Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka — My First Kafka Read Was Weird

My first Franz Kafka read was weird, vivid and surprisingly enjoyable. In this Mere Mortals Book Review, I share my thoughts on Metamorphosis and the other short stories in this Penguin collection.

From Gregor Samsa’s transformation to a tense taxi dispute and an unexpected insight about achievement, Kafka packs strange situations, precise details and memorable ideas into remarkably short stories.

I discuss alienation, family dependence, Kafka’s writing style, and why reading at a conversational pace helped me enjoy this collection.

⚠️ Spoilers: the Metamorphosis plot discussion starts at 07:39 and includes the ending. Skip to 09:59 to avoid it.

CHAPTERS

00:00 My first encounter with Kafka

00:30 Kafka’s background and literary legacy

01:55 What’s in this short-story collection?

03:03 Kafka’s style and finding my reading pace

04:29 Tiny details that make the writing vivid

05:58 A short reading and everyday observations

07:39 Metamorphosis plot and themes — spoilers