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The Metamorphosis
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Adina (notifications back, log out, clear cache) 's review
bookshelves: classics, w-modern-world-literature, czech
Mar 01, 2019
bookshelves: classics, w-modern-world-literature, czech
4* for the novella + 1* for Benedict Cumberbatch narration ( I adore his voice).
A family (mother, father and sister) are forced to become responsible and find jobs when the son, the sole provider of the family, has a sort of a disease and cannot work anymore. As he becomes useless he is marginalized and despised. I almost forgot, the disease is that the son wakes up in the morning as a cockroach.
Methamorphosis is considered one of the best books ever written which is quite remarkable considering its size. To succeed to have such an impact in a few pages is an accomplishment. At a first glance it is the story of Gregor Samsa, who wakes up transformed as a vermin and becomes treated like one by the family. As with great literature, and with Kafka in particular, there is more than meets the eye.
Some of the themes that come to my mind (and some that I read in other reviews) are:
- What happens when a person is no longer sociable acceptable and it becomes marginalized
- The novel can be seen as a critic of discrimination or
- Kafka’s own existential suffering and his alienation from the world ( I think some reading about Kafka’s life is needed to better understand his work).
- A fable of Jews’ condition
For a better and more in depth analysis of the novella please check Vladimir Nabokov’s contribution: http://www.kafka.org/index.php?id=191...
A family (mother, father and sister) are forced to become responsible and find jobs when the son, the sole provider of the family, has a sort of a disease and cannot work anymore. As he becomes useless he is marginalized and despised. I almost forgot, the disease is that the son wakes up in the morning as a cockroach.
Methamorphosis is considered one of the best books ever written which is quite remarkable considering its size. To succeed to have such an impact in a few pages is an accomplishment. At a first glance it is the story of Gregor Samsa, who wakes up transformed as a vermin and becomes treated like one by the family. As with great literature, and with Kafka in particular, there is more than meets the eye.
Some of the themes that come to my mind (and some that I read in other reviews) are:
- What happens when a person is no longer sociable acceptable and it becomes marginalized
- The novel can be seen as a critic of discrimination or
- Kafka’s own existential suffering and his alienation from the world ( I think some reading about Kafka’s life is needed to better understand his work).
- A fable of Jews’ condition
For a better and more in depth analysis of the novella please check Vladimir Nabokov’s contribution: http://www.kafka.org/index.php?id=191...
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Reading Progress
September 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
to-read
September 29, 2014
– Shelved
October 10, 2014
– Shelved as:
classics
August 17, 2016
– Shelved as:
w-modern-world-literature
October 8, 2018
– Shelved as:
czech
February 15, 2019
–
Started Reading
March 1, 2019
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 54 (54 new)
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Mar 01, 2019 08:07PM
Excellent review Adina .......... I really need to read this.
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Nice review, Adina. I read this many years ago.Cumberbatch may have a nice voice, but I do not care for him...
Kafka AND Cumberbatch? That's almost too good to be true! :-)
If you liked the Novella Metamorphosis, you may find Penal Colony, Investigations of a Dog, Josef K.; Nocturnal Deliberations and The Burrow of great interest.... see KAFKA UNLEASHED.
Hi, Adina. I like your review and was also impressed by this book.
Richard wrote: "Excellent review Adina .......... I really need to read this." Thank you, yes you should.
||Swaroop|| wrote: "Wonderful, Adina!" Thanks
JV wrote: "Beautiful review, Adina! Oh, I must get the audiobook! I love Benedict Cumberbatch! 🤗" Me too. Go get it.
Tahera wrote: "Great review!" Thanks
Barbara wrote: "Nice review, Adina. I read this many years ago.Cumberbatch may have a nice voice, but I do not care for him..." You don’t care for the book either :)) For you it would have been a bad combo.
Meike wrote: "Kafka AND Cumberbatch? That's almost too good to be true! :-)" This time it is true.
Phillip wrote: "If you liked the Novella Metamorphosis, you may find Penal Colony, Investigations of a Dog, Josef K.; Nocturnal Deliberations and The Burrow of great interest.... see KAFKA UNLEASHED." Thanks for the reccomendations. I will check them out.
Markus wrote: "Hi, Adina. I like your review and was also impressed by this book." Thank you Markus.
Awesome review Adina!💖😉
Kat wrote: "Awesome review Adina!💖😉" Thank you!
A superb review. There's a perfect match of your four themes with the ones I mention in my own review...
Fernando wrote: "A superb review. There's a perfect match of your four themes with the ones I mention in my own review..." Thank you. I found your review to be one of the best (I speak Spanish), I could see how much you appreciate the author. The idea that one of the themes is the the suffering of Jews was from you. I knew he was Jew and his problems with his origin as i visited the author's museum in Prague. When I read your review the quote you selected made sense.
Adina wrote: "Fernando wrote: "A superb review. There's a perfect match of your four themes with the ones I mention in my own review..." Thank you. I found your review to be one of the best (I speak Spanish), I ..."Thank you. It's unbelievable, but I stayed three days in Prague in 2007, but I couldn't go to his museum. I'll regret it forever...
I loved this book Adina! Glad you did too! 😁
Excellent review, Adina. Spot on with the themes.
Kevin wrote: "Excellent review, Adina. Spot on with the themes." Thanks Kevin
Some (I think) critical aspects of Metamorphosis that are typically missed, eg. read right through:1) Gregor's Walks Upon the CEILING of his room.... walks that he has to abandon due to the wound he suffers from....
2) What did the Cleaning Lady have to say at the end, words that she only expressed in exasperation by Slamming the Door Shut....
3) the ostrich feather waving in the wind....
etc.
Phillip wrote: "Some (I think) critical aspects of Metamorphosis that are typically missed, eg. read right through:1) Gregor's Walks Upon the CEILING of his room.... walks that he has to abandon due to the wound ..." I got the first detail, do not remember about the other two.
Excellent and measures review and contains all the philosophy oy human estrangement
Good review. Intelligent, well told.
Josephine wrote: "Good review. Intelligent, well told." Thank you.
Great review Adina! I wanted to read some work from Kafka too and I think Metamorphisis could be a good start.
Ahmed wrote: "Great review Adina! I wanted to read some work from Kafka too and I think Metamorphisis could be a good start." Yes, It is. I also read The Trial and i think this one is better as a start.
Good review. Have you read The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Tolstoy? It is a novella and a great read.
Nice review Adina, the themes if isolation, suppression, and marginalisation are very important and interesting aspects of the story.
Mike wrote: "Good review. Have you read The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Tolstoy? It is a novella and a great read." I plan to read in the following months. I have an arc of a new translation.
Craig wrote: "Nice review Adina, the themes if isolation, suppression, and marginalisation are very important and interesting aspects of the story." Thank you. yes they are important themes.
I listened to this in Spanish, but would gladly listen to it again in English if it's Mr Cumberbatch reading ;). Where did you get the audiobook? Thanks!
Lavinia Stela Andrei wrote: "I listened to this in Spanish, but would gladly listen to it again in English if it's Mr Cumberbatch reading ;). Where did you get the audiobook? Thanks!" I got it from Audible at a sale.
"+ 1* for Benedict Cumberbatch narration" -- LOL!
Suden wrote: ""+ 1* for Benedict Cumberbatch narration" -- LOL!" Well, i am very objective, I know.
Adina (taking a break from literary fiction) wrote: "Lavinia Stela Andrei wrote: "I listened to this in Spanish, but would gladly listen to it again in English if it's Mr Cumberbatch reading ;). Where did you get the audiobook? Thanks!" I got it from..."Thanks, Adina!
Ooh nice, I didn't know Benedict Cumberbatch narrated The Metamorphosis. Now I've got to listen to it. :)
Luiza wrote: "Ooh nice, I didn't know Benedict Cumberbatch narrated The Metamorphosis. Now I've got to listen to it. :)" Yes, you do.
Nice review, Adina. The Metamorphosis is my all-time favorite :)
Gaurav wrote: "Nice review, Adina. The Metamorphosis is my all-time favorite :)" It is an excellent novella.
Excellent review! I've heard about Vladimir Nabokov’s analysis of this story but haven't read it yet. Thanks for sharing the link.The Metamorphosis is my favorite Kafka's novel after The Castle .
Nika wrote: "Excellent review! I've heard about Vladimir Nabokov’s analysis of this story but haven't read it yet. Thanks for sharing the link.The Metamorphosis is my favorite Kafka's novel after The Castle ." I haven't read The Castle but i hope to do it soon.
Had I known BC was the narrator is gave listened to the AB rather than reading. Ugh lol
Cassandra wrote: "Had I known BC was the narrator is gave listened to the AB rather than reading."I'm sorry for your loss, Cassandra. But it may yet serve a purpose, if that consoles you. For your comment reminds me -- I had neglected to add this novella, and it suits my "short literary works" planning.
And I, too, shall (naturally) endeavour to acquire Bannerditch Cumberbockt's audio rendering, if I can. (Or don't we do the BC syllable hussle anymore? It was a meme, decades ago...)
Cassandra wrote: "Had I known BC was the narrator is gave listened to the AB rather than reading. Ugh lol" i am sorry you did not read my review earlier. When you feel like you need a re-read BC will be there for you.
Adina wrote: "When you feel like you need a re-read BC will be there for you."@Adina: No, he won't; not for a while. Cassandra had her chance. He's mine now. (o0_) 'If you want him, come and claim him!'
@Cassandra: I'll let you know when I'm done with him, and send him over. (^^,)
Jacob wrote: "Amazing review!" Thank you Jacob
