Narcissus and Goldmund
Hesse's novel of two medieval men, one quietly content with his religion and monastic life, the other in fervent search of more worldly salvation. This conflict between flesh and spirit, between emotional and contemplative man, was a life study for Hesse. It is a theme that transcends all time.
The Hesse Phenomenon “has turned into a vogue, the vogue into a torrent . . . He has appealed both to . . . an underground and to an establishment . . . and to the disenchanted young sharing his contempt for our industrial civilization.”—The New York Times Book Review
The Hesse Phenomenon “has turned into a vogue, the vogue into a torrent . . . He has appealed both to . . . an underground and to an establishment . . . and to the disenchanted young sharing his contempt for our industrial civilization.”—The New York Times Book Review
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Community Reviews
"All existence seemed to be based on duality, on contrast... No one could breathe in at the same time as he breathed out, be a man as well as a woman, experience freedom as well as order, combine instinct and mind. One always had to pay for one with the loss of the other, and one thing was always just as important and desirable as the other" (247).
I am so happy to say I have finally finished this book. I lost it for years before finding it when I moved in March, among my boyfriend's possessions. He never even knew he had it! This book is a treasure to me. My aunt gifted it to me when I was a freshman in high school, and inside of the cover, there is a beautiful love note written by her husband. Uncle David wrote in 1996 that this book helped him discover the man he is. I find this as profound as the book itself, thinking over Hesse's and my uncle's life.
The imagery from this novel has stuck with me constantly over the years that I read it. I honestly feel that I might learn even more from reading it when I am older. Narcissus and Goldmund is a fascinating exploration of faith, life, and death. The element of this book that I found most lacking was love, as it existed in a very different way than I expected. Disregarding that, I found that this book opened my mind to new concepts that had not existed there before, especially when I had started reading it at 14 years old. This book is the reason why Hesse became my favorite author.
I am so happy to say I have finally finished this book. I lost it for years before finding it when I moved in March, among my boyfriend's possessions. He never even knew he had it! This book is a treasure to me. My aunt gifted it to me when I was a freshman in high school, and inside of the cover, there is a beautiful love note written by her husband. Uncle David wrote in 1996 that this book helped him discover the man he is. I find this as profound as the book itself, thinking over Hesse's and my uncle's life.
The imagery from this novel has stuck with me constantly over the years that I read it. I honestly feel that I might learn even more from reading it when I am older. Narcissus and Goldmund is a fascinating exploration of faith, life, and death. The element of this book that I found most lacking was love, as it existed in a very different way than I expected. Disregarding that, I found that this book opened my mind to new concepts that had not existed there before, especially when I had started reading it at 14 years old. This book is the reason why Hesse became my favorite author.
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