The Trial - Franz Kafka - Book Review

 

        Roadside bookshops are an absolute treasure trove that a reader can come across. One that can surprise you. One such small shop had books by Kafka that I was looking for, and I went ahead and bought them. I had to read this after checking out the blurb.

        Joseph. K, a head clerk at a bank, is arrested for no reason. The constable, the court - no one is aware of the reason or what wrong he had committed. He is allowed to continue with his normal life and attend court on weekends. Joseph has a hard time trying to figure out what is happening to his life. What was he arrested for? Does he get convicted or acquitted?

        What piqued my interest in this read was the absurdity of the plot. This is my second read of Kafka after Metamorphosis. Every character in this book appears to have a say but is clueless at the same time. The mental state of Mr K is well reflected throughout, and it affected me in unspeakable ways. There are a couple of interesting characters: a businessman, a painter, a lady servant, and a church father who influences K's thinking and reasoning. Even though the book is under 200 pages, it was never an easy read for me. There were a lot of inner conversations that made me ponder several times and, at the same time, made me uncomfortable. An individual's struggle against the system is well brought out here. We can relate this to some of the systems that we see around us. 

        Kafka points out the web-like entanglement of the system wherein an individual can get tangled deeper and deeper, even as the person seems to find a way out. There is some tongue-in-cheek dry humour throughout the book. This book makes you snigger at the absurdity while becoming uncomfortable at the underlying reality. There was a particular scene where K compares himself to a fly stuck in flypaper. That stayed with me for a long time. The ending was very unexpected, and it shook me. 

        In short, an absurd yet powerful novel. This might not be everyone's cup of tea. But once you read this, you will have more thoughts to process and also wonder at how the author came up with such a powerful thought back then. No wonder Kafka is celebrated even now!