Many years ago, I read The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, which is the story of a man who wakes one morning to find himself transformed into a giant insect. I found the novelty of this situation interesting. In more recent years, I have noticed The Trial garnering more attention, turning up on many lists of must-read classics. I optimistically added it to my Classics Club list.
The Trial is my most hated book of 2025. I found out after reading it that it was never truly finished, and that it had been written in a haphazard and nonlinear manner, scattered across many notebooks. I also learned that Kafka's friend and posthumous editor took the manuscript away from Kafka, as Kafka had a habit of destroying his own work. Pity he didn't manage to burn The Trial.
The book tells the story of Josef K., a bank official arrested and prosecuted by vague authorities for a crime that is never revealed to him or to the reader. The narrative that follows is tedious, vulgar, and grim. Perhaps it is Kafka's comment on bureaucracy or the pointlessness of life. I can't say I care. The best part of this book was when it was over.
