Monday, August 12, 2024

The Trial - Franz Kafka

 Finally read 'The Trial' by Kafka.

It starts with one Josef K, a bank clerk, who is accused of some unknown crime by a couple of policemen and asked to attend court. Josef goes, knowing he is innocent and feeling that he will soon get away because he has committed no crime. But he is lost in the maze of buildings, procedures, processes, underhand stuff, people he cannot trust and slowly loses control and hope over the case. In the process he meets some weird cases - a sick lawyer, an usher whose wife is carried off by some people, the lawyer's lover who has a thing for his clients, a businessman who has been fighting his case for over five years and is ready to do anything to get the verdict in his favour, and so on.

It goes on. The novel drags on like the case until one fine day two people come and take Josef K out to a quarry and slit his throat to which he remarks 'Like a dog'.

Kafka has an interesting style where he describes all that's happening in great detail. Drama is cut to the minimum and its for us to figure the emotions that these people go through. Unique style, interesting premise and interesting execution.

Now to read his 'Metamorphosis'.  

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