A terrifying psychological trip into the life of one Joseph K, an ordinary man who wakes up one day to find himself accused of a crime he did not commit, a crime whose nature is never revealed to him Once arrested, he is released, but must report to court on a regular basis--an event that proves maddening, as nothing is ever resolved As he grows more uncertain of his fate, his personal life--including work at a bank and his relations with his landlady and a young woman who lives next door--becomes increasingly unpredictable As K tries to gain control, he succeeds only in accelerating his own excruciating downward spiral