What I am reading

Unfinished - "The Trial"

Ocassionally I read some classic book, some turn out to be really great (for example "War and Peace") and sometimes they are not so good. This time I tried to read Franz Kafka's "The Trial". Unfortunately I lost interest in the story after about 60 pages.

"The Trial" is a story of Joseph K., who is arrested for some reason and then goes to trial for some reason, but none of the reasons are explained. In fact this description is already too clear for what happens in the book. At the start Joseph K. is arrested, but it is not what you would think of as an "arrest". Some guys show up at his house and tell him he is under arrest. They stay for a while and then they leave.

Joseph K. continues with his life as before. Until someone hints to him that he needs to go to a hearing before a judge. He manages to find this surrealistic "court" on a Sunday morning, where he tries to argue his case.

The whole book was just too weird and too "kafkaess".

I had read "Metamorphosis" years ago and didn't find it particularly readable (except that it was shorter).

The tone of this book reminded me a little of "The Stranger" (by Albert Camus). It was also a story, told from the main character's point of view, but at least the plot there was more engaging (the "hero" had murdered someone for no reason).

Perhaps I'll get back to at some other time...

posted by richieb @ 5:39 PM