In The Metamorphosis, his most famous story, Kafka explores the notions of alienation and human loneliness. It is a work of extraordinary narrative technique and imagination. Gregor Samsa awakens one morning to find himself transformed into a repulsive bug. Trapped inside this hideous form, his mind remains unchanged--until he sees the shocked reaction of those around him. He begins to question the basis of human love and, indeed, the entire purpose of his existence. But this, it seems, is only the beginning of his ordeal.

(excerpt from the Barnes and Noble website)