Novella · 1915
The Metamorphosis
Franz Kafka
Aya Saleh · Ink & Ivy
Novella · 1915 · German · Modern
The Metamorphosis
Gregor Samsa wakes as an enormous insect and worries about his train.
Reading edition
An authorized English PDF is not yet included for this work. The source links below offer edition searches; access and borrowing availability vary.
How to read it
The transformation is granted in sentence one so that the rest can be about logistics — Kafka's comedy is that no one questions the premise, only the inconvenience.
Complete section guide
Three narrative sections. The English PDF is not yet included. Summaries contain spoilers; descriptive headings are editorial.
Section 1Transformation
Gregor wakes as a verminous creature but worries about work and supporting his family. His father forces him back into the bedroom.
Section 2Hostility
Grete initially cares for him. Removing furniture triggers panic, and his father injures him with an apple lodged in his back.
Section 3Release
Gregor’s appearance during Grete’s violin performance provokes the lodgers and his sister’s rejection. He dies, and the family turns toward its future.
