The Trial

Josef K., a respectable bank officer, is arrested one morning without being told what he is accused of. He is not imprisoned, but must keep appearing before a distant and confusing court that works in attics, back rooms and crowded offices. As he tries to defend himself, he meets lawyers, officials, a painter and various women, none of whom offers a clear answer. The novel was left unfinished and published after Kafka's death. It is a haunting picture of bureaucracy, guilt and the helplessness of an individual facing an authority that never explains itself.