As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.
The Metamorphosis – the masterpiece of Franz Kafka – was first published in 1915 and is one of the seminal works of fiction of the twentieth century. The novel is cited as a key influence for many of today’s leading authors; as Auden wrote: “Kafka is important to us because his predicament is the predicament of modern man”.
Traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, wakes to find himself transformed into a large, monstrous insect-like creature. The cause of Gregor’s transformation is never revealed, and as he attempts to adjust to his new condition he becomes a burden to his parents and sister, who are repelled by the horrible, verminous creature Gregor has become.
A harrowing, yet strangely comic, meditation on human feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and isolation, The Metamorphosishas taken its place as one of the most widely read and influential works of twentieth-century fiction.
” Kafka’ s stoic Euro-alienation meets and merges with Kuper’ s thoroughly American rock and roll alienation.” — Jules Feiffer
” The ride from book to comic can be bumpy. Mr. Kuper navigates the transition with precision.” — New York Times
” Kafka’ s anguished archetypal characters are easily rendered into visual equivalents and given new life in Kuper’ s raw, expressionistic graphic style.” — Publishers Weekly
” Darkly appropriate . . . Kuper’ s work rivals that of Art Spiegelman.” — Chicago Sun-Times
” Bubbling beneath the surface is a caustic batch of black humor that is as much unsettling as it is absurd. This is the magic of Kafka. And Kuper gives it a postmodern edge here, with an intriguing dance of picture and text.” — Gannett News Service
” Kuper’ s scratchboard style . . . is reminiscent of the German expressionist artists . . . and his cartoony approach accentuates Kafka’ s dark humor.” –Booklist