Read this when
The Metamorphosis
Woke up as a bug, and his first thought was: I'm going to be late for work. 🪲 If your family only knew how to love you when you were useful, Kafka saw you in 1915.
Who it's for
Gregor's first worries after waking transformed are about missing his train and letting down his employer and family, which captures how people who become ill or disabled often feel guilt before they feel fear.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Franz Kafka's 1915 novella follows Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman who wakes one morning transformed into a huge insect and whose first worries are about his job and the family he supports.
Where to find it
The German original (1915) is public domain in the US; David Wyllie's modern translation is free on Project Gutenberg by the translator's permission, but modern translations are not public domain. Als.
Before you start
Heads up: A father's violence and a wasting death.
Age: Ages 14+
“Hope” is the thing with feathers – That perches in the soul – And sings the tune without the words – And never stops – at all –Emily Dickinson, “Hope is the thing with feathers” (poem 314)
