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librarymouse's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.5
The Metamorphosis is an interesting look at a young man who has become the breadwinner for his family, who is suddenly transformed into a giant insect. He first tries to stay in bed and recover, equating the feeling of being an insect to bone deep exhaustion from his taxing job as a traveling salesman. As the time passes past his intended wake up alarm, and then past the time he's supposed to board his train to work, Gregor pushes himself to get up and go to work, telling himself he will make the next train. When the manager from his job comes to check in on him under the assumption that he is lazy and all workers willing to miss a day must be lazy and not ill, Gregor pushes himself to the point of injury to open the door and try to explain his tardiness. He longs to return to work, or more likely dreads the possibility of losing his work and thus his family's livelihood. It's sometimes interpreted that The Metamorphosis is a metaphor for how capitalism crushes the spirit, which I do see in Gregor's distress at the idea of missing work and his overbearing bosses, but I find that view of the intended message in conflict with its conclusion. When the parents see how industrious the sister has become in the time spent working and caring for Gregor, and how she's grown and aged, she's seen as more valuable. At the beginning of the novel, they are reliant on Gregor. Though they're still flawed; the father's stubbornness, the mother's delicacy, and the sister's short fuse, the characters are stronger, healthier, and more ready for what the world can throw at them because they've joined the work force. It's an interesting exploration of loneliness and isolation. Applying a contemporary lens, I initially interpreted it as a discussion on depression and/or disability and the weight of caring for a loved one who is unable to care for themself. The way they view Gregor as unreachable and a burden, unable to understand them because they can't understand his attempts at communication is heartbreaking and familiar in how non-speaking disabled people are often viewed and treated currently and in the past. The Metamorphosis was written at an interesting time, as WWI had begun just over a year before. The novel was published as shell shocked and newly disabled veterans were beginning to be sent back home from the front lines. While Kafka didn't serve during WWI, Gregor's isolation and loneliness may have been a comfort for the newly returned soldiers.
I wasn't initially drawn in when I tried reading The Metamorphosis, but I really enjoyed the libriVox audiobook I listened to. To hear it read aloud, makes Gregor's desperation for connection all the more tangible.
I wasn't initially drawn in when I tried reading The Metamorphosis, but I really enjoyed the libriVox audiobook I listened to. To hear it read aloud, makes Gregor's desperation for connection all the more tangible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
claudia_moreira's review against another edition
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death and Violence
mihai26's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
3.5
Interesting read.
One of Gregor's first thoughts after realizing his transformation is that he will miss work. This shows how much stress can create the fact that he is solely responsible for his family's financial stability and summarizes the pressure put on workers in a capitalist society.
Besides the classical father complex that critics mention, I really liked to focus on Greta's own metamorphosis. She is the one who keeps the tie between Gregor and the rest of the family and she is the one who takes care of him. While starting out of kindness, she loses the connection to him and loathes her new "duties". In fact, Gregor affects his family so negatively that even Greta considers him just an insect, wanting to get rid of <i>it</i>, which in turn convinces Gregor to starve himself.
Kafka puts Gregor and his family in a very interesting antithesis. He has a depressing life, both before and after the transformation, while his family gets better and better. Greta matures, gets a job, and might soon marry, the parents get jobs as well, become financially stable and move into a new residence.
The only thing that annoyed me is how a few parts seemed to happen without a reason - just as a simple example, nobody questioned how Gregor actually turned into an insect.
One of Gregor's first thoughts after realizing his transformation is that he will miss work. This shows how much stress can create the fact that he is solely responsible for his family's financial stability and summarizes the pressure put on workers in a capitalist society.
Besides the classical father complex that critics mention, I really liked to focus on Greta's own metamorphosis. She is the one who keeps the tie between Gregor and the rest of the family and she is the one who takes care of him. While starting out of kindness, she loses the connection to him and loathes her new "duties". In fact, Gregor affects his family so negatively that even Greta considers him just an insect, wanting to get rid of <i>it</i>, which in turn convinces Gregor to starve himself.
Kafka puts Gregor and his family in a very interesting antithesis. He has a depressing life, both before and after the transformation, while his family gets better and better. Greta matures, gets a job, and might soon marry, the parents get jobs as well, become financially stable and move into a new residence.
The only thing that annoyed me is how a few parts seemed to happen without a reason - just as a simple example, nobody questioned how Gregor actually turned into an insect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Body horror
Moderate: Death and Suicide
festiveconclave's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Body horror
Moderate: Death and Suicide
li_reading's review against another edition
4.0
I think it’s incredibly telling that I find a bug-man to be relatable
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, and Confinement
halfpricessword's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
Moderate: Body horror, Physical abuse, and Violence
Minor: Animal death, Death, and Eating disorder
enabditouri_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death and Death
fujo_cat's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.0
Man, what a great book! The beginning was a bit boring ngl, but the ending, oh man! It was incredible how tragic and depressing the situation was - how irl we are valued mainly for our capacity to work. People like Gregor, who can't work (be it due to mental or physical illness, disability, etc) are everywhere and we treat them just like his family did - first, ignoring there's even someone who needs help and understanding; then, treating them with disgust and pity; and finally, tired we have to give them our attention to look good, we throw them aside and leave them to die. We live in a world in which bodies who can't work 24/7 are useless and therefore easily discarded, not even regarding them as people, only soldiers in their field.
People are more than their job; they are more than their paycheck. Reading this while in the pandemic hit especially hard... It's disgusting how accurate the way we treat others who can't work is. And the problem isn't "yeah, everyone should work!"; people shouldn't NEED to work as much as they do with the technology we now have. If we had a better planned economy who didn't rely on people literally dying for their paycheck to pay their nourishment and roof, we could stop having such a depressing way of looking at poor people and people who work at jobs considered "low-end", like retail.
Anyways, rant over. I really enjoyed this, especially considering its size-it's so tiny and yet the message is huge. 4/5 ⭐
People are more than their job; they are more than their paycheck. Reading this while in the pandemic hit especially hard... It's disgusting how accurate the way we treat others who can't work is. And the problem isn't "yeah, everyone should work!"; people shouldn't NEED to work as much as they do with the technology we now have. If we had a better planned economy who didn't rely on people literally dying for their paycheck to pay their nourishment and roof, we could stop having such a depressing way of looking at poor people and people who work at jobs considered "low-end", like retail.
Anyways, rant over. I really enjoyed this, especially considering its size-it's so tiny and yet the message is huge. 4/5 ⭐
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Abandonment
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, Blood, and Grief
roncanread's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
nataliapassos's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Body horror