So, I don't have the historical/literary/etc background to understand all the ins and outs of Kafka's Trial, and I don't want it. I want to be able to appreciate the book on its own merits, to see what can be gleaned from it *without* looking up the equivalent of SparkNotes. Despite what literature professors will tell you, the value and power of a book is what *you* get out of it. What the author meant is a literary exercise best left for the classroom; never rely on someone spoon-feeding you what a book means. You have to decide for yourself if you hope to learn anything.
The Trial is disturbing once you've read the whole thing and rolled it around your mind for an hour or two. It can be a bit of a tough read (Kafka wasn't friends with paragraphs), but it's worth the effort.
First, we have our main character, Josef K. Josef is only referred to as K. throughout the whole novel, emphasizing how he's practically just a symbol in a multi-faced monster of a legal system. He wakes up one morning to discover he's been accused of committing a crime. We never find out what, how, who, or anything, and The Trial is all the more disturbing for it.
K. isn't arrested, imprisoned, or anything like that. He's actually allowed to go about his daily life as a high-ranking banker (who's constantly trying to stay one step ahead of the Deputy Director), but of course, with a trial hanging over your head, life doesn't continue as normal.
The rest of this short book details K.'s efforts to make his way through a stuffy legal system that seems purposely designed to confound, humiliate, and break down anyone who gets pulled into it. Even the lawyers are, to a degree, in on a ruse that only the privileged understand. And as you go through the book and see all the people who seem to have knowledge of K.'s trial and the system around it that K. *doesn't* have, you get the feeling that K. is simply an Everyman who has little chance or hope. Not only that, it becomes clear that these people *are* his trial--they're both spies and jurors--, and it is perhaps K.'s insistence on propriety and dignity that bring the trial to its abrupt conclusion.
The Trial is a nightmare world where everyone has eyes on everyone else, and you can never be completely sure of your footing once you've been thrown into the jaws of the legal system. I see some parallels in different modern governments, and the scariest thing is The Trial provides no suggestions or hope that, should things come to a head, that there's anything to be done.
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Discover the latest buzz-worthy books, from mysteries and romance to humor and nonfiction. Explore more
Frequently bought together
$7.99
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11
In Stock
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Similar items that may ship from close to you
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
From the brand
-
Debuting in 1990, the Thrift Editions library of classic literature is a top choice for teachers, students, librarians, and recreational readers around the world. Dover’s longstanding mission of exceptional value has consistently offered excellence in classic fiction, nonfiction, plays, and poetry.
Dover Thrift Editions are low priced, compact (5"x8"), complete and unabridged.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
From the Publisher
“It would have been so pointless to kill himself that, even if he had wanted to, the pointlessness would have made him unable.”
Since his death in 1924, Kafka has come to be regarded as one of the greatest modern writers, one whose work brilliantly explores the anxiety, futility, and complexity of modern life.
The precision and clarity of Kafka's style, its powerful symbolism, and his existential exploration of the human condition have given his work universal significance.
"Someone must have been telling lies about Josef K., he knew he had done nothing wrong but, one morning, he was arrested."
Written in 1914 and published posthumously in 1925, Kafka's engrossing parable about the human condition plunges an isolated individual into an impersonal, illogical system.
From its gripping first sentence onward, this novel exemplifies the term "Kafkaesque." Its darkly humorous narrative recounts a bank clerk's entrapment - based on an undisclosed charge - in a maze of bureaucratic roadblocks. This is the least expensive edition available of one of the 20th century's most important novels.
- This edition of is one of the 20th century's most important novels featuring an acclaimed translation by David Wyllie.
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Reviews with images
Answered a question I'd had
Many, if not most of us, have at one time or another heard the word "Kafkaesque". Having a fuzzy idea of the meaning, I came across a reference to "The Trial" and having no experience with the author, decided to give it a go. If his other works are anything like this I have no idea why anyone would read any of them! My new understanding of Kafkaesque is that Kafka's brain very likely looked like yours or mine, but once inside, there were hidden twists and turns of grey matter (and very likely other colored matter) that are just not to found by looking inside our own skulls.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2023
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2021
Many, if not most of us, have at one time or another heard the word "Kafkaesque". Having a fuzzy idea of the meaning, I came across a reference to "The Trial" and having no experience with the author, decided to give it a go. If his other works are anything like this I have no idea why anyone would read any of them! My new understanding of Kafkaesque is that Kafka's brain very likely looked like yours or mine, but once inside, there were hidden twists and turns of grey matter (and very likely other colored matter) that are just not to found by looking inside our own skulls.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2013
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2020
Top reviews from other countries
Amazon Customer
Dover Thrift brings Kafka's absurdist dark humor to your doorstep
Reviewed in Canada on July 28, 2022
Amazon Customer
Great book. A classic must
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 29, 2015