In the few months before -- and years after -- my exit from the org. he was one of my favourite authors. I read most of his novels and he really helped me to think "out of the box".
Other fans around? What did you enjoy most?
Hermann Hesse
by Narkissos 4 Replies latest jw friends
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Incense_and_Peppermints
Siddhartha.
i got it for my son to read someday, and in it i wrote "Walk against the crowd that will soon follow, for it is always the brave soul who swims proudly against the tide in the dull, crowded sea of sameness."
(i forget who said that originally)
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hillary_step
Hello Narkissos,
I have read all Hesse's books over the decades, my first being Siddhartha which I read in the 60's and I suspect is a starting point for most Hesse readers. It was a very inspirational read and though not much of a religious person these days, I still revisit it occasionally. I have a number of his books in the true German first editions which I have collected over the years, including Diesseits, which was published in 1907 and is very rare.
My particular favorite is Narziz & Goldmund, a superbly crafted book which balances the bleak gloom of a medieval Europe so beautifully with the lonely trail of a spiritual journey and awakening. The descriptive passages of the landscapes are sumptuous.
I don't know if you have read 'Caleb Williams' but C18th political anarchist William Godwin? If not I would highly recommend it. It has the same 'feel' as Hesse's work.
Best regards - HS
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franklin J
Steppenwolf.
One of my Swiss friends gave me the book to read. He thught of him as Switzerlands favorite author.
I gave him F Scott Fitzgeralds "The Great Gatsby"
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Narkissos
I started with Der Steppenwolf, which was recommended to me by a Bethel fellow (go figure!). I read it twice within a few weeks (I never do that). Breathtaking experience. Then I went on with Narziss und Goldmund, Siddhartha, Morgenlandsfahrt (Journey to the East), etc.
I actually enjoyed many of his works, from his short novels (I recently referred to Augustus in another thread) to his magnus opus, Glasperlenspiel. Not read much of it lately, but it's always nice coming back to Hesse. However I'm far from HS' exhaustivity!
Btw, thanks HS for the tip (re: Godwin). I'll try to find it asap. Take care.