I'd never read this book before and was surprised at how sad it made me feel. I think everyone can relate to this feeling, either personally or by watching it happen to a love one, of slowly being slowly dehumanized by those around them especially as a result of a change in their ability to be a traditional working member of a capitalist society. I thought of my aging grandparents and of seeing them slowly lose connection to the rest of the world as they entered elder care.

I think the story is genius in execution. The absurdity of waking up as a cockroach is initially humorous and disarming. You relate to Gregor's plight and wonder how he will recover from it. Spoiler, he doesn't, and the book is about how the world treats those who fail to function within a capitalist system, even those you love the most. Kafka's satire critiques the subtext of a hyper-capitalist world, that our humanity and dignity is generated only from our ability to work. To deviate from this role is to become sub-human.