Franz Kafka's visionary fiction offers an unforgettable rendering of the anxiety and alienation prevalent in 20th-century Western society. The Trial and The Metamorphosis are among the works discussed in this new collection of contemporary critical commentary on the author. This new offering from Bloom's Modern Critical Views includes an introductory essay from esteemed scholar Harold Bloom, a bibliography, a chronology of the author's life, and an index for quick reference. Each title in this series presents a well-rounded critical portrait of an influential writer by examining his or her body of work through eight to 12 full-length essays.