Reviews with content warning for Chronic illness - Metamorphosis and Other Stories (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

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.

Content Warnings

lotties_corner's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.75

You would think that a novel about a man waking one morning as a bug would be comedic, but no.
Kafka’s sad and at times grotesque of Gregor’s sudden transformation reflects so much of how we as humans handle work, relationships and illness.
Through three doors, and a multitude of religious references, we are taken through Gregor’s complicated relationship with his father, heightened by his own struggles with communication.
Metamorphosis is an alarming tale of isolation, hurt and rejection that reflects the sad monotony of life for those living with incurable conditions. Kafka shows us that our worth and self-perception too often comes from others.

Content Warnings

clovetra's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

oh wow how i loved this.
let me first off say this was given to me through a giveaway here on StoryGraph, and i am so thankful for audrey for giving me this!
this was my first audiobook, and boy was it a treat
i loved not only the story, but the narration techniques, the music, and how i could truly *feel* gregor's despair. also ngl audrey's little recaps are a blessing.
the story itself was so beautiful. i loved how simple it was to grasp the underlying metaphor, yet i could still easily fall in love. kafka's writing has a sort of lyrical sense to it, and im addicted.
also i loved how pathetic gregor was.
i just loved everything about this. i cant put into words why greatly, i just really had a good time reading this.
also this made me cry and literally only 2 other books have done that to me

Content Warnings