Does Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka impress a critic’s mind?

I love reading books and reviewing them on my blog. This is a small way to help fellow readers make their next choice. My reviews also help authors to know how their books score on a critic’s mind? So here, I am talking about Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and how it impacted me for a few days post reading it. I am sure this post is a head turner to most of you irrespective of your liking or not liking the author’s writing style.

Metamorphosis the transformation

Metamorphosis means the physical change of a structure or substance. This novel Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is also about how the protagonist wakes up one fine day and finds himself changed into a vermin (bug). The story continues from here and deals with different emotional and substantial changes of Gregor Samsa (the protagonist) and his family. It’s interesting to know how all this gradually ends one day.

If you have joined The Creative Soul Club by Blogchatter then you would know the interesting discussions about the book and the author. My personal opinion is also impacted a lot after that Zoom call. So let’s start with what I thought of the book and the author.

My Review of Franz Kafka

As the book opens, it tells you about the life of Franz Kafka and how sometimes Metamorphosis is also called an autobiographical book by the author. After reading about his life and his relationship with his father, you will find much symbolism in the story also.

As soon as I read the blurb, I didn’t catch up with the fact that the protagonist turns into a bug. But I moved on because I wanted to know the reason behind this metamorphosis. During a pre-discussion session on this book, I heard a lot of praising of the author that drove me to instantly buy the book.

But as I experienced the reality, I was burdened with expectations from the author for many unanswered questions I had in my mind. I wished the author to be alive so that I could have cleared my doubts with him. I wanted to ask him why does he pass on his own depression to his readers too?

Actually, I didn’t relate to the author’s mentality of changing into a bug to describe the effect of real depression in a person’s life. Maybe because I have never imagined myself a bug how may ever depressed I have been at that time in my life.

My opinion after the discussion at The Creative Soul Club

As a critic’s mind also, I wanted to listen to why Kafka lovers love him? What’s that one thing that they see and I may be missing? I had decided to be a silent learner in the call and just observe others. But, on other’s encouragement, I kept my point in front of all and received many diverse opinions from all the members. It was an enlightening discussion about the author and his work.

• Kafka is different and his writing style denotes the deep meaning of life.
• Instead of symbolising that the protagonist feels like a bug, he changed into a bug. This expressed his life’s misery much deeper as first hand experienced.
• He accepted the present form and his current situation. Aren’t we crippling about the past or chasing the future?

Metamorphosis in many ways

The author expressed metamorphosis in many forms in the story like

• His family accepting his new status and their emotions changing from care to merciless.
• The sister taking care of him until she is least bothered to give him food.
• Later the family learns to be independent and moves on in life. They forget him and let him die.
• Gregor’s importance in life diminishes with each passing day as he is no more the earning member of his family.

All in all, I accept his writing style in the end. Every writer is different and they can’t justify it. Also, Kafka is not alive else I would have tweeted him asking my queries. Well, jokes apart, you should definitely read Kafka once in a lifetime to get the hangover of it. Who knows you may become a fan of his work?

I am definitely looking forward to your opinion of Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. Do comment.