"The Trial" by Franz Kafka is one of the most influential and unsettling works of 20th-century literature. The novel tells the story of Josef K., a man who is unexpectedly arrested and put on trial for an unknown crime. As he navigates the absurd and bureaucratic legal system, K. becomes entangled in a nightmarish process that seems to have no clear logic or resolution.

Kafka’s exploration of the themes of guilt, alienation, and the oppressive nature of authority has made "The Trial" a key text in existential and absurdist literature. The novel’s surreal and disorienting narrative reflects Kafka’s own concerns about the dehumanizing aspects of modern life, where individuals are often powerless in the face of vast, impersonal systems. "The Trial" remains a haunting meditation on the absurdities of the human condition, offering a deeply philosophical and psychological inquiry into justice and self-doubt.