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The Metamorphosis
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 2 hrs and 3 mins
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Summary
With this startling, bizarre, yet surprisingly funny first sentence, Kafka begins his masterpiece, The Metamorphosis. It is the story of a young traveling salesman who, transformed overnight into a giant, beetle-like insect, becomes an object of disgrace to his family, an outsider in his own home, a quintessentially alienated man. Rather than being surprised at the transformation, the members of his family despise it as an impending burden upon themselves.
A harrowing - though absurdly comic - meditation on human feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and isolation, The Metamorphosis has taken its place as one of the most widely read and influential works of 20th-century fiction. As W. H. Auden wrote, “Kafka is important to us because his predicament is the predicament of modern man.”
FRANZ KAFKA (1883–1924), one of the major fiction writers of the twentieth century, was born to a middle-class German-speaking Jewish family in Prague. His unique body of writing, much of which is incomplete and was mainly published posthumously, is considered by some people to be among the most influential in Western literature, inspiring such writers as Albert Camus, Rex Warner, and Samuel Beckett.
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What listeners say about The Metamorphosis
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- martin white
- 31-01-22
short but sweet
A funny little tale, and I couldn't help feel sorry for the protagonist who wakes up as a bug. He reminded me of a shy dog/naughty child. The ending ends ambiguously as I am sure Kafka intended. I loved this cute, short and fun yarn and you can takeaway what you feel from it and not what you are told to think. A classic for a reason
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1 person found this helpful
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- LC
- 17-08-21
An unusual and significant story
Takes you through an unpleasant and challenging experience that explores aspects of experience you’d probably rather not think about. Well worth reading to explore this experience if you can face it.
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1 person found this helpful
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- A. Carberry
- 12-05-23
Incredible
Kafka catches the essential conundrums, binds, moral and relationship utility of modern life. Oh glorious civilisation is explored masterfully through the texture of experience. And an excellent reading
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- Anonymous User
- 15-02-24
Constant metaphorical description of a real world situation.
I found this masterpiece to be very interesting and relatable. Also, it is sort of eye opening!
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- Plunkett family online shopper
- 10-12-23
The detailed description of the situation.
Very nice and peculiar book. I definitely recommend to listen. The book is definitely fictional but it’s made to the level that you could well believe it
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- Megan
- 08-09-21
Beautifully read, captivating despite its fantastical premise
Beautifully read. It’s a strange and surreal story, but somehow psychologically compelling. It’s also a very short book!
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- Anna
- 08-09-21
A not so exciting classic
Quick "read" but not too exciting, very well written but did not live up to the hype.
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- Ms. L. Benjamin
- 14-09-22
Well-narrated classic
It's a long time since I read this and I really liked it. An unusual book.
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- Kindle Customer.
- 21-06-23
Finally heard it!
I've been meaning to read this for some time and then recently somebody was saying it was one of their favourite books and then I noticed it on Audible so decided to try it as an audiobook. I think I was expecting something more like The Fly but it was nothing like it and I really enjoyed it.
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- ryan bell
- 27-04-23
delightfully absurd!
Amazing to think this was written over 100 years ago, and the absolute absurdity given the times!! a fantastic book that I never tire of reading!
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