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Kafka is one of the most influential figures in twentieth-century literature; a wide international readership and the subject of a long and continuing critical debate. William Dodd concentrates on the two major novels, The Trial and The Castle, providing in-depth examination of these works. This collection of sixteen essays covers the full spectrum of modern perspectives, from humanism to feminist responses and cultural analysis that reflects both German and Anglo-Saxon approaches. The text contains a general introduction, including a bibliographical outline and an overview of the critical debate, contextualising the modern contributions. There is also a section concerned with the early responses to Kafka's work, many published for the first time in English, and a detailed glossary of critical terms.

The Metamorphosis begins almost comically. A man wakes up to find he has turned into an insect. But the claustrophobic, dirty room and the increasingly distressed narrator soon turn this into a tale of slow horror. Most horrifying of all is his family's reaction to his metamorphosis and their final solution to the problem.

From one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century, the author of The Trial: Three stories he published in his lifetime, including his best-known tale, “The Metamorphosis.” I have only one request," Kafka wrote to his publisher Kurt Wolff in 1913. "'The Stoker,' 'The Metamorphosis,' and 'The Judgment' belong together, both inwardly and outwardly. There is an obvious connection among the three, and, even more important, a secret one, for which reason I would be reluctant to forego the chance of having them published together in a book, which might be called The Sons."

Franz Kafka, the author has very nicely narrated the story of Gregou Samsa who wakes up one day to discover that he has metamorphosed into a bug. The book concerns itself with the themes of alienation and existentialism. The author has written many important stories, including ‘The Judgement’, and much of his novels ‘Amerika’, ‘The Castle’, ‘The Hunger Artist’. Many of his stories were published during his lifetime but many were not. Over the course of the 1920s and 30s Kafka’s works were published and translated instantly becoming landmarks of twentieth-century literature. Ironically, the story ends on an optimistic note, as the family puts itself back together. The style of the book epitomizes Kafka’s writing. Kafka very interestingly, used to present an impossible situation, such as a man’s transformation into an insect, and develop the story from there with perfect realism and intense attention to detail. The Metamorphosis is an autobiographical piece of writing, and we find that parts of the story reflect Kafka’s own life.

This edition contains the English translation and the original text in German. "The Trial" (original German title: "Der Process", later "Der Prozess", "Der Proceß" and "Der Prozeß") is a novel written by Franz Kafka in 1914 and 1915 but not published until 1925. One of Kafka's best-known works, it tells the story of a man arrested and prosecuted by a remote, inaccessible authority, with the nature of his crime revealed neither to him nor the reader. Like Kafka's other novels, "The Trial" was never completed, although it does include a chapter which brings the story to an end. Because of this, there are some inconsistencies and discontinuities in narration within the novel, such as disparities in timing. After Kafka's death in 1924 his friend and literary executor Max Brod edited the text for publication by Verlag Die Schmiede. The original manuscript is held at the Museum of Modern Literature, Marbach am Neckar, Germany. In 1999, the book was listed in "Le Monde"'s 100 Books of the Century and as No. 2 of the Best German Novels of the Twentieth Century. "Der Process" (auch "Der Prozeß" oder "Der Proceß", Titel der Erstausgabe: "Der Prozess") ist neben "Der Verschollene" (auch unter dem Titel "Amerika" bekannt) und "Das Schloss" einer von drei unvollendeten und postum erschienenen Romanen von Franz Kafka.

A culturally-influential and celebrated author, Kafka is generally considered to be one of the most accomplished writers of the 20th century. In this boxed set are collected together three of his major works, including the maginificent 'Metamorphosis and Other Stories'.