"As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect."The Metamorphosis - the masterpiece of Franz Kafka - was first published in 1915 and is one of the seminal works of fiction of the twentieth century. The novel is cited as a key influence for many of today's leading authors; as Auden wrote: Kafka is important to us because his predicament is the predicament of modern man.Traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, wakes to find himself transformed into a large, monstrous insect-like creature. The cause of Gregor's transformation is never revealed, and as he attempts to adjust to his new condition he becomes a burden to his parents and sister, who are repelled by the horrible, verminous creature Gregor has become.