Kafka’s Metamorphosis starts with the ultimate “Monday morning” problem: Gregor Samsa wakes up and—uh oh—his life is suddenly very, very different. What follows is a weirdly funny, unsettling, and surprisingly relatable look at work, family expectations, loneliness, and what happens when you stop being “useful” to other people. It’s short, sharp, and packed with meaning, like a gloomy little espresso shot. Read it if you like stories that are strange on the surface but hit uncomfortably close to home—and make you laugh nervously while doing it.