“Waking up one morning after a restless sleep, Gregor Samsa discovered that he had turned into a terrible insect in his bed,” — this is how perhaps the most famous work of Franz Kafka begins.
Someone prefers to view the «Transformation» through the category of «holiness», others — through «suffering», still others — through the prism of psychoanalysis, and someone contemptuously rejects such attempts, focusing exclusively on artistic value. One thing is certain. This little story is not [просто] leaves a trace in the soul, it hurts the soul, and it heals it, but only — until a scar is formed.
«Metamorphosis» is studied as a «compulsory» work in all higher education institutions, regardless of specialization. And it doesn’t seem so surprising. Initiation is always associated with pain. And if it was possible to initiate into “humanity” through some kind of initiation, then the story “Transformation” would become one of its stages.
Publisher: «Glagol» dubbing studio, 2016
Translation: Solomon Apt
Reader: Dmitry Orgin
Proofreader: Natalya Vladimirovna Kolesova
Cover: Anna Kolesnichenko
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