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A review by whats_allie_reading
The Trial by Franz Kafka
4.0
I love classic lit with lore, and The Trial has that in spades. of course, the author has his own air of mystery around him, infusing philosophy into mind-bending stories, and famously burning the majority of his writings before they stood a chance of publication. this book, however, evaded a fiery demise and was published posthumously. there is one chapter that is noticeably unfinished, and debate continues 100 years later as to whether that chapter, and the book as a whole, were left that way with intention or simply were not completed before Kafka’s death.
•
the story begins with Josef K. being informed, in a noticeably unconventional way, that he is being charged with a crime and will face trial. what he is not told, however, is of what crime he is accused and by which court he will be tried. he spends each chapter trying to navigate this infuriatingly opaque indictment, encountering fascinating characters along the way. he bounces between near manic concern about his future and an eerie calm about this unprecedented situation. the reader is desperately searching for answers and meaning right alongside the narrator.
•
to be honest, I spent the first 80% of the book deeply confused and genuinely stressed out. it didn’t make a damn bit of sense. the final chapters of the book, however, introduced a new lens to Josef’s predicament that made me see the whole story as a number of allegories. at one point, I audibly said “OHHHHH okay!” and finally started to make some sense of it all. of course, the specific topic for which this a metaphor or allegory continues to be hotly debated, though I have a particular favorite theory myself. I wonder what you will believe after reading it.
•
the story begins with Josef K. being informed, in a noticeably unconventional way, that he is being charged with a crime and will face trial. what he is not told, however, is of what crime he is accused and by which court he will be tried. he spends each chapter trying to navigate this infuriatingly opaque indictment, encountering fascinating characters along the way. he bounces between near manic concern about his future and an eerie calm about this unprecedented situation. the reader is desperately searching for answers and meaning right alongside the narrator.
•
to be honest, I spent the first 80% of the book deeply confused and genuinely stressed out. it didn’t make a damn bit of sense. the final chapters of the book, however, introduced a new lens to Josef’s predicament that made me see the whole story as a number of allegories. at one point, I audibly said “OHHHHH okay!” and finally started to make some sense of it all. of course, the specific topic for which this a metaphor or allegory continues to be hotly debated, though I have a particular favorite theory myself. I wonder what you will believe after reading it.