Top 30 Modern Classics - IX

The Trial

By Franz Kafka

The Trial, written by Franz Kafka in German, was published in 1925. The first English language translation was published in 1937. 

Josef K is a Chief Financial Officer of a bank. He is arrested by two agents from an unspecified agency for an unspecified crime. He is set free with the directive to await the instructions of the agency.

Joseph receives summon to  attend a court whcih fe finds out to be attic. The room is airless, shabby and crowded, and although he has no idea what he is charged with, or what authorizes the process, he makes a long speech denigrating the whole process, including the agents who arrested him.

Later, in a store room at his own bank, Joseph discovers the two agents, who had arrested him, being whipped by a flogger for asking Joseph for bribes. Joseph tries to argue with the flogger to no avail. The next day he returns to the store room and is shocked to find everything as he had found it the day before, including the whipper and the two agents.

Joseph is visited by his uncle, who is distressed by Joseph's predicament. The uncle introduces Joseph to a lawyer. The attorney tells him that he can prepare a brief for Joseph, but since the charge is unknown and the rules are unknown, it is difficult work. It also never may be read, but is still very important. The lawyer says that his most important task is to deal with powerful court officials behind the scenes.

Joseph visits the lawyer several times. The lawyer tells him incessantly how dire his situation is and tells many stories of other hopeless clients and of his behind-the-scenes efforts on behalf of these clients, and brags about his many connections. But Joseph's brief is never completed.

Joseph decides to take control of matters himself and visits his lawyer with the intention of dismissing him. At the lawyer's office he meets another of the lawyer's client, Block who explains how he has turned from a successful businessman to being almost bankrupt and is virtually enslaved by his dependence on the lawyer.

On the eve of K.'s thirty-first birthday, two men arrive at his apartment. He has been waiting for them, and he offers little resistance – indeed the two men take direction from K. as they walk through town.

The climax is for the reader to find out.

Kafka had a typical habit of not completing his novels. 

This is one of the best from Kafka

Namaste

Prabir