There is a man.

… … One morning, he finds himself turned into a bug.

I just go about my life as if I were a slacker, and sometimes I get a creepy feeling that my life is really no better than that of a bug.
In that context, Kafka's "Metamorphosis" is not just a bizarre story.
"Metamorphosis," which deals with the futility and absolute loneliness of human existence, speaks of the 'transformation' from a human to an insect.

"Metamorphosis" depicts, through the entity of an insect, the human being, who is evaluated only by his "function" in modern civilization, losing the meaning of his own existence and living in isolation from others.
As long as Gregor earns a living, his function and existence are recognized, but his empty place is soon filled and the meaning of his existence disappears.
It speaks to how disconnected communication and understanding are, not only between people but also between family members.

--Jang Young-hee (Professor of English Literature, Sogang University)


Kafka's immortal short story that has become a legend in modern literature!

Kafka's novel "The Metamorphosis" is called a myth of 20th-century literature.
The citadel of realism, which had held firm in the history of Western novels until then, began to crack and make a loud noise after “Metamorphosis.”
Milan Kundera is said to have described Kafka's work as having a "strange beauty in black."
As with most of Kafka's works, "The Metamorphosis" seems perfectly suited to this expression by Kundera.
In "The Metamorphosis," Kafka uses simple, clear language without any unnecessary details to portray the uncertainties of modern life, the uneasy consciousness and dream of salvation given to humans in a life where they cannot find an exit, in a strange and beautiful way.



I ordered the horse to be brought out of the stable.
The servant didn't seem to understand what I was saying.
I went straight to the stable, saddled the horse, and got on.
A trumpet sound was heard from afar.
“What?”
I asked.
The servant didn't know.
He couldn't hear it.
At the door, the servant stopped me and asked.

“Where are you going?”
"I don't know either.
I'm just leaving here.
I'm getting out of here.
I'll go anywhere.
“If I don’t do that, I won’t be able to reach my goal.”
“So, you have somewhere to go?”
The servant asked.

I answered.
“Well, of course.
Didn't I just say that?
“Getting out of here, that’s my goal.”

--Franz Kafka, "Departure"

There are countless translated versions of "Metamorphosis," which was published ninety years ago and introduced in Korea over half a century ago in 1950, but the one published by Munhakdongne this time stands out above all else for its illustrations.
The illustrations by the famous Argentine artist Luis Scafati depict each scene of “The Metamorphosis” in a most “Kafkaesque” way.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that these illustrations, which are processed solely in black without using any other colors, visually show not only "The Metamorphosis" but also Kafka's literary world.
This book will be of great help in understanding "Metamorphosis," a work that always makes readers question their own existence and their current reality.