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There is something about Kafka's writing that just pulls you in, ties you to the chair and makes you experience it - in all of its frustration, humor and sadness. When observed objectively, it is almost insane that we still read an author that only published a few completed short stories. Kafka ordered all of his work to be burned upon his early death at 41 - his executor and friend, Max Brod, sensed the unfulfilled genius in Kafka's work, and refused his friend's dying wish.

So I asked myself when I took this book of the shelf a couple of months ago, "Why read this book of stories for the third time?" I can't think of another collection of short stories I've read cover-to-cover more than twice. In addition, most of the stories in this collection are unfinished. The jewels of the collection, "The Hunger Artist", "A Report to an Academy", "In the Penal Colony" and the eponymous "Metamorphosis" are outstanding. The remainder of the collection is like staring into a handful of uncut, unpolished diamonds - the reader is forced to look at the potential rather than the current state. This collection includes everything that exists from Kafka's pen, with the exception of his three unfinished novels.

I don't think that Kafka is the best short story writer. But after reading his stories for the third time, I think I've realized why I like him so much. Kafka's particular talent at a particular point in human history is serendipitous. I believe that his writing is a bridge between the story writing and telling of the 19th century and the dawning of a new age in literature (the "Modern" and then "Post-Modern" literature ages). I can sense 19th century Europe in his stories as much as I can the David Foster Wallace, Ben Marcus and other talented late 20th century writers. This positioning is unique and rather daunting for an author with little finished work.

A word of warning: the last third of the book contains "short short stories", many of which aren't more than a paragraph long and are really nothing more than ideas for later consideration. Reading through pages of these is like a journey through a deranged mind, so if you choose to read this book cover-to-cover, plan on tackling this section in short bursts.