Regarding "The Trial" by Franz Kafka

Just read "The Trial". Here are some thoughts.

K. (the story's protagonist) is such a poorly understood individual.

Having not received a summons after his first interrogation and the outburst that ensued, where people placed cushions between their heads and the ceiling to avoid being hurt, he ventures to the same delapidated building and finds the same faceless woman who introduced him the week before. She informs him that there is no session this week. Looking past her he sees several books lying on the Examining Magistrate's table, and asks to have a look at them. He's told that this is not allowed, and given no explanation, like every every other confusing juncture in the story up until that point, offers an explanation in it's stead.

"I see," K. said and nodded, "the books must be law-books, and it's characteristic of this judicial system that a man is condemned not only when he's innocent but also in ignorance of the facts". "Yes, that must be it," said the woman, who had not quite understood him.

This comical ignorance, this condescending disregard for his understanding of what is taking place, recurs throughout the story. K., not given any explanation as to the course of events and very often not even told about the the basic tenets of the society within which he must conduct himself seems like a very poorly understood individual indeed.

He tries to mesh with people in his world and is inevitably wrestled into subservience on every occasion. The result is a frustrated entanglement of ideals. The actions of those around him are never given sufficient substance and he ends up living through a vitiating flurry of intellectual ephemera. He second guesses his actions to such an extent that he becomes little more than a play thing for a band of reverse-psychology-wielding mind police.

Really good book. Read it.