The Metamorphosis

my becoming-a-genius project, part 23! the background: i have decided to become a genius. to accomplish this, i'm going to work my way through the collected stories of various authors, reading + reviewing 1 story every day until i get bored / lose every single follower / am struck down by a vengeful de......more

Interested in Kafka? I go much deeper on my Substack. Join me! The Metamorphosis is doubtless Franz Kafka’s most famous and influential short story, and it is the pearl of this volume. Kafka published a few stories during his lifetime but never came to his own commercially (nor did he really wish to)......more

"Before the Law stands a doorkeeper. To this doorkeeper there comes a man from the country and prays for admittance to the Law. But the doorkeeper says that he cannot grant admittance at the moment. The man thinks it over and then asks if he will be allowed in later. 'It is possible,' says the doork......more

I actually have a copy of Kafka’s complete stories, but I decided to just read his published stories for now, which align with the stories in this collection and have the same translator, so I’m going to use this as a placeholder. I think such flat, matter-of-fact prose just isn’t my—forgive the clic......more

Captivating, strange and ultimately rather chilling. I'm actually reviewing another version of this book - so I'm not sure if it contains the same short stories; and for that reason, I'll only talk about the ones I know are in both - The Metamorphosis and In the Penal Colony. I first read The Metamor......more