I know, that is such a narrow-minded, ignorant view of Kafka…I am so aware of this that I am slowly reading his Metamorphosis…
I had consciously avoided it because of the cockroach.
In my intention to read the big authors, Kafka appeared on the list with his very captivating title The Metamorphosis…dutifully jumping to conclusions and judging a book by its title, I thought, “this must be about the transformation we go through but from a very profound, metaphysical perspective…I won’t understand half of it, but I HAVE TO give it a try…Google, let me have it…
…”What? it can’t be…a cockroach, shit…I can not read a story where a cockroach is the main character” is all I could think when I skimmed through a synopsis.
I have a phobia kind of thing with bugs, specially the ones that walk and fly and crunch under your shoe…YUCK…I can’t even touch a page on a book where bugs are pictured…I know, totally ridiculous and immature of me, but I have not taken the moment to make an effort to overcome this, although, I forgot all about my aversion on an ocasion when we had just moved into our actual house, my son was learning to walk, we were coming down the stairs, just by the last step I saw something, something HUGE, not normal, not something we keep inside the house…this was a new house development in the outskirts of the city… bugs of every type and size appeared on a daily basis, but his was INSIDE, A STEP AWAY FROM MY BABY (and me), it was a humongous spider, where I got the nerve I have no idea but I, immediately, without giving myself the chance to get goosebumps, STEPPED ON IT over and over again, nothing could make me feel sure of its death but seeing it turned into mush…GROSS
After that I went back to the phobia…
Why Franz Kafka, why did you have to give such a promising title to a book where the main character is a bug? damn it
I decided to just take him of my list, till I saw today’s google doodle commemorating Kafka’s 130 birthday anniversary represented by his “trademark” bug…
So now, I have succumbed under the pressure…and have approached the text in hopes that the freaking cockroach is just a metaphor for something, for some part of the human psyche that the author finds has a roachy presence to it…
…
I am not even a tenth through it, so far, I can not find the words to describe it, because the main character Giorgio, feels, as the author describes, quite human but sees himself as a cockroach… in the fragment I’ve read, he has not been able to get out of bed because he is lying face up, being a cockroach, that is not the ideal position for anything, and all he can do is rock himself side to side, all the while, feeling nervous of his boss’ comments when he finally is able to go to work, which won’t happen any time soon BECAUSE HE CAN’T GET OUT OF BED…
…
I will finish reading it, but not today because it’s dark outside and the last thing I want is to have roachy nightmares…
It is a metaphor, right?
and, it seems that The Castle is equally complex… is this a sign? should I just give up on Kafka? I’ll finish the cockroach story and then decide…
hugs people… 
ACT. REACT. or just THINK about it! 
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Kafka takes a bit of time to get used to. His short stories might be easier. But he’s worth the effort. It is depressing, but it is powerful.
It can be. But that depends on your interpretation of it.
The book belonged to my best friend and he had a different view of it, which I now forget though we discussed it–because it was years ago.
So I need to read Kafka with an open mind… and Frankl with an open heart… I will do that Karen, I will finish Kafka if only to cross it off my list. Your comment has made me more sure of wanting to read Frankl 🙂 thank you my friend
Alexandra, I read Metamorphosis in high school for a world literature class and found it depressing, but interesting in its own way. I must have liked it because it was shorter than other required reading. 🙂 The Search for Meaning is a great book, I believe you will like it much more than Metamorphosis because it gives hope in dire situations rather than making you feel like a cockroach! 🙂 Karen
My goodness! then what is all the commotion around Kafka, I think I need to read his bio to fully appreciate him…OK, so I’ll definitely skip The Castle…I want to read a classic that’ll leave like “WOW, no wonder it’s on THAT list!!” I’ve downloaded Viktor Frankl’s Man in Search of Meaning, I hope I don’t need a masters in psychology to enjoy it…Have you read Frankl, Stu? 🙂
Really? I have little time to read and I’ve got Man in Search of Meaning by Viktor Frankl waiting for me…should I just let Kafka be?! But tell me, is it a metaphor? ruin it for me, I beg you, Mati 🙂
I’ve read Metamorphosis.
Once with that book is enough.
I tried to read The Castle a while back – dull!