Reading strange short stories is good for the soul and for the mind. And what better place to dip your toes into the unusual than with Kafka and Camus. Here are my recommendations to get to know the unusual:
- The Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka)
Gregor Samsa is a hardworking traveling salesman with a lot of responsibilities. The story begins with Gregor struggling to get out of his bed since he was magically transformed into a giant bug! His life turns upside down. Despite his condition, Gregor was still worried about catching the train, being unable to take a sick leave, paying off the family debt, and his wish to send his sister to study music. The Metamorphosis leaves the reader to think: what value do I have if I stop being useful?
- The Trial (Franz Kafka)
Joseph K. is arrested, but nobody tells him why. The book is about how he deals with his trial, and how everyone acts completely normal while his life is falling apart. The situation drives him mad as he waits to get convicted — lost in an unknown system that no one cares about. It can also be interpreted as how all of us are sentenced to life; death is approaching us, slowly and swiftly, we just don’t know how and when.
- The Myth of Sisyphus (Albert Camus)
He imagines Sisyphus, a king who was punished by God to push a massive rock up a steep hill. It can be compared to the human condition: we have monotonous jobs to do, bills to pay, and endure until we die. Although our life is repetitive and purposeless, it is our life, it is all we’ve got, just like Sisyphus — who would happily go all the way down to the bottom to roll it back uphill until eternity.
- The Stranger (Albert Camus)
The protagonist Meursault accidentally kills a man, but doesn’t play by the rules of the society; he doesn’t beg for mercy and doesn’t cry. He simply accepts his fate and says, “Nothing matters!” This book will generate a lot of philosophical questions and is worth a read.
Why Kafka and Camus?
Kafka’s work is beautiful because it’s short, weirdly unexplainable, and leaves a strong impression on your mind! While the beauty in Camus’s works is in how absurdities can be approached in different ways. Gregor hides under his bed in shame, Joseph loses his mind waiting for his trial. Sisyphus keeps trying — accepting that this is his fight, and Meursault accepts the reality and stops pretending! There is no shortage of sudden and unpredictable events that can make us suffer and affect our mental state, but if we obsess over them, our obsession can lead to far more pain than the actual events. Kafka speaks about feeling empty and searching for meaning, while Camus expresses being noticed on the surface but never truly understood. Kafka whispers: You’re trapped. Camus shouts back: Trap yourself on purpose, and smile. Read Kafka’s works to feel the weight, and Camus’ works to lift it.
