Aha Moment: ‘The Metamorphosis’

Helen Phillips is the author of “The Beautiful Bureaucrat,” and the forthcoming novel, “The Need.” Growing up, much of her childhood was defined by her older sister, Katherine, who had a rare neurological disorder called Rett Syndrome.

It was a strange way to grow up, but for Helen it seemed normal. Until one of her high school teachers assigned an absurd novella that hit very close to home: Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis.”

Excerpts from “The Metamorphosis” were read by Paul Hinkes.