Is Kafka's Metamorphosis Good? | Richard Dawkins Opens A Can Of Worms | A Conversation on Twitter

An interesting set of conversations has developed over the weekend on Twitter, spurred by a provocative tweet by Richard Dawkins, which read: "Kafka’s Metamorphosis is called a major work of literature. Why? If it’s SF it’s bad SF. If, like Animal Farm, it’s an allegory, an allegory of what? Scholarly answers range from pretentious Freudian to far-fetched feminist. I don’t get it. Where are the Emperor’s clothes?"

I've been following this ongoing conversation, and gathered some of the more interesting responses into this video, providing a bit of commentary of my own. I hope you find it thought-provoking.

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#Kafka #Twitter #Dawkins

[jackdomanski]

“He who has read Kafka’s Metamorphosis and can look into his mirror unflinching may technically be able to read print, but is illiterate in the only sense that matters.”- George Steiner

[Xoguran]

-Dr. Dawkins: The Metamorphosis sucks.
-Dr. Sadler: Your free trial on academic credibility has expired. You may experience great existential pain in the process.

[pearidge]

Man who devotes life to convincing others to view life as an inherently meaningless, purely scientific affair doesn't understand critique of viewing life as an inherently meaningless, purely scientific affair.

[salthepal]

“As Richard Dawkins awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a dank meme.”

[juanfranciscobrizuela]

Gordon Ramsay's beef Wellington is called a major work of food. Why? If it's a burger it's a bad burger. If, like chicken pot pie, it's a pie, a pie of what? Food critics' answers range from pretencious meat to far-fetched deconstructions of a traditional dish. I don't get it. Where's the lamb sauce?

[zvonimirbrekalo]

It's a heartbreaking story. Always reminded me my late grandmother. She was a widow for over fifty years and worked hard until her 90, helping almost everyone in her village. But when she became bedridden, she was really ostracized, apart from two cousins nobody would visit every now and then.

[frnk]

Richard Dawkins is the kinda person who reads poetry simply to analyze the rhyme scheme and go "I don't what the fuss is about!".

[gabriels.i.]

Strikes me how the most vulgar anticommunism is an almost immediate intuition, but a narrative of suffering, alienation, and powerlessness against unsatisfiable demands doesn't generate a single thought in him.

[morbidgirl]

I'm an atheist, but I lost respects for neo-atheists like him. They don't know what they are missing out. The world isn't all about science. It's deeper and more complicated than everyone thinks. I really appreciate Kalfa's works. Metamorphosis is magical and unique. It's the reason why did I take English literature classes and became more passionate about English classical books.

[russelljohnson]

The Far-Fetched Feminist—be on the lookout for my punk band's next EP!

[mindgarden]

Replace "Kafka's Metamorphosis" in that tweet with the name of any major religious text and understand Dawkins' entire career as a public intellectual

[theDoctorwitTardis]

Dawkin's mission lately seems to be to unrravel any and all good faith he may have gained throughout his life

[rzLl_pz]

Dawkins and deGrasse Tyson should stop pretending they know a second thing about engaging with fiction

[mattcnewcomb]

I just read this book, so this is exactly what I needed in my life right now.

[DamonD_Absences]

Yeah, Hegel is good, but have you tried Dawkins’ twitter? This is quality content 😂

[JXZX]

Imagine being so parochial about literary standards that you can’t even comprehend that magic realism is a thing.

[Dustdevil]

I don't fault him for asking the question. Look at all the different answers he got about it. I fault him for implying that since he doesn't get it it's bad. This is honestly fine as long as people realize that intellectuals outside their area of expertise are effectively normal nobodies like me and should not be treated as credible opinions critically. I wouldn't trust Isaac Newton's advice about writing a play.

[stCenturyDub]

And in other news, a geriatric British man fails in his search for meaning.

[JiklopDave]

Thousands of tweets and yet not one person has informed him that it's actually about BOFA.

[benjaminteixeira]

Dawkins has the reader comprehension of a high school freshman😭