Book review: The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

It is typically hard for a story so short to captivate its reader, but I truly did fall under Kafka’s spell through his novella, The Metamorphosis.

The novella follows a travelling salesman named Gregor Samsa, who wakes up one morning to find he has inexplicably turned into a gigantic cockroach. Following this, he struggles to acclimate to his new body, and to sound human when he speaks. But, despite these issues, Gregor’s main concern is the possibility that he won’t be able to continue to carry out his job.

I’ve heard conversations about this novella and its commentary on the nature of capitalist systems, those that value work over anything else. The idea that being a cog that keeps a big wheel turning is the most worthy endeavour. Gregor’s being less concerned with his new body and how he’s going to get out of it than the likelihood of him catching his train to work adds to the absurdism of the story. I suppose most people in Gregor’s position probably would forget all about work and their usual responsibilities, and panic solely about their loss of humanity. Except, after a certain amount of time, it’s perhaps likely that we would start asking ourselves questions like: how will I ever catch my train? How will I work? How will I make money to bring back home to my family?

The scary thing, in Gregor’s case, is that his family really do only see value in him when he is able to provide for them. While at first his sister supports him and tries to feed him food he may enjoy in his new state, she ends up shunning him like their mother, who denies the reality of Gregor’s situation, and their father, who aggressively punishes him.

The thing that made me the most sad was Gregor’s increasing dehumanisation. Locked in his room with dust and dirt and rubbish that there isn’t a better place for in the house, Gregor’s new ‘uselessness’ has damned him to complete isolation. It was depressing to read about and almost made me nauseous.

I really felt for Gregor, and, by extension, I felt for Kafka, whose own experiences partially inspired the events of this novella. I would recommend this to anyone who feels isolated or rejected or who is questioning their role within society. I promise, it’s more important that you are a good person than a good money-maker.

“I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself.”

Rating: 3/5.