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The Trial is a novel written by Franz Kafka. It is the story of Josef K., the Chief Financial Officer of a bank. He is already on the fast track to success when on the morning of his thirtieth birthday, he is arrested by two unidentified men. Neither his crime, nor the identities of the people who pursue and prosecute him, are revealed. During the next one year, he struggles to come to terms with his strange predicament and the inaccessible authority that hounds him. He enlists the help of Uncle Karl, who introduces him to Huld, a lawyer. The story is set against the backdrop of complex bureaucracy, where everything from the nature of the crime to the rules and the authority of the court as well as the identity of the judges are a secret. All these make it difficult for Josef to find a solution. Meanwhile Leni, Herr Huld’s nurse, offers to help Josef and ends up seducing him. Block, another client of the lawyer, has a similar story and shares it with Josef, which provides him with valuable insight. The Trial covers the happenings of Josef’s life during that year and reflects the almost unreal experiences that he goes through.
Franz Kafka, a well known German language author of novels like The Castle, Amerika and short stories, including The Judgment, The Metamorphosis, and In The Penal Colony. He was born in Prague, Austria-Hungary, on July 3, 1883, and went to The Charles Ferdinand University to study law. He worked as an Insurance Officer and factory manager before becoming a novelist and short story writer. The author passed away on June 3, 1924, and many of his works were published after his death. David Wyllie has translated other books such as R.U.R (Rossum's Universal Robots), The War with the Newts (Illustrated Edition) and The Metamorphosis.
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