Name: Caitlin
Grade: 12+
Title: The Metamorphosis
Author: Franz Kafka
Imagine that on one average, should be normal day, you woke up only to find that you have been transformed into a giant bug.
Does that freak you out? Because that is exactly what happens to Gregor Samsa in The Metamorphosis. Gregor wakes up and finds himself turned into a huge, ugly bug, only to the dismay of his family as well as himself. The story of The Metamorphosis is considered one of the greatest horror stories ever written- and for good reason. The idea of waking up as a ginormous bug is very unsettling, but the way Kafka writes it makes it even more so; the way people react to Gregor's bug form is very strange. Not only does Gregor himself not seem to care, but his family doesn't freak out and yell or cry or scream. They just kind of hide him away in his room and shove food through his door, trying to avoid seeing him at all costs. Eventually, Gregor's father snaps and pelts his unfortunate, bugly body with apples so hard that one stays stuck in Gregor's back.
The story line of the Metamorphosis is not by itself so horrifying; in fact, looking at it now, the whole story is a bout a giant bug living in a room by itself. But, the psychological horror that Kafka provides when he describes the characters that inhabit the story is very effective in terrifying his readers. The way the characters behave as if nothing very strange or tragic has happened is amazing; they automatically assume that the bug is Gregor and that the only thing they can do about the situation is to lock him up and hide him away, as if they never loved Gregor at all. Personally, I ended up not so much sympathizing with Gregor, but feeling really, really bad for him because no one, including Gregor himself, cared about whether or not he lived or died. In fact, everyone wants him dead. That fact is so chilling to realize while reading this story. Kafka's unrealistic response to such a strange situation is awful. Describing why exactly this story is so haunting is almost impossible for me to put into words. Really, reading it is the only way to understand why the book is something that you can never forget.
Why I picked up the book: It had a neat cover and I have always been meaning to read it.
Why I finished it: I had to. It was hard to put down, even though at times I really wanted to.
I'd give this book to: Anyone looking to be scared, but scared in a way that stays with them whenever they think about it, not just scared in the way people get from watching a horror movie. This book is down right disturbing.
My Rating for this book: *****
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