I have to confess, I own a rather nice little compilation of Kafka's shorter works. It is through this that I've been able to read his work, and share my thoughts on his stories. Some of them aren't fantasy or scifi, but they are certainly all obscure. Of course, I'm not going to just be reviewing every little story that I read by him, I'm simply pointing out the ones that I feel need attention drawn to. And, I can confidentially say, The Metamorphosis deserves a little attention. When Gregor Samsa wakes as a giant bug, his life takes a turn for the worse... but if it was ever good is the real question. The Metamorphosis is, hands down, the most popular tale that Franz Kafka ever turned out - and for good reason. Not often can a story deal with topics such as ignorance, desperation, the expectations of others, and alienation without being completely heavy handed. Somehow, the concept of a travelling salesmen being turned into a giant bug is the perfect device in which to express these ideas. Who would have known? I can't say I had high expectations with this one. Many times have I read the stories of the late 1800's and early 1900's, heard endless praise about some extremely unique idea, and been completely disappointed with the overall execution. It feels like the stories of that time had some very brave ideas, but no one really knew how to make them be. The Metamorphosis succeeds in expressing a unique idea, and explores it in a completely unique and satisfying way. Page One, Line One, tells you that Gregor has been changed. He has no idea how to get off the bed, how to interact with others, or how to walk; deal with his condition. A lot of times is spent watching him adjust to his new body and it's quirks, and getting over his single minded mentality when it comes to work. You see, Gregor's biggest issue is his obsession with work and providing for others, his life as a man was little else. And, strangely but effectively, its through Kafka's exploration of Gregor's human life and his family that you learn that things really never were ideal. Gregor was never a man of much besides work, same with his father, and because of this, when Gregor's work-life and money is removed from the equation, he becomes a burden on his parents and sister - a spec that they soon grow tired of taking care of, and long to move on from. Wow. As a man, who was often told that if I didn't work I'd be useless (by both real parents and step parents) in his youth, I can relate. Its also due to this relation that I can look over some of the overall silliness of the writing. At times, Kafka's confidence shines through and it can really hurt what he's trying to say. Moments that are supposed to be dreadful or profound realizations can come off as too direct or too preachy, especially during the end of the story. Ultimately, the tale concludes with the reader being filled in enough on the family, their situation, and Gregor's life to accept his eventual fate. Kakfa has a strange way of making you feel like, perhaps, it was the best option - providing a significant moral dilemma for the reader. It really does, I read this story nearly a week before writing this article and I can say that it sticks with you. The Metamorphosis really is a harrowing tale about a man who is turned into a bug, and the story and themes it expresses are easy for anyone to relate too. Better yet, Kafka's more simplistic and essay-style of writing really works here, almost anyone out of high-school could read this without any difficulty. - unlike Lovecraft or the Lord Dunsany. - L.BROOKS
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NOTE: This story was written in 1912, I think if you haven't read it by now, that's your problem - so, in this case, SPOILERS. I have, for a long time, wanted to read Franz Kafka. A lot of the reason behind this is that I, for some reason, drew some parallels between his ideas and those of H.P. Lovecraft. In some part, they are similar, but, at the same time, they couldn't be more apart from another - in content, tone, and structure. Not only that, but Lovecraft had a more anxious approach to how he presented his ideas, his character as a person bled into the stories he wrote, and same goes for Kafka. Only, Franz Kafka was clearly a much more confident man, and he had a lot of faith in his ideas - as well as, clearly, a host of people patting him on the back. The Judgement is a short story that clearly was written in a bout of egotism, and, somehow, throughout the years this story has garnered a following by people who think that its some sort of masterpiece - it isn't. Simply because this piece was written in a single sitting does not excuse the nonsense pace and nonsensical plot twists, nor does the age. The writers of Kafka's time were legendary and continue to be to this day, why does this low point in his journey as a writer get so much attention - why did he consider it a 'masterpiece?' Anyhow, the story follows Georg - who begins by writing a letter to his friend, who George isn't sure should receive judgement for his actions within this letter - either for staying in a particularly bad, uncertain situation, or for not returning to his home, where things may or may not be better. So, not knowing what to do, Georg sets about sending him a mail concerning little tidbits about his life and events back home, avoiding the subject and, as far as he knows, letting his friend live his life. And, the question of if he should mention his upcoming marriage occurs... Yes, it seems Georg has quite the dilemma. Sadly, Kafka deals with it in the most obscure, nonsensical way possible. Georg goes to tell his father of what is going on, which somehow immediately leads to Georg cowering before the man, who screams and tells him how it was, somehow, terrible how he communicated with his friend, and how his marriage was simple because the woman was the only person who'd sleep with him... despite their relationship being explained as a very long one in which they'd begun to co-exist rather happily? It is at this point the story just took a dive to me, rather then exploring the complicated nature of taking a, seemingly, middle path with his friend and what exactly that implies during a time where letters were a very important means of communication, or the possible confusion and horrors that could come from that, Kafka simply implies that disinformation as a whole is bad; almost as if it is the epitome of evil in his mind. Which, even if it is (which wouldn't be surprising seeing his history as a law student), doesn't sync up with Georg's actions - as he does not provide disinformation to his friend, he simply opts to provide little to none information, only once lying about his relationship and then immediately admitting this, opting to invite his friend to the wedding. Apparently having no faith in Georg, his friend and his father hatch a plot where Georg's father provides his friend with information to see if Georg will tell him? It's as confusing to comment on as it is to think about, really. Anyhow, this all somehow ends with Georg's father telling Georg to kill himself, so he does. Truly, The Judgement is Kafka's weakest piece of writing and it is held up by a mountain of excuses about absurdity and the general idea that it was 'a product of the time' - even though it wasn't. You want some really good Kafka? Read one of his other tales, almost any other tale. -L. BROOKS |
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