The Metamorphosis

This is a fresh translation of the original Kafka manuscript, with special emphasis upon retaining the flavor of the Bohemian-Jewish-influenced German from which Kafka developed his style. The sentence structure and original punctuation, which do not conform to recognized standards, have been retained throughout the book. Franz Kafka (1883-1924) was born in Prague, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), to German-speaking Jewish parents. His unique writing is considered to be among the most influential in western literature. The Metamorphosis is widely studied in universities throughout the western world. In the story, Gregor Samsa awakes one morning to find that he has been transformed into a despicable, gigantic insect, usually defined as a roach. Unable to leave the house or reverse his condition, he slowly starves to death. After Gregor has died, leaving nothing behind but a dried out cockroach body, his paper-thin remains are unceremoniously swept out the door by the cleaning lady, while his family takes the streetcar for an excursion into the countryside. This student edition by Hansa-Hewlett Publishing Company contains a short biography of Franz Kafka, a commentary by Charles Daudert which expounds upon various interpretations of the work, and excerpts from Kafka's lengthy letter to his father, which may well be the "key" to the story, as well as an authentic translation of the complete manuscript.