The TrialThe Trial
Score Classic
What it's about
One morning, on his thirtieth birthday, Josef K., a respected bank officer, is arrested in his room. He is never told what he's accused of, and he's left free to go to work. Over the following year he tries to defend himself before a mysterious court that meets in attics and back rooms, getting nowhere with lawyers, painters and priests, while the case swallows his life.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books and Le Monde's list of the books of the century. It gave us the word 'Kafkaesque' and is still the great nightmare of bureaucracy.
You'll love it if you liked
The Stranger
Darkness at Noon
1984Good to know
Kafka didn't finish it, and his friend published it after his death against Kafka's wishes. It's strange, funny and disturbing.
By the numbers
- Readers31 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics55 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller48 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #138 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #439 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1508 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Dark
More by Franz Kafka
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Quick answers
Is The Trial worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books and Le Monde's list of the books of the century. It ranks #1,508 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 68.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Trial about?
One morning, on his thirtieth birthday, Josef K., a respected bank officer, is arrested in his room. He is never told what he's accused of, and he's left free to go to work. Over the following year he tries to defend himself before a mysterious court that meets in attics and back rooms, getting nowhere with lawyers, painters and priests, while the case swallows his life.
How long does it take to read The Trial?
About 6 hours (231 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Trial?
If you liked it, try The Stranger by Albert Camus, Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler or 1984 by George Orwell.