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Summary: Beware of Translations
Review: Kafka is a genius. This is no exaggeration. His work is total brilliance, but this translation is not. The Muirs destroy the beauty of Kafka's writing and change the text. Do not buy this translation, but get the newer one by Breon Mitchell. It's not perfect, but it is based on the restored original text and Mitchell allows the true Kafka to show through. The Muirs impose their spiritual inerpretations upon the text where there is none, and their imperfect, self-taught knowledge of German doesn't allow the reader to appreciate Kafka's ability to use always the perfect word. The story however is amazing. You can't go wrong with Kafka.
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Summary: Boring after the first half of the book.
Review: There is no doubt Kafka is a brillant writer. But this is and endless book after the first half were it draws you in and spits you out for ever
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Summary: ~ * ° * ~
Review: usually, i come to amazon.com to look up books and read people's reviews for them. this was the case before i picked _the trial_ by kafka. i think the disparity in the reviews is what drew me to the book.. and now, i must say, it's utterly beautiful. the story itself is summed up within a parable in the story--which i mention only because it adds to the overall brilliance.. the story pulls you in so deep that you become the main character--K.--however, as you will find out when you read it (because i KNOW you will--you MUST), kafka writes his novels with only himself in mind, so K. is kafka. you become K. .. you become kafka. out of all the books i've read, this is one of the few that forces the reader to see the writer's world by trapping him in the writer's vortex. see if you can get out.
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Summary: Depressing at times, but not bad..
Review: Kafka is a good writer, I have no doubt about that, but he is far too pessimist at times. What's more is he feels he had to reflect his pessimism on his works every time, he likes to confuse his readers. In literary terms it's a good book, but I can't say I was so eager to finish it after reading the first half of it. I've read a lot of books that were based on the same formula and they were better, but on the other hand I've also read ones that were much worse.
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Summary: Worth it to push through.
Review: I read The Trial last year and followed it up with The Castle. I must say, Kafka must have been one of the most brilliantly messed up writers Earth has ever seen. His works leave your mind reeling under the social implications and truth of the world around us. Though I had to push myself to finish this book (as happens with all depressing books I read), I enjoyed it immensely. (Just for the record, I am now a junior in high school.)
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Summary: Read it. If you don't understand it, you aren't thinking.
Review: Many people find The Trial to be baffling and absurd. Well, much of Kafka's writing IS absurd, because he was essentially an existentialist who considered life itself to be more or less devoid of absolute meaning. The Trial, contrary to what some readers think, IS basically allegorical. The protagonist's plight is an allegory of human alienation in the face of the absurdity of existence. Many reviewers on this page (usually high-school students, it seems) probably were hoping for a book with a plot as asinine as a "Friends" episode. Well, this is heavy reading and not for the faint of heart or weak of mind. You can't read Kafka as if it's surface-level, obvious, dumb-dumb writing. The protagonist struggles onward in the face of absurdity because this is what many of us do in real life. He did all he knew how to do, and he was so bound up in the machinery of his life and his bureaucratic nightmare that he couldn't deviate his path to a place of safety. This is a very important book, full of depth and meaning on many levels. Read it and figure out why. (Even if you have to use your brain).
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Summary: mysteries revealed by careful reading
Review: bacon had us chew and digest them; the key to the work is a careful, slower reading. to read simply to finish the work misses the work and you obtain misguided notions such as this book's lack of point. the novel is fierce and ruminative, not too difficult, and extremely precise. do read it
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Summary: The answer
Review: The answer to what The Trial means: The story is a veiled metaphore to the inner workings of the human mind. Everyone is put on trial by thier own thoughts, with no accuser in sight. Who hasn't felt guilty, ashamed of themselves for being human? For having human frailities? Example:You take a break during your workday, and feel as if you're no good for being lazy; Another: someones' offhand comment brings you down for the rest of the day, for no good reason? The Trial is us, and we all stand accused.
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Summary: LIKE A DOG? i dont get it...LIKE A DOG?
Review: what did he mean"like a dog"? can someone please help me...this statement's been haunting me since...since...since!
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Summary: can someone tell me what this is REALLY about?
Review: I dont want to sound clueless, but, what trial? so, he was trapped as an accused man and had three choices of being acquitted and chose none, so he goes with the flow to die. So what then...? Why do we all have to be so analytical about this? What is the point?
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