The Metamorphosis

The strange, captivating story of transformation and despair. This renowned twentieth-century German literary classic is now published in a new translation by Shaun Whiteside.

Gregor Samsa, a dedicated and hard-working travelling salesman, awakes one morning to a horrific realization. He finds himself changed beyond recognition. Insect-like, enormous and completely disorientated, he cowers in his bedroom, desperate to escape this nightmare.

Gregor’s cruel boss and his family are appalled. Formerly the only breadwinner, Gregor is shut in his room and is all but abandoned by his household, with only his sister bothering to bring him scraps of food. As days turn into months, tensions rise in the house; and eventually Gregor’s family abandon him completely, leaving him to fend for himself.

Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library, a series of stunning, pocket-sized classics, bound in cloth with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition of The Metamorphosis includes an introduction by academic Karolina Watroba.

About the Author

Born in Prague in 1883, the son of a self-made Jewish merchant, Franz Kafka trained as a lawyer and worked in insurance. He published little during his lifetime and lived his life in relative obscurity. He was forced to retire from work in 1917 after being diagnosed with tuberculosis, a debilitating illness which dogged his final years. When he died in 1924 he bequeathed the – mainly unfinished – manuscripts of his novels, stories, letters and diaries to his friend the writer Max Brod with the strict instruction that they should be destroyed. Brod ignored Kafka’s wishes and organised the publication of his work, including The Trial, which appeared in 1925. It is through Brod’s efforts that Kafka is now regarded as one of the greatest novelists of the twentieth century.