Anything Meister Hermann Hesse wrote is pure literary delight. This man is incredible, when I read his words I no longer feel quite so insane or the cAnything Meister Hermann Hesse wrote is pure literary delight. This man is incredible, when I read his words I no longer feel quite so insane or the crushing solitude of having ideas shared by so few. I have to learn German just so I can read Hesse in his native tongue. ...more
I can feel Hesse's personal struggles through his writing. That almost all of these tales are about "coming home" clearly shows how eagerly he himselfI can feel Hesse's personal struggles through his writing. That almost all of these tales are about "coming home" clearly shows how eagerly he himself was seeking after that elusive destination. I did however struggle to appreciate the style or layout and direction. The stories felt like first drafts that he never meant to be published, like notebook doodling. It has to do with how he chose to tell the story in such a haphazard way, and I am not sure if that was his original intention or if he was merely trying to reflect the chaos and sense of meaninglessness of what he felt life is like. Either way, I got where he was going with it, I just didn't think he did it in an especially moving or telling way. I will say that most of these were written before any of his major works, so these could be looked at in light of being his "coming of age" writing ...more
Can I just say that I absolutely love Hermann Hesse. For me his words speak directly to my soul. I have never exclusively followed an author except HeCan I just say that I absolutely love Hermann Hesse. For me his words speak directly to my soul. I have never exclusively followed an author except Hesse. He is absolutely brilliant and his works are so nuanced to the point where they only mean anything to the reader unless they can relate in some profound way. I have now finished all of his major works and I must say "bravo".
All of his books are about the turmoil and duality of the human soul. He speaks my language. My next goal is to learn German so I can read his books again in his native tongue.
Goldmund and Narcissus is about that duality except in the form of two separate characters. One is a thinker the other a feeler, one values rationality and reason and the other values intuition. One lives in the world of abstract ideas and the other in the world of sensuality and the senses. One lives the life of a duty bound priest the other an Artist. Neither is held in higher regard over the other. Both struggle to find the meaning of their nature.
I especially enjoyed the part where Narcissus talks about when someone who is meant to be an artist tries to live the life of a thinker evil ensues. There is danger in trying to force themselves into that false role. He calls the artist-thinker a mystic. Thinkers and artists alike have their place in the world and neither should think they are superior to the other for they are antithesis of each other....more
I am a fan of Hermann Hesse. I have come to appreciate his richly layered writing style. He mastered, what I believe to be one of the most difficult tI am a fan of Hermann Hesse. I have come to appreciate his richly layered writing style. He mastered, what I believe to be one of the most difficult tasks in writing, poetic simplicity combined with striking depth. Everything he writes is very deliberate and intentional and I would almost dare say that if one is unable to appreciate his stories they likely missed most of the meaning. Demian was the first of his "major" works, written during the first world war. He wrote it in only 3 weeks. I thoroughly enjoyed it, however I believe it is just shy of perfection and maybe it is better that way....more
I can tell Hermann Hesse was in the middle of a personal struggle with his own ideologies when he wrote this. The moral ambiguities, the frustration, I can tell Hermann Hesse was in the middle of a personal struggle with his own ideologies when he wrote this. The moral ambiguities, the frustration, the lack of any clear resolution by his main characters all leave you feeling like the author was experiencing some of the crisis addressed in the book.
Having felt similar feelings of inner frustration I found myself relating to the main character. This isn't an ordinary frustration this is one that strikes at the very core of self-awareness....more
Brilliant book. Hermann Hesse addresses the need for Academia to be directly involved in influencing social/political affairs and not just disconnecteBrilliant book. Hermann Hesse addresses the need for Academia to be directly involved in influencing social/political affairs and not just disconnected researchers. It is a social critique of the sometime superfluous nature of Universities and the overall relevance of what they are studying. The ending feels like a left hook out of nowhere and it is confusing as to what he may have been implying by it. I have my own theories, but I am not sure they are the same as Hesse's....more
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