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The Metamorphosis Summary: Three Parts, One Door
The Metamorphosis summary, part by part, through the door of Gregor's room: who comes in, who pays, and our counts of door, vermin and cockroach. Wyllie translation. Full spoilers.
Novella (translated)
The Metamorphosis
by Franz Kafka
A salesman wakes as a giant vermin, and the story follows one door: locked from inside, locked from outside, then left open.
★★★★☆ 4 / 5
A short, strange, quickly read novella that stays easy to follow when you track the door of Gregor's room and who pays the bills. Free on Project Gutenberg in David Wyllie's translation and readable in about ninety minutes. Four out of five (draft).
The Metamorphosis: summary
Every guide comes as a video and a full written article. Pick the one you need: the review is spoiler-free, the ending explained is not.
What is The Metamorphosis about?
The Metamorphosis is Franz Kafka’s novella about Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman who wakes one morning as a giant vermin. We use the free Project Gutenberg text, ebook #5200, titled Metamorphosis, in the translation by David Wyllie (release date August 2005 in the file). The file says this translation is under copyright and posted with the holder’s permission, so we paraphrase and quote only tiny snippets.
Below is a part-by-part summary built around the door of Gregor’s room: who comes in, who pays, and our own counts from the text, including how often the word door appears and what the text calls Gregor. Full spoilers.
Read it if
- You want a short classic you can finish in one evening
- You like stories where one odd event tests an ordinary family
- You want a summary that follows the door, the money and the counts
Skip it if
- You want an explanation of why Gregor changes: the book gives none
- A bleak ending with no comfort is a hard line for you
- You want fast plot twists rather than a slow household drama
The Metamorphosis review scorecard
Story
4.5
Characters
4
Language
3.5
Pace
4.5
Readability
4
Average4.1 / 5
The Metamorphosis: questions people ask
Is The Metamorphosis worth reading?
A short, strange, quickly read novella that stays easy to follow when you track the door of Gregor's room and who pays the bills. Free on Project Gutenberg in David Wyllie's translation and readable in about ninety minutes. Four out of five (draft). Read it if: you want a short classic you can finish in one evening; you like stories where one odd event tests an ordinary family; you want a summary that follows the door, the money and the counts. Skip it if: you want an explanation of why gregor changes: the book gives none; a bleak ending with no comfort is a hard line for you; you want fast plot twists rather than a slow household drama.
Is there a summary of The Metamorphosis?
The Metamorphosis summary, part by part, through the door of Gregor's room: who comes in, who pays, and our counts of door, vermin and cockroach. Wyllie translation. Full spoilers. Summary: The Metamorphosis →
What is The Metamorphosis about?
Franz Kafka's novella follows Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman who wakes one morning as a giant vermin, and the way his family, his employer and his lodgers react to the door of his room.
How long is The Metamorphosis?
In the Project Gutenberg text (ebook 5200) it runs about 22,000 words by our count, in three parts of roughly 7,100 to 7,500 words each. At a steady 250 words a minute that is about ninety minutes.
Is Gregor a cockroach?
In David Wyllie's translation the word cockroach never appears, and neither does insect. The word vermin appears once, in the first sentence. We make no diagnosis.
Which translation does this site use?
The Project Gutenberg text, ebook number 5200, translated by David Wyllie. The file says the translation is under copyright and posted with permission, so we paraphrase and quote only tiny snippets.
How many parts does The Metamorphosis have?
Three. Our summary follows them through the door of Gregor's room: locked from inside, locked from outside, and left open before it is locked for good.
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