The Metamorphosis
by Franz Kafka
Summary
Traveling salesman Gregor Samsa wakes one morning to find himself transformed into a monstrous insect, and the novella follows his family's shifting mixture of horror, obligation, and eventual resentment as they cope with his new condition. Kafka renders the bizarre premise in flat, matter of fact prose that makes the surreal feel disturbingly ordinary, turning a fantastic transformation into a meditation on alienation and the fragility of familial love. The book has become one of the most widely read and interpreted works of twentieth century fiction.
Historical Context & Significance
No literary prize existed in the German speaking world at the time capable of recognizing the novella, and Kafka published almost nothing under his own supervision during his short life. Most of his major works, including his three unfinished novels, appeared only after his death.