First of all, I got this book free from Quirk Classics to review on my blog. Mr.Coleridge Cook has teamed up with old Franz (and my buddies at Quirk Classics) to bring us a new, fuzzier version of the creepy giant bug man story: The Meowmorphosis. Instead of a giant bug, Gregor Samsa wakes up as a man sized kitten!"His family freaks out: Yes, their son is OMG so cute, but what good is cute when there are bills piling up?"In the original, Gregor remains trapped in his family's apartment as their lives continue on in spite of his creeping up walls and furniture. In the new "It's so fluffy I'm gonna' die" version, Gregor escapes into the wide world to discover he is not alone in his transformation (because really, who expects a cat to stay somewhere it doesn't really want to stay?).In keeping with Kafka's style, Cook made me feel I was severely intoxicated while reading on more than one occasion (and in my own defense, I only had one small drink the entire time I was reading....OK, so it was a shot of vodka, but trust me when I say, the mind boggling was so not my fault). I fully intend to tackle this one again in hopes that the super-cute man kitteh will not make my brain feel like jello again.If nothing else, this book was totally worth the read for the Discussion Questions at the end. And did I mention the pictures? Awesomely disturbing. This is the first literary “mash-up” I’ve ever read…a new format that combines classic texts with a modern twist. Quirk Classics have produced these, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Android Karenina were early successes. I was a little hesitant at first, having found Kafka’s The Metamorphosis so intriguing. In this mash-up, the anonymous writer “Coleridge Cook” twists Kafka’s tale of a man waking up to find himself as a bug into a tamer form: he wakes as an adorable kitten instead. Gregor as a cat experiences the same sort of issues as Gregor the bug, except that he’s more inclined to nap than scuttle around under furniture. Staying fairly true to Kafka’s outline, it really does change the way you react to the scenes. It makes it wickedly funny to see his family react with such outrage and fear to what should be normal: a fat and lazy housecat. In this retelling, aside from his irresistible urge to sleep, Gregor does get out and has a run-in with some other cats. This ties into another Kafka story, The Trial, which I haven’t read but which Cook is clearly familiar with. I think I lost a bit of meaning here because I could sense that the names and actions of the other cats is important to understanding this version. My friend Lisa Hayden discusses the important relevance between The Trial and Kafka himself in her review of the book and read her explanation of the connection between both Kafka books at her blog. She’s smart like that!"...which all led to the conclusion that for the time being he would have to keep calm and --with patience and the greatest consideration for his family--tolerate the troubles that in his present condition he was now forced to cause them.""He had never acted according to his desires alone, but only according to the dicta of his kin, his duty, and that great filial ledger that ruled his life....That difference of spirit he had always felt on the inside was now evident on the outside..."Now if you’ve never read The Metamorphosis, I think you’d enjoy this version for its play on images. Having read it recently, however, made me feel that the overall take from the story is just too different to get the same meaning as Kafka intended. For all of his images of absurdity with the bug, the idea of a man waking to find himself a horrifying insect was not the point of The Metamorphosis. What I took from it was more how absurd his family reacted and raised the question of why Gregor had put up with their dependence long before he turned into a bug. In this, the question is still there—but the cat contrast distracts a bit from the actual horror of his family situation.I think this would be an excellent way to introduce someone to Kafka’s work, and since you can hardly find a book that isn’t described as “Kafkaesque” these days, it might be a good way start, as the majority of it stays very close to Kafka's telling. The illustrations are a fun addition as well...who doesn't love a cat?
What do You think about La Miaomorfosi (2012)?
I love kittens and Kafka, but this may be a little too cheesy for my taste. We'll see.
—EmoBunny
I've never read the original version, but this was very good.
—alloizeus08
