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‘I don’t know you, but all the same a man must be a hardened criminal if he attracts the attention of an investigating commission’.
How do we even begin to unpack The Trial by Franz Kafka? Is this a feasible pursuit? In fact, should we be pursuing anything at all when it comes to this story?
A deceptively small book (spanning 182 pages), The Trial has been described as a ‘psychological horror’ of sorts, a work of absurdist art, fantasy, realism…..simply vague. In essence, it is tricky to pin down. Indeed, if you dear reader wish to feel intriguingly confused, tellingly frustrated and generally disorientated, give it a go.
Now, I know that this introduction does not sound entirely positive but bear with me. Sometimes art simply mirrors the complex and disquieting aspects of the world. My own personal enjoyment to The Trial was, let’s say limited. It is possible that Mr Kafka and I have gotten of on the wrong foot - and proceeded to run that race, all around the realm of the ‘invisible law’.
The Trial begins with a respected bank clerk, named Josef K, being arrested for a mysterious crime. K- as Kafka calls him - has no knowledge of what this crime is and can gain no further insight into the nature of it. He only knows that he is subject to a corrupt investigation, and given permission to continue on with his daily life- at least physically - whilst his ‘case’ is being processed. Seems relatively straightforward, right?
WRONG my friend! The strange and convoluted style of Kafka’s writing, mingles with sense of fluid reality to enhance and reflect the protagonist’s confusion. In addition to this Kafka’s sentences are as long and maze-like as the offices that K finds himself lost in, making even the structure mentally hard to follow. Even the plethora of people, who are considered real, seem almost to spring into existence just as he notices them.
It feels as though Kafka, K and the reader all running around in circles, possibly inside K’s head. The resultant feeling is one of stress, suffocation and the ultimate discombobulation.
It is safe to say that even The Mad Hatter from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland would be scratching his head at this one!
For those of you who are comforted by resolution, clarity and a purposeful narrative, you may come very close to re-enacting the scene from Silver Linings Playbook. This is where the protagonist, Pat Solitano, throws his book out the window (not The Trial). If, however you are compelled toward existential, offbeat and altogether unresolved writing, you may find yourself joining the cult of Kafka lovers. You will be welcomed into the very same group who would probably put this Book-Bee on trial for my lack of reverence.
To summarise, The Trial is certainly an acquired taste. It is a strange, unique and at times mundane rollercoaster ride, that startles the reader repeatedly. If you do decide to brave it, prepare yourself. For what, I can’t exactly say.
It seems fitting to the nature of the book, not to give a honey pot rating this time around. It may not even be real anyway.
Perhaps indicative of the divisive emotional responses Kafka can illicit, our November book circle provided one tangible summary of The Trial.
"The Trial by Franz Kafka is an archetypal, modernist work. It is a slim book which looks like it will be easy to read. However, it becomes clear the reader will have to work hard to discover what is happening. The author’s skill is in his capacity to provide clues and allusions for us. There is no conventional plot or story line and the characters are at times bizarre. I found it compelling and disconcerting. It is the type of book you can read several times and see something new each time" - Linda Farrell
For the rest of us, it was silence and ambiguity…
