David Wyllie

Franz Kafka

The Metamorphosis (German, Die Verwandlung), a novella by Franz Kafka is cited as one of the seminal works of fiction of the 20th century and is studied in colleges and universities across the Western world. This edition contains both the original German together with a parallel translation in English for easy study and cross-reference. Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman, wakes to find himself transformed (metamorphosed) into a large, monstrous insect-like creature. The cause of Gregor's transformation is never revealed, and Kafka himself never gave an explanation. The novella deals with Gregor's attempts to adjust to his new condition as he deals with being burdensome to his parents and sister, who are repulsed by the horrible, verminous creature Gregor has become.

German and English Parallel Text

The Metamorphosis

Die Verwandlung

Elina Berzina

Franzi

raia – inactive

He was already on the verge of forgetting, and only his mother’s voice, which he had gone so long now without hearing, had shaken him awake.

Luca Stromann

[…] denn ihn hätte man doch in einer passenden Kiste mit ein paar Luftlöchern leicht transportieren können;

Anfangs rief sie ihn auch zu sich herbei, mit Worten, die sie wahrscheinlich für freundlich hielt, wie »Komm mal herüber, alter Mistkäfer!« oder »Seht mal den alten Mistkäfer!«

tuna

The previous morning while the doors were locked everyone had wanted to get in there to him, but now, now that he had opened up one of the doors and the other had clearly been unlocked some time during the day, no-one came, and the keys were in the other sides.

They had been good times and they had never come again, at least not with the same splendour

With a certain definitiveness he sensed, terrified, that everything was about to collapse all around him, and so he waited. 

Oriana andrade

As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.

Alison Deaner

It occurred to him how simple everything would be if somebody came to help him.

The Metamorphosis quotes

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