Trial
by Franz Kafka
The Trial is Franz Kafka's unfinished novel, published posthumously by Verlag Die Schmiede in Berlin in April 1925, edited by Max Brod. Bank clerk Josef K. is arrested and never told his crime. Victor Gollancz published the first English translation, by Willa and Edwin Muir, in 1937.
- Editions tracked
- 2
- First published
- Verlag Die Schmiede, Berlin, 1925
- First UK edition
- Victor Gollancz, 1937
- Worth
- Not yet valued
Which edition do you have?
Editions
- Knopf1937 Hardback Not yet valued I own Trial, Knopf 1937 Log in to want this
- Secker & Warburg1945 Hardback Not yet valued I own Trial, Secker & Warburg 1945 Log in to want this
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
On screen
- The Trial Film, 1962
From Wikidata. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
Pictures of the book
Freely licensed pictures of the work. They are not necessarily the edition you hold: check the points on each edition's page.
More by Franz Kafka
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Know what you are looking at
How to Identify a First Edition
To identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
Read the guide →6 min readBook Condition Grading: Fine to Poor Explained
Book condition grading uses a six-step trade scale: Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Collectors grade the …
Read the guide →7 min readDust Jackets Explained: Why the Jacket Drives a Book's Value
For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
How many editions of Trial are there?
We track 2 editions of Trial. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Has Trial been adapted for film or television?
Yes, including The Trial (film, 1962).
How can I tell if my copy of Trial is a first edition?
Check the title page and its reverse (the copyright page) against the edition: publisher, place and date should match, with no later printing or edition stated. Where we know the issue points, they are listed on the edition's page.
Where these facts come from
- The Trial, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- The Trial (Q36097), Wikidata (wikidata.org)
- Franz Kafka, The Trial, first English edition 1937, Shapero Rare Books (shapero.com)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 17 October 2026.