It’s been quite a long time since I read any of Kafka’s novels. Metropole by Hungarian author Ferenc Karinthy was a timely reminder that I probably should revisit them. A central character thrust unawares into an unidentifiable situation and left isolated and lonely floundering for explanations. That’s The Trial and that’s Metropole. Rather than being embedded in the pseudo-legal mire of The Trial, the protagonist of Metropole is whisked away to a completely alien (not extra-terrestrial!) city and left to his own devices amongst an indifferent population. In spite of his occupation as a Professor of Etymology, the main obstacle to his resolving the situation is the indecipherable language spoken around him…
Very readable and recommended!