cursed_sapphire's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I don't know if I loved this because I related so hard to parts of it or because I'm a philosophy sucker who loves nothing more than a complex exploration of what it means to be human, but I really loved this. Despite the absurdity, everything in this book felt so grounded and realistic, with the main character losing more of his humanity as he grows more and more isolated. I don't want to spoil the ending, but I really loved it. I couldn’t recommend this highly enough, especially due to how short it is.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/injury detail
Minor: Violence
margaret_s_library's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/injury detail, Miscarriage, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Death, and Ableism
grace_cr1's review against another edition
fast-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Injury/injury detail, Body horror, Violence, Misogyny, Death, Abandonment, Animal death, and Confinement
olddustjacket's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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: Body horror, Death, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, and Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Injury/injury detail, Gore, and Abandonment
emilia_thereader's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-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
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Injury/injury detail, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Confinement, and Abandonment
Moderate: Grief and Emotional abuse
Minor: Blood
freckled_frog's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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
4.5
Okay, it’s Kafka, and an extremely absurdist novel which means there is lots of ways to interpret this.
But the main thought i got when reading was “well, that’s capitalism innit“
It seemed to me like it showed how disability is treated in a capitalist society.
He hinders their ability to gain money and keep it (ie with the renters), they all collectively have to put in more work to keep him alive (ie the new jobs in order to cover his debt, rent for the house, and his expenses), and he wasn’t allowed to be seen if the family wanted to maintain their status.
And when he died it was like a burden was lifted from the family - indicating gregor was the burden.
These are all experiences of disabled people who live in such a society as this, and i think it’s a really good critique of it, in a magical realism type of way.
But the main thought i got when reading was “well, that’s capitalism innit“
It seemed to me like it showed how disability is treated in a capitalist society.
Spoiler
Not simply with his boss, but of what his considered value is among his family. He is only considered human (or of containing humanity) if he is of some use to the family. And the more he is seen as “useless” the more they stop caring about him.He hinders their ability to gain money and keep it (ie with the renters), they all collectively have to put in more work to keep him alive (ie the new jobs in order to cover his debt, rent for the house, and his expenses), and he wasn’t allowed to be seen if the family wanted to maintain their status.
And when he died it was like a burden was lifted from the family - indicating gregor was the burden.
These are all experiences of disabled people who live in such a society as this,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Injury/injury detail, and Abandonment
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: Confinement, Injury/injury detail, and Body horror
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
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: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, and Confinement
Moderate: Injury/injury detail
Minor: Death and Animal death
leob'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. 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 ⭐
Spoiler
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.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: Abandonment and Confinement
Moderate: Injury/injury detail, Death, Toxic relationship, and Body horror
Minor: Animal death, Violence, Grief, Animal cruelty, and Blood
poirot's review against another edition
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/injury detail, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Death and Eating disorder