How many pages is The Metamorphosis?

About 45 pages, though editions of a book this old vary a great deal — which is why its reading time comes from the complete text instead: 22,011 words, about 1½ hrs of reading at an average pace.

Is The Metamorphosis worth reading?

We score it 6.7 out of 10 for the time it takes — worth the time. Readers on Hardcover rate it 3.85 out of 5 from 2,859 ratings, which counts for 6.2; at about 1½ hrs at an average pace it earns +0.5 for being short.

How long is The Metamorphosis audiobook?

About 2½ hrs, estimated from the 22,000 words at a typical narration pace of 150 words a minute. Real editions vary by narrator, usually by well under an hour.

Find a copy Listen on Audible · ≈2½ hrs

The Metamorphosis

Name: The Metamorphosis
Author: Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka

1½ hrsto read

6.7worth it

At your speed≈ 1½ hrs

Pages45

Audiobook≈ 2½ hrs

Times shown for 250 words a minute (average)

The complete text runs to 22,011 words, counted word for word. At an average 250 words a minute that is 1½ hrs — a single-sitting read.

Readers on Hardcover rate it 3.85 out of 5, from 2,859 ratings.

Worth-it score 6.7/10 — Worth the time. Readers 6.2 (Hardcover's 3.85★ from 2,859 ratings) + length 0.5 = 6.7. How the score works →

How long does it take to read The Metamorphosis?

The complete text of The Metamorphosis runs to 22,011 words — about 45 pages in the edition we list. How long that takes depends on how fast you read:

Estimated reading time for The Metamorphosis at three reading speeds.
Your pace	Words per minute	Time to finish
Slow	175	2 hrs
Average	250	1½ hrs
Fast	400	55 min

Counted word for word from the complete public-domain text on Project Gutenberg, so these times don't depend on any one edition's page count. Most adults read between 200 and 300 words a minute — set your own pace and every time on the site adjusts. Prefer to listen? At a typical narration pace of 150 words a minute the audiobook runs about 2½ hrs — an estimate from the word count, since narrators vary.

Common questions

How long does it take to read The Metamorphosis?: About 1½ hrs at an average reading speed of 250 words per minute. The complete text of The Metamorphosis runs to 22,011 words — so at a slower 175 wpm it is nearer 2 hrs, and at 400 wpm closer to 55 min.
How many pages is The Metamorphosis?: About 45 pages, though editions of a book this old vary a great deal — which is why its reading time comes from the complete text instead: 22,011 words, about 1½ hrs of reading at an average pace.
Is The Metamorphosis worth reading?: We score it 6.7 out of 10 for the time it takes — worth the time. Readers on Hardcover rate it 3.85 out of 5 from 2,859 ratings, which counts for 6.2; at about 1½ hrs at an average pace it earns +0.5 for being short.
How long is The Metamorphosis audiobook?: About 2½ hrs, estimated from the 22,000 words at a typical narration pace of 150 words a minute. Real editions vary by narrator, usually by well under an hour.

From the publisher

Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis begins with one of the most shocking openings in literature: traveling salesman Gregor Samsa wakes up to discover he has turned into a giant insect.…

But this is not just a story of absurd metamorphosis—it is a deeply human tale of alienation, family obligation, and what happens when someone is no longer “useful” to society. As Gregor’s family struggles to cope with his bizarre condition, Kafka explores powerful themes of dependence, dignity, and the quiet cruelty of social expectations. Both absurd and painfully realistic, this modern classic strikes a unique balance of dark humor and existential insight. For fans of George Orwell, Albert Camus, and modernist fiction that blurs the line between the strange and the familiar. Whether you're reading it for the first time or rediscovering it with fresh eyes, The Metamorphosis is a novella that stays with you—long after you’ve turned the final page.

FictionLiteratureFiction, short stories (single author)