Reviews with content warning for Death - The Trial

Not a huge fan. Not a lot really happens, not in the sense that it's a bueracratic nightmare and stuck in limbo, just like there are only 5 or so scenes of note. IMO you could read the first ~40 or 50 pages and then the last chapter and wouldn't have missed much.

The unfinished-ness of it also detracts; I had to read many of the deleted sections to realize what was going on, and one of the chapters that's included in the book is just unfinished and stops in the middle of a paragraph.

I remember enjoying the metamorphisis, so I don't think it was Kafka that I didn't enjoy.

Content Warnings

savvyrosereads's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense 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? Yes

3.5

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

A classic of legal literature and bureaucratic trauma, The Trial tells the story of Josef K., arrested for a crime he did not commit and subjected to a year-long trial with no apparent due process.

I’ve been hearing about this one for a while—it’s one of those books people say you should read when law school bound, but I missed that step—and am glad to have finally gotten to it! Overall, I’d call it relatively absurdist, which can be a lot of fun but isn’t exactly what I was expecting. That said, it’s certainly thought-provoking, and I desperately wish I was reading it in an academic context so that I could discuss and dissect it properly!

Note that I read the “new” translation by Breon Mitchell (can it still be called new when it was published in the 90’s?) and enjoyed it + the helpful introduction/translator’s note at the beginning (though the note did include some significant spoilers!)

Recommended if you like: classics; absurd fiction; character-driven stories.

CW: Violence; death; government oppression; some suggested sexual violence.

Content Warnings

parkmajor_books's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

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jeremie's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.0

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