Anxious Pleasures
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Shoemaker & Hoard |
Anxious Pleasures: A Novel After Kafka is a postmodern novel authored by Lance Olsen and released in 2007 by Shoemaker & Hoard, now known as Counterpoint. This work is classified as metafiction.
Plot and structure
The novel Anxious Pleasures offers a reinterpretation of Franz Kafka's 1915 novella The Metamorphosis, emphasizing viewpoints of supporting characters. The story features Margaret, a young reader encountering Kafka's tale for the first time and noticing inconsistencies compared to the original, alongside a downstairs neighbor who may symbolize Kafka himself.
Reception
Publishers Weekly commended the book as "intricately woven and richly imagined," describing it as "a cerebral treat unto itself and a fine companion to Kafka's original."
Timothy Attanucci, writing in Hyperion, emphasizes how Anxious Pleasures subverts prevailing narratives by reworking history and memory. He suggests Olsen’s novel invites readers to view contemporary reality through Kafka’s perspective, providing novel insights rather than comfort.