Book Review: The Metamorphosis

One morning he woke up and discovered himself being a beetle. Not the best beginning of the day for sure. The worst part was that he had to live in the insect's body till the end of his life.
The immediate problems that Gregor faced, such as being unable to get out of his bed, would’ve perhaps been amusing, if he was not afraid of his family’s and boss’s reaction that much. “I will be late for my train to work!” I wish that was my biggest worry if I turned into a beetle. Panic, helplessness and pettiness that he exuded were so strong that I could feel it surrounding me. Written in Kafka’s original style, all the emotions and perceptions are strong and relatable, which makes even the most impossible action seem realistic.
The novel starts hurting, when Gregor notices how strongly his family’s attitude towards him has changed. They all are disgusted with a new creature in Gregor’s bedroom (which we can’t really judge them for). Grete, his sister, seems to be the only one who still believes that her brother’s mind and soul are captured in the beetle’s body and tries her best to take care of the huge insect. As the time goes, Gregor’s behavior changes a lot. His thoughts become more of beetle’s as well as his tastes. Having some rotten food for dinner? Delicious!
The way that he describes the new vision of the world around him, opens a lot of hidden information and evokes true sympathy and sorrow for his fate.
The novella leaves a lot to think about. The transformation that happened to the main character can be interpreted in different ways as well as the changes that his family members go through, trying to adjust to a new life with a human-size beetle living in their house.
Metamorphosis is a great choice for those who feel like they’re living an insect life and their routine is just a big dung ball that they have to push forward all the time.
Reviewer Grade: 11