Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Kafka was a 20th century writer whose work got its fair share of recognition after his death. His works are not many, unfortunately, due to his untimely demise. His stories not only resonated with the World War eras but are also equally relevant in today's scenario.
His novels and short stories were translated and published by one of his close friends after Kafka's death. And hence he became famous and is among the most revered and accomplished writers of the 20th century.
Metamorphosis is like his biography. Most of the things mentioned in this novella are extracts from his life. For example, the father-son relation and the brother-sister bond, the disenchantment from norm of the society and the basic fundamental emotions are very well depicted here.
This is a book that weaves fantasy with practicality and disillusionment in such a simple way that one can instantly relate to the story. It is a seemingly simple tale of life in a big city and how the people are trapped in its vicious circle. A middle class travelling salesman turns into a vermin overnight and the way life takes its turn after that. How it impacts him physically and mentally and the toll it takes over the other family members is what forms the narrative. The writer has put forth so many details in unpretentious words that one almost feels its proximity to reality.
Waking up as an insect symbolizes how everyone is living in a world full of never ending demands, trapped in an ongoing wheel of industrialism, without being able to break free and do what one sincerely aspires. Tired of the burden of work and the onus to sustain his family and their ever growing never ending demands, the protagonist realizes that he has been reduced to the mere form of an insect and is no longer human. His inability to express his thoughts into words and the way his father, mother and sister device means to cope with this unexpected occurrence, is very vividly depicted throughout.
The knowledge that one cannot swim against the tide and would live and die in a preset template of a lifestyle, is equally discomforting and disheartening. Isn't this still relevant in our present day world?
Overall, let not the metaphoric writing style deter you from reading this thought provoking, ahead of its time, novella. It is definitely a worth read as it makes one appreciate the blessings we have in life.
Happy reading!
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