Metamorphosis is the longest of the stories in this collection, and the most well known. I knew the surmise, Gregor wakes up one morning to find he;s been transformed into an insect of some description. The exact nature of this is not described, but it has multiple legs and a hard carapace, so I'm imagining some kind of beetle or roach. Which at 6 ft would clearly be quite disconcerting for all concerned. The way the family respond to him and his condition is explored. There is then the impact on the family's finances, with father and daughter going out to work and mother taking in sewing and lodgers but unable to move to a smaller apartment because of Gregor. I wasn't expecting the ending. The title could be applied to more than one protagonist in here. It's thought provoking and I'm glad I've read it.
There were a number of other stories in the collection, and they all have a sense of unease and a dark underside. I liked the last story, The Hunter Gracchus the most. ( )

I understand this short novella to be a classic of 20th-century literature and pivotal to existentialism, but having just finished the book - I don't get it. The story itself is interesting, with a young man awaking to discover himself to now be a giant insect and the descriptive details of how he manages to get himself out of bed and such. But as to the larger themes, I'm somewhat at a loss (maybe that's the point?). I realize there are pages of analysis available out there and while I'm interested to hear the thoughts of others in my book group, this classic left me with few strong feelings. ( )

This book contained more criticism than it did story, but the story itself was quite engaging. It was fascinating to see the character metamorphosis of each family member as a result of Gregor's change, making it impossible to say which family member would be considered the most vermin-like. The reader's sympathy is with Gregor for the entire story. It was certainly memorable. ( )

Disappointed ( )

Strange. ( )