Outside Reading

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka was an extremely intriguing novel to me, which explains why I chose it for the outside reading assignment. This book immediately drew me in, even after the first sentence. The author wasted no time when beginning to describe the life of Gregor, the main character. It’s rare for a story to begin without any background information, but Franz Kafka did an amazing job of instantly drawing you and having it be possible to understand everything that was taking place.
Imagery is the absolute most prominent literary element used in The Metamorphosis. Within the first ten pages, every kind of element was imagery, and without it, the book would be extremely confusing. Sometimes a book that has a lot of descriptions, can seem boring and slow, but this statement is definitely untrue in this particular novel. I believe the author used this kind of element to simply enrich and give the reader a more graphic image of the challenges and upsetting events Gregor is forced to endure while living as a gigantic bug.
Although I have not fully completed with the story, so far the tone has been somber and dramatic. Gregor is having to deal with both internal and external struggles, and his family is of little or no help. It’s actually almost frustrating to read at points, because you feel for Gregor, and just want to help him through the tough situation. The tone is obvious throughout what I have read, because it’s a very depressing story line with many intense events and descriptions.

Writing About Reading

Reading is a captivating and wonderful experience. When you open the pages of a book, you enter a fantasy world and can become enthralled with the life of another character. You can forget about what is happening in your life for a short amount of time, and worry about the problems of someone or something else. It’s especially great to read when I am feeling stressed, because it is a very relaxing kind of activity.
Reading on my bed and snuggling in my blankets, is my favorite way to become fully into the experience and completely fascinated with my book. This is a great location, because there are few distractions, and I can put my full concentration into the words written on the page. On the other hand, reading in the car is something that is not possible for me to do, because I get nauseous. So definitely, a nice, quiet comfortable place is the best for me.
Usually I enjoy reading books of my choice, but if there is a book that I have trouble getting into, I set personal goals for myself on how many pages I will have to read a night, in order to finish the book. Even if I have trouble becoming engrossed in a book, I try and remember that I need to do my best to stay focused, and have a full understanding of the intentional meaning of the novel. Fiction, is obviously my favorite type of books, but of course there are good and bad ones. Certain times, a book is so amazing you can read a mile an minute while retaining every minor detail, and there are the times, when it is necessary to read slowly, and occasionally even reread a page to get all the information. There is a reason for me being in honors, and it’s because I love to read and write, and when a class offers a challenge while doing these things, I am definitely up for it!