Life as a giant verminous bug proves to be more and more problematic for Gregor, and the entire Samsa family. Franz Kafka, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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Now, a quick word or two about Franz Kafka and The Metamorphosis. Most people consider The Metamorphosis to be a highly autobiographical work. Maybe Franz Kafka never woke up turned into a bug, but he probably felt like he did. Why? He was a German in Czech Prague, he was a Jew in a pretty virulently anti-Semitic place and time, he was sickly, he had serious issues with his dad, he was a failed businessman. The list goes on. It seems like every day he had a mountain of pain to deal with. He was made to feel “lesser-than” his whole life, and what’s lower than a verminous bug?

We kind of just want to give him a hug. This insect isn’t a cute little ladybug or butterfly. It’s a gross, slime trail leaving, brown goop spewing little monster of a vermin. It’s even portrayed as being malicious and evil, as we’ll see today.

And now, The Metamorphosis, Part 2 of 3, by Franz Kafka.