The Trial by Franz Kafka
The Trial by Franz Kafka
l CHAPTER I
The Arrest — Conversation with Frau Grubach —
Then Fräulein Bürstner
l CHAPTER II
First Interrogation
l CHAPTER III
In the Empty Courtroom — The Student — The Offices
l CHAPTER IV
Fräulein Bürstner’s Friend
l CHAPTER V
The Whipper
l CHAPTER VI
K’s Uncle — Leni
l CHAPTER VII
Lawyer — Manufacturer — Painter
l CHAPTER VIII
Block, the Tradesman — Dismissal of the Lawyer
l CHAPTER IX
In the Cathedral
l CHAPTER X
The End
Postscript to First Edition ( note: clicking on an asterisk * will take you to alternate passages from certain sections, which were
deleted by the author.) Chapter 1
The Arrest / Conversation with Frau Grubach —
Then Fräulein Bürstner
SOMEONE must have traduced Joseph K., for without having done anything wrong he
was arrested one fine morning. His landlady’s cook, who always brought him his breakfast
at eight o’clock, failed to appear on this occasion. That had never happened before. K.
waited for a little while longer, watching from his pillow the old lady opposite, who
seemed to be peering at him with a curiosity unusual even for her, but then, feeling both
put out and hungry, he rang the bell. At once there was a knock at the door and a man
entered whom he had never seen before in the house. He was slim and yet well knit, he
wore a closely fitting black suit, which was furnished with all sorts of pleats, pockets,
buckles, and buttons, as well as a belt, like a tourist’s outfit, and in consequence looked
eminently practical, though one could not quite tell what actual purpose it served. “Who
are you?” asked K., half raising himself in bed. But the man ignored the question, as
though his appearance needed no explanation, and merely said: “Did you ring?” “Anna is
to bring me my breakfast,” said K., and then studied the fellow, Silently and carefully,
trying to make out who he could be. The man did not submit to this scrutiny for very long,
but turned to the door and opened it slightly so as to report to someone who was evidently
standing just behind it: “He says Anna is to bring him his breakfast.” A short guffaw from
the next room came in answer; and it rather sounded as if several people had joined in.
Although the strange man could not have learned anything from it that he did not know
already, he now said to K., as if passing on a statement: “It can’t be done.” “This is news
indeed,” cried K., springing out of bed and quickly pulling on his trousers. “I must see
what people these are next door, and how Frau Grubach can account to me for such
behavior.” Yet it occurred to him at once that he should not have said this aloud and that
by doing so he had in a way admitted the stranger’s right to superintend his actions; still,
that did not seem important to him at the moment. The stranger, however, took his words
in some such sense, for he asked: “Hadn’t you better stay here?” “I shall neither stay here
nor let you address me until you have introduced yourself.” “I meant well enough,” said
the stranger, and then of his own accord threw the door open. In the next room, which K.
entered more slowly than he had intended, everything looked at first glance almost as it
had the evening before. It was Frau Grubach’s living room; perhaps among all the
furniture, rugs, china, and photographs with which it was crammed there was a little more
free space than usual, yet one did not perceive that at first, especially as the main change
consisted in the presence of a man who was sitting at the open window reading a book,
from which he now glanced up. “You should have stayed in your room! Didn’t Franz tell
you that?” “Yes, but what are you doing here?” asked K., looking from his new
acquaintance to the man called Franz, who was still standing by the door, and then back again. Through the open window he had another glimpse of the old woman, who with truly