The Trial by Franz Kafka

While not a lengthy novel, it nonetheless took me quite some time to get through The Trial, feeling confused and disoriented, much like the protagonist questioning what was real and what was not.

Purportedly an homage to Dostoyevsky’s works, Kafka ensnares the reader into Josef K’s living nightmare in which he is being prosecuted for an unnamed crime by an unknown authority.

Referred to simply as K., Josef K. is a 30-year-old banker arrested on his birthday with no specific charges and told to report to the court with no specific time or location. His ordeal leads him to several enigmatic characters hoping for clarity, only to find himself falling further down the proverbial rabbit hole.

Dr. Huld, a lawyer recommended by K.’s uncle serves only to discombobulate and further confuse the situation while offering little to no professional advice.

Leni, caregiver to the bedridden Huld seduces K. and appears to have some knowledge of the obscure charges. Unbeknownst to K., Leni has an unusual attraction to men charged with these ambiguous legal accusations and can truly offer no guidance.

Quotes:

Despite this affirmation the painter summed it all up once more, as if he wanted to give K. something to console him on his way home. “Both have in common that they prevent the defendant being convicted,” he said. “But they also prevent his being properly acquitted.” said K. quietly, as if ashamed to acknowledge it.

As his eyesight failed, K. saw the two gentlemen cheek by cheek, close in front of his face, watching the result. “Like a dog!” he said, it was as if the shame of it should outlive him.

I’d probably open my conversation with Mr. Kafka around his idol, Dostoyevsky, to put us both at ease and then discuss his writing processes. Since many of his female characters in The Trial were portrayed as sexual beings rather than women, I’d have to try to educate him on the relevance of equality.

My rating for The Trial is a 9 out of 10.

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