Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman who supports his parents and younger sister with a job he hates, wakes one morning to discover that he has turned into an enormous insect-like creature. His first worries are not about his body but about missing his train and angering his employer, whose chief clerk soon arrives at the family flat to ask why he is late.
The story then follows how the Samsa household reorganises itself around Gregor, who is confined to his room. His sister Grete at first brings him food and tries to understand what he likes, while his father reacts with violence. As money grows tight, the family takes in lodgers and returns to work, and Gregor listens from behind his door as their feelings toward him shift.
Kafka tells the bizarre premise in a calm, matter-of-fact style that makes it more unsettling. Published in German in 1915, the novella has been read as a parable of alienation, of the dehumanising effect of work, of family duty and of illness and disability. It is one of the most influential short works of the twentieth century.
Book details
| Author | Franz Kafka |
|---|---|
| First published | 1915 |
| Original language | German |
| Translated by | Willa and Edwin Muir |
| Genre | Classic |
| Type | Fiction |
| Pages (approx.) | 70 |
| Setting | The Samsa family flat in an unnamed city, early 20th century |
Themes
- Alienation
- Family duty
- Identity
- Work and dehumanisation
- Absurdity
Who should read it
Readers who want a short, strange and haunting classic that rewards rereading and discussion.