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  • The Metamorphosis and Other Stories

  • By: Franz Kafka
  • Narrated by: George Guidall
  • Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
  • 3.9 out of 5 stars (41 ratings)
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The Metamorphosis and Other Stories

By: Franz Kafka
Narrated by: George Guidall
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Summary

In the bizarre world of Franz Kafka, salesmen turn into giant bugs, apes give lectures at college academies, and nightmares probe the mysteries of modern humanity’s unhappiness. More than any other modern writer in world literature, Kafka captures the loneliness and misery that fill the lives of 20th-century humanity. The Metamorphosis and Other Stories reveals the author’s extraordinary talent in a variety of forms—prose poems, short stories, sketches, allegories, and novelettes—and showcases the straight–faced humor, startling psychological insight, and haunting imagination for which he is revered as a modern master. In this brilliant new translation, prize–winning translator Joachim Neugroschel preserves the delicate balance, rich timbre, and wondrous language of Kafka’s original works. In addition to "The Metamorphosis", this collection includes "Early Stories", "Contemplation", "The Judgement", "The Stoker", "In the Penal Colony", and "A Country Doctor".

Public Domain (P)1995 Recorded Books, LLC

What listeners say about The Metamorphosis and Other Stories

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • 29-07-16

Pity about the introduction

This would have been a lot better it it was just the stories rather than a long introduction at the beginning/

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Demanding!

I found myself drifting off into my own world a few times and I had to go back!

The metamorphosis starts on Chapter 27 and it is worth the wait, but you the stories could have been better arranged. These texts are not an easy read in my opinion. However, it is worth listening to, to know Kafka. I can understand why his name is well known.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The Best English Translation of Difficult Material

The translation of Kafka in this collection listens for the context and prosody of Kafka's moods and is an as close spiritual connection to the material possible for English to reach.




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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

More Muddled Than Kafka Himself

'Disappointed' is probably the easiest way of summing up this audiobook. For some inexplicable reason there are no chapter titles which, when the audiobook is a large collection of short stories, is kind of important to know where you are and what you are listening to.

For example, this audiobook is called 'The Metamorphosis and Other Stories' but I don't know which of the 51 untitled chapters is 'The Metamorphosis', which is a shame as it is primarily for that story I bought the audiobook.

This is not helped by the first two chapters, 19:57mins and 29:24mins respectively, being introduction and analysis. That's nearly 50 minutes of the audiobook devoted to something other than the actual stories. I never understand why publishers feel it necessary to include these lengthy introductions and forewords to books. Imagine sitting through a film or play or television programme where the first twenty minutes or more was taken up with analysis of the forthcoming drama. No? Me neither. Cut it out! We don't read them and I certainly

Having said all this I do need to mention that Mr Guidall reads it in his usual exemplary manner.

One day, when I have a lot of time on my hands, I may get round to flicking through all the chapter until I find 'The Metamorphosis'. Until that day I will listen to something else.

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
  • dc
  • 17-12-17

nothing original

what a lame story, one unexplained idea with an incredibly boring narrative....avoid....like a boring Sunday afternoon...

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