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The Trial

Newly translated and Annotated
By Franz Kafka
Series: Evergreens
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Trial by Franz Kafka follows the unsettling and surreal story of Josef K., a bank officer who is unexpectedly arrested by an inscrutable authority for an unspecified crime. Without ever knowing the nature of his charge, Josef navigates a bewildering and opaque legal system, sparking a profound exploration of bureaucratic absurdity and existential dread. The narrative captures the nightmarish and often absurd nature of modern life and the struggle for meaning within it.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$1699
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy exploring themes of existential dread and the perplexing nature of bureaucracy. You'll find a gripping narrative that delves into the absurdity of modern society through a fascinating and thought-provoking storyline. Perfect for those interested in delving into a surreal and mysterious world that raises questions about justice and humanity.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The Trial is the most acclaimed of Kafka’s three novels, and is both a haunting meditation on freedom and the powerlessness of the individual in the face of state power, and an ominous prefiguration of the totalitarian excesses of the twentieth century.

The Trial is the most acclaimed of Kafka’s three novels, and is both a haunting meditation on freedom and the powerlessness of the individual in the face of state power, and an ominous prefiguration of the totalitarian excesses of the twentieth century.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

On his thirtieth birthday, the bank clerk Josef K. is suddenly arrested by mysterious agents for an unspecified crime. He is told that he will be set free, but must make regular appearances at a court in the attic of a tenement building while his trial proceeds.

Although he never comes to know the particulars of his case, Josef K. finds his life taken over by the opaque bureaucratic procedures and is tormented by the psychological pressures exerted by his legal nightmare.

Published the year after the author’s death, but written ten years earlier, The Trial is the most acclaimed of Kafka’s three novels. It is both a haunting meditation on freedom and the powerlessness of the individual in the face of state power, and an ominous prefiguration of the totalitarian excesses of the twentieth century.

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Trial by Franz Kafka is often lauded for its exploration of bureaucracy and absurdity. Critics highlight the humour found in the logical yet nonsensical arguments presented in the story. Despite its complex themes, the narrative is appreciated for its clarity in depicting the struggles against an opaque and perplexing judicial process.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781847497192

Publisher: Alma Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 March 2018

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Alma Classics

Contributors:

  • Translated by Richard Stokes

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 200g

Pages: 256

Collections

Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Fiction Franz Kafka General Fiction Literary Fiction Series: Evergreens

About the Author

Franz Kafka (1883–1924) was one of the giants of twentieth-century German literature. His stories, such as The Metamorphosis (1915), and novels, including The Trial (1925) and The Castle (1926), concern troubled individuals in a nightmarishly impersonal and bureaucratic world.

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