charlady enters his room the next day.

The family

travels to the countryside

after

disposing of Gregor's corpse, and think about moving to a smaller apartment.

The book ends on a

sardonic note, with Mr and Mrs Samsa noticing that Grete has grown into a beautiful young woman, and they must find her a husband.

And what an end to the book that was. Was Gregor's metamorphosis literal, or was it something to be understood much deeper? Was it all a metaphor for work, stress, finance, or something else? Despite the novella's message being quite a mystery, Gregor's burdens and struggles seem to be pretty relatable to most readers.

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flamesocks's review against another edition

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dark funny reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

not_another_ana's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.25

I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself.

It's the oldest story in the world, one morning Gregor Samsa wakes up to find that he has been turned into a giant insect. It's not funny he has a job to get to! What if he gets fired? What will his elderly parents and younger sister do now? And so begins the rest of Gregor Samsa's life where he's stuck in an implausible situation while the world around him continues to turn.

I think there's a lot that could be said about this book. In this day and age, I see what happens to him immediately after his transformation as a metaphor for how we're all replaceable labor and your work doesn't care about you. It could also be about chronic illness or mental illness and how it affects not only the person suffering from it but their loved ones. Hell, we could even interpret the family as moochers who jumped ship the second Gregor couldn't provide them his all. I will let all these interpretations and analysis to others smarter than me, and I will say that I enjoyed reading this and it's a classic that has a lot of worth.

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wends_nblw's review against another edition

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reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.25

I'm very indifferent about this book. I enjoyed hearing Gregor's thoughts, but I wasn't fond of the writing. I wouldn't say it was a depressing read, but it was very melancholy.

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thomgeg's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

A lot of this book feels like a personal attack.

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c_alexander's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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