The Trial

Imagine you live in a world where you are to deal with the absurdity of bureaucracy. A bureaucracy where you are told you are arrested but also assures that nothing in your life changes except for occasional appearances at the court. Now, how this uncertainty impacts a respectable bank officer, Josef K. is the story.

At its core, I think the philosophy behind The Trial (subject to correction) is that you are only a monkey in a well planned out circus. Sometimes, without your control, your thoughts, judgements and capabilities are impacted. In this absurd system, there is hardly anything you can do but wait for it to consume you.

Now, this is what I understood. And I really liked the philosophy behind the book. However, I could not engage with the book as a whole. I lost track of things and the occurrences of events and found myself rereading a few chapters. Of course, it is no fault of the translator. Entirely mine. I might not have started with the right mood and expectations. I was hoping for more of a narrative revolving around the psyche of Josef K rather than the weight of bureaucracy.

Knowing now what The Trial offers, I look forward to revisiting it someday when I'm ready to question the systems around me more deeply. I think I'll find greater meaning in it then.