"The Trial" by Franz Kafka: Joseph K., a rather unassuming bank clerk, wakes up on the morning of his 30th birthday to discover two men waiting to arrest him. He has no idea what he could have possibly done wrong and is never informed of his crime. He is allowed to go about his life, but the mysterious charge hangs over him as he awaits his trial. Along the way, he gets introduced to maddening bureaucracy and the absurdity of a legal system that operates out of attics. The power of the courts is made all the more intimidating for their incompetence. K.'s quest for reason ends as abruptly as it begins, with two new men arriving on the evening before his 31st birthday and delivering a brutally harsh sentence.
Like all of Kafka's novels, "The Trial" was left unfinished. However, it's far more polished and coherent than either "Amerika" or "The Castle." In contrast to "The Castle," which was broken off in mid-sentence, "The Trial" has a definite ending and seems to only be missing one portion of the story, a resolution to a chapter involving a conversation between K. and his lawyer. Granted, the absence does disrupt continuity, and there's no way of telling how long that particular scene would have lasted or what other chapters could have possibly followed, but at least Kafka picks up the story and carries it through to a satisfying conclusion. Actually, the final chapter of "The Trial" belongs among the top ten or twenty endings 70 proof has encountered in literature.
It's difficult giving "The Trial" a definitive rating. It's easily the best of Kafka's novels, and, probably more so than any of his other writings, inspires the term Kafkaesque with its nightmarish scenario and sense of impending doom. The existential undercurrent, with K.'s ordeal mirroring man's desire for meaning in life, was certainly a favorite here at 70 proof, and the idea alone deserves four shots. But one can't ignore that the work is incomplete. The obvious break in continuity does mar the overall product, almost giving the impression of two distinct books. The prose itself is Kafka at his best, terse and straightforward without all the needless meandering of his other novels. Oh, sure, he still takes the scenic route, but here all the tangents and plot digressions actually serve a purpose, adding to K.'s sense of helpless bewilderment, unlike "The Castle" where all the double-talk merely annoyed.
It's funny, but last week we discussed Camus' "A Happy Death" and said how it was a necessary prelude to "The Stranger." With Kafka, it seems the process was reversed. "The Castle," which was Kafka's last major work, clearly seems to be a blatant rip of "The Trial," although in this case the initial book is far superior.
Still, if you want to experience the best of Kafka, 70 proof would recommend "The Metamorphosis," which is absolutely flawless. Come to think of it, maybe the novel just wasn't his thing. Perhaps none of them were ever completed because he found the format too daunting? Whatever the reason, it was literature's loss.
RATING: 