The Meowmorphosis by Franz Kafka & Coleridge Cook

I have never read any of Franz Kafka's stories so was not familiar with The Metamorphosis. I went online to look it up and get kind of an idea of what it was about. I also read a bit of biography about Franz Kafka to get an idea of what he was like as a writer. So, after doing all of that I then read The Meowmorphosis, Quirk Classics mashup of  Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis.

In The Metamorphosis Gregor Samsa a salesman wakes up one morning turned into a bug of some sort. In The Meowmorphosis mashup Gregor Samsa wakes up as a cute little kitten.

I have to say I just didn't get it. I didn't know what the point of Gregor turning into a bug/or cat was all about. If Kafka was trying to impart some kind of message it was lost on me. My fault I am sure, as I am a pretty black and white kind of person. I want things spelled out for me.

All in all Gregor's life seems pretty depressing. He is evidently supporting his family. It seems that after he turns into a cat his resentment of that comes through. Once he no longer can support them his parents and sister have to find jobs in order to help them survive. They seem to be sunk in hopelessness as they do their jobs. It falls to Gregor's sister to take care of him which she does wholeheartedly at first but then comes to resent.

*SPOILER* Once Gregor passes, his family seem to come out of their funk and their burden is lightened and their hopelessness is lifted. So my question is, "What was the point?"

This is not to say that I didn't like the story. Coleridge Cook did a great job infusing funny little cat antics into the story to make it more amusing. I guess I am just not a fan of Kafka.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith-REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth should be enjoying wedded bliss, but lately Elizabeth has been feeling dissatisfied. As a married woman she is no longer allowed to be the dreadful slayer that she has been trained to be. While out strolling the grounds of Pemberley Mr. Darcy is attacked and bitten by a wandering dreadful. Elizabeth quickly hides the fact that he was bitten by a dreadful. She knows that she should have immediately decapitated her husband. She has heard rumors though that her enemy Lady Catherine knows of a cure for this dreadful disease.

Lady Catherine quickly comes up with a plan to save Darcy. She must take him to her home. Elizabeth must go to London to steal the cure from the gentleman that has created it. Lizzie must find a way into Bethlem hospital for the insane in order to find the cure. The Ninja’s that Lady Catherine used to send to attack Lizzie(for stealing Mr. Darcy from her daughter Anne), are now sent to help Lizzie find the cure.

In the meantime Darcy is having nightmares of eating raw flesh. Lady Catherine is giving him doses of a medicine that slows down the process of turning into an unmentionable, but the infection is still in his body. He slowly gains strength under the care of his cousin Anne. He can’t understand why his precious Elizabeth is not there nursing him back to health.

Back in London, Lizzie and family are having very little success in finding the cure. Lizzie’s sister Mary arrives and takes matters into her own hands. She is a warrior after all. Subterfuge is not in her nature. She manages to get into Bethlem hospital, but unfortunately she also manages to get caught.

Lizzie too is tired of deception. It is time to reclaim her true warrior nature. During a dreadful attack in London she and her family manage to get into Bethlem hospital. Will they be able to find the cure for Darcy before it is too late?

I really enjoyed this book. I cracked up at the antics of Mary and Kitty. The scenes where the zombies were described cracking open skulls to get to the succulent brains inside made me laugh as did many other parts of the book. The final battle scene was thrilling and I couldn’t wait to see how it all ended! Quirk Classics is aptly named as these stories are very quirky and probably not for everyone, with their descriptions of fresh- from -the -grave zombies eating their own flesh or someone else’s. I’m quirky enough that it all makes me laugh!

Go to facebook and "like" the  Dreadfully Ever After page to be entered into a giveaway that Quirk Books is doing.

NOW FOR MY GIVEAWAY! Comment on this post to be entered to win all 3 Pride and Prejudice and Zombie books. They are:

 One lucky winner will be chosen on Monday March 28th 2011. I will use Random.org to do the drawing. Be sure that when you leave a comment that you also leave your email address to reach you. If you do  not leave an email address I will go to the next person randomly drawn.  U.S. ONLY PLEASE!

Can't wait to hear what other bloggers have to say about this series!