Customer Reviews (1)

Demian by Hermann Hesse
My daughter read this as a mandatory reading in her English class at a medical magnet program. She claims, it is a very good book and is currently writing about it. ... Read more

Product Description
The most autobiographical of Hesse's works, Steppenwolf is the profoundly memorable and affecting story of Harry Haller--an evocative portrayal of the wrenching conflict between the needs of the flesh and the spirit and a searing appraisal of Western civilization. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (79)

Steppenwolf..possibly the best.
In my opinion it is possibly one of the best novels of all times.Hesse is brilliant!This is a must read for every man (and woman) who battles with getting to know one's "self".

Hermann Hesse's Mid-Life Crisis...
"Ignorance is bliss," goes the old proverb coined by Thomas Gray, and I'd wager Hermann Hesse would agree. When you are as intelligent and sensitive a man as Hesse, the quotidian crap that assails you and the rest of humanity must be almost unbearable. But if felo-de-se is out of the question, how exactly do you bear up?

That seems to be the point of Steppenwolf, a clear-cut masterpiece whose omission from the MLA 100 is nothing if not a scandal. This is a deep book, a profound book, a book that is wearying to read, and which seems longer than its 208 pages. It is by no means a page-turner, nor is it as accessible as Siddhartha.

Steppenwolf raises many questions, and answers none satisfactorily--understandable given that human beings are essentially cosmic orphans, alone and adrift on a small planet, making everything up as they go along. Hesse does not like this. He seeks order and rationale, a raison d'etre...but all he finds is stupidity, primitiveness, and ennui.

This is ventriloquized through the perspective of the narrator, and there are pages and pages of angst-ridden, existential thrashing about. Sometimes these passages drag...but always--always--the sheer quality of the writing is evident. The talent on display is rare indeed, and appreciable even when you want to grab Hesse by the shoulders, give him a shake, and tell him to come to grips with life's meaninglessness and quit being such a pussy.

I recommend Steppenwolf to those who are interested moreso in philosophy than literature. If you are looking for a simple, straight-forward yarn, this ain't the book.

THIS IS IN GERMAN!!!
There is no way to tell from the Amazon page, but this version is in the orginal German language.The title (Der Steppenwolf) does provide a hint, but it would certainly be nice if the knuckleheads at Amazon made it clearer.Der Steppenwolf

Steppenwolf, over and over again.
I love this book. It's like a breath of fresh air into a world you've never been. The book never has a boring moment; it's filled with deep, sophisticated poetry. One of my favourite lines quotes, "I like the contrast between my lonely, loveless, hunted, and thoroughly disorderly existence and this middle-class family-life... There is something in it that touches me in spite of my hatred for all it stands for." --Steppenwolf

You must face the razor to find the Kingdom!
_Here I am, like the Steppenwolf, approaching the age of 50. I understand him now for I have lived his life. His deepest thoughts are mine- indeed, they read exactly like my own journals. No wonder I am told that Hesse is my soul mate. It is true.

_I lived Steppenwolf's solitary life. I knew his crisis. I share his rejection of bourgeois society because it grates the fundamental essence of my soul. And I know what he means by the strength derived from knowing that you can leave this world any time. I know the conviction to never sell yourself into wage slavery for mere money. I know his night wanderings, his books, his music, his rooms, his cigars, and his wine. I know.

_But I also know his central crisis. For when we are ready then a door really does open to a higher perspective. I literally walked through that door in the wall for "madmen only." Like the wulf I had always sensed the golden moments that form the golden path to that door. I was eventually shown it. I had always suspected that man was more than a half rational animal, that he was a child of the Gods and destined to immortality. When you are ready, when you are sick enough of the petty ego, you will be shown the kingdom on the other side of time and appearances. It is just necessary to stumble through your share of dirt and humbug before you reach Home.

_Time and the world, money and power belong to the small and shallow people. To the rest, the real men, belongs nothing. Nothing but death- and eternity- and the kingdom. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Simply beautiful
I have just finished reading this book, and probably should not be attempting to write a review because words fail to describe how wonderful this book is. It is the most beautiful book I have ever read. It is written in Hesse's gentle, quiet style, and consists of metaphorical meditations on wandering. The imagery is graceful while the implications resound deep within one. Each sketch moved me deeply. This is Hesse at his best, a spiritual explorer, free of dogma, immersing himself and the reader in simple yet fascinating reflections. I plan on reading this book frequently, savoring each image and feeling the serenity created by Hesse's prose. I would urge everyone to read this book.

Wandering
I 'wandered' upon the first edition of this book at a yard sale, and once having begun it, was thrilled with every word and every turn of phrase.Hesse, in this lesser-known work, writes with beautiful symplicity and grace.Each short prose piece is accompanied by charming sketches, and each ends with one of Hesse's poems.Here Hesse reveals his deepest fears, hopes, and insights; which once read, will bring any wandering soul closer to enlightenment. Highly recommended!

wandering - hermann hesse
The most wonderful, beautiful book, it has been my absolute favourite for the past 30 years,always makes me feel like I'm home again, in the company of all feelings and emotions that make me feel warm and connected to the earth.

The Heart of the Wanderer
I thought this book essentially epitomized Hesse's search for meaning, but the narrative was simply told in a series of sharp images, ones in which he himself found inspiration. In contrast to his many, more famous novels, Ibelieve Hesse writes in absolute honesty, no longer confined to therestrictions of a classic novel, and the images and sensations hereproduces are stunning. ... Read more

Product Description
Demian es una de las novelas más bellas e interesantes de Hermann Hesse.

La Historia de la juventud de Emil Sinclair es una novela que relata en primera persona el paso de la niñez a la madurez de este personaje del escritor alemán Hermann Hesse.

Emil Sinclair es un niño que ha vivido toda su vida en lo que el llama el Scheinwelt (mundo de ensueño o mundo de la luz), pero una mentira lo lleva a ampliar sus visiones del mundo y a conocer un personaje enigmático de nombre Max Demian que lo llevará por los senderos del auto-razonamiento destruyendo paradigmas materialistas que antes lo rodeaban. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

enjoyable
demian, one of my favorite books of all time that ive read countless time inenglish.

reading it in spanish has been a challenge but definitely worth while.

offered me some perspective on language and the novel itself of course.

I definitely recommend this book, though if you are looking for a good English translation do not get the one with this cover, the BN, it is awful, get the bantam classic or penguin one or whatever with the thomas mann introduction, the english translation of this book with this cover is horribly translated.

as for the spanish edition i am pleased..

A Spiritual Read
Hesse's novel is a tribute to what I will refer to as religion with a big 'R'.This novel surpasses the conventions of religion and goes to the root of what it is to be a man and have faith in something even if the something is yourself.This is a very short and quick read so there is no reason that anyone should pass this up.

Fascinating
I think it's an over-statement to say that this book offers a path for anyone's life other than Hesse's.The book was written after many years of psychotherapy with the young Jung, and reflects (symbolically) the inner turmoils of Hesse's struggle and his own personal growth.The book is agreat book - "great" in that it is disturbing, thought provoking,and well written.It's also a soul searching book, and one that noteveryone should read.In fact, I would only suggest it to a minority ofreaders.

Beautiful and Insightful
This is the best book I have ever read. It is the perfect guide for people who do not know what is going on in there lives, and even if you do, it will give you a path to follow. This book will leave you wanting for moreand more of Hesse's work. And it is sure worth it!

Incredible philosophical story
This book just made so much sense in an almost child-like way.It was beautiful.One of my favorite books... ... Read more

Product Description
Student edition, Nobel prize winner 1947 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fascinating Look into the Life of Hesse!
Really enjoyed the fascinating look into the life of the writer of the great classics, including "Siddhartha". ... Read more

Product Description
Hermann Karl Hesse (1877-1962), er schrieb auch unter den Pseudonym Emil Sinclair, war ein deutsch-schweizerischer Dichter, Schriftsteller und Freizeitmaler. 1895 begann Hesse eine Buchhändlerlehre in Tübingen. Ab 1895 arbeitete er in einer Buchhandlung in Tübingen. Noch als Buchhändler veröffentlichte Hesse im Herbst 1898 seinen ersten kleinen Gedichtband Romantische Lieder und im Sommer 1899 die Prosasammlung Eine Stunde Hinter Mitternacht. Alsbald wurde der Roman Peter Camenzind, der 1904 regulär bei Fischer erschien, einen Durchbruch. Von nun an konnte Hesse als freier Schriftsteller leben. Beim Ausbruch des Ersten Weltkrieges appellierte er an die deutschen Intellektuellen, nicht in nationalistische Polemik zu verfallen. 1919 übersiedelte Hesse nach Montagnola, das Hesse über vierzig Jahre seines Lebens zur Heimstadt werden sollte. Der erfolgreichste Roman Hesses war Der Steppenwolf (1927). Ihm wurden unter anderem 1946 der Nobelpreis für Literatur und 1955 die Friedensklasse des Ordens Pour le Mérite verliehen. Zu Hesses bekanntesten Werke gehören: Unterm Rad (1906), Demian (1919), Siddhartha (1922), Narziß und Goldmund (1930) und Das Glasperlenspiel (1943). ... Read more

Product Description
This book is an allegorical tale of a Brahman boy who seeks peace and enlightenment after leaving his well off circumstances. He sets his goal to self-denial and ascetic life among the numerous holy men than roamed the land in that time. After dissatisfied with ascetic life he seeks love and wealth in the city. His best friend becomes the follower of Gotama Buddha but Siddhartha is not satisfied to do the same. Finally he meets the ferrymen and learns to listen to the river. This and meeting and parting with his son are the heights of the book. The river represents the eternal and timeless existence and oneness, and the meeting and parting with Siddhartha's son represents the attachments as obstacles to reach enlightenment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Book that Took 11-Years to Write
Hesse conceived the idea for Siddhartha in 1911, following a long visit to India looking for the fulfillment that he thought Oriental philosophies could give him. Siddhartha is an exceptionally intelligent Brahman, which is the highest caste in the Hindu religion. Siddhartha feels hollow, despite what seems to be a good life existing around him.He sets off on his journey of self-discovery.This journey to "find himself" leads him through several different types of lives:a period of asceticism and self-denial, though he eventually turns his back on these paths as he realizes they disrupt life by denying a part of it, the physical body. After this realization, Siddhartha decides to pursue physical pleasures and material success. After becoming a great lover and businessman, he eventually realizes that these pleasures too are superficial and don't satisfy his deeper spiritual side.

A meeting with Buddha leaves him intellectually stimulated, but not spiritually affected, and Siddhartha continues along his own journey. Even meeting the Buddha could not convince him that salvation comes from suffering. Siddhartha even reminds Buddha of his own journey to enlightenment, pointing out that nobody finds salvation through someone else's teaching, and that communicating enlightenment cannot be done through mere words. Because we know of the struggles Hesse has survived during the period just before writing this piece, we know that he is laying himself bare for our review, so that we might decide what these ultimate meanings are on our own.

Disillusioned that so many varied paths had failed, Siddhartha nonetheless doesn't stop looking for the true meaning of life and his existence. Ultimately, Siddhartha finds his peace by the river. While repeatedly crossing the river and relentless soul searching, he finally reaches his own "hour of enlightenment." In this third phase, Siddhartha finally is able to reconcile the physical and spiritual parts of himself by becoming closer to nature and simple work as a ferryman. His search for identity and truth, or the "inward journey" that Hesse referred to consistently as a recurring theme in all his work, is very much reflective of the introspective nature of Hesse's writing.

The storyline of Siddhartha is most often viewed in light of Hesse's confession that the book's protagonist's pilgrimage mirrored his own. Each of the stages in Hesse's evolution of consciousness is spelled out in Siddhartha. Many critics even today maintain that this book was Hesse's statement of "liberation from Brahmanisn, Buddhism, and Hinduism."

To Siddhartha, the river symbolized the teacher he had been missing up to that point. Vasudeva, who was the ferryman, teaches Siddhartha what he had learned about the river and finding peace within oneself. "The river knows everything; one can learn everything from it" Siddhartha took this to heart and soon began to learn from the river. He learns that there is in reality no such thing as time, and begins to see his life as the river and what it teaches him. "Siddhartha the young boy, Siddhartha the mature man, Siddhartha the old man were only separated by shadows, not through reality."This teaches him that all things in his life will remain a part of him- knowledge and memories remain with him always.
Alone with his solitude, he explored further writing projects, painted, and published Klingsor's Last Summer in 1920. Finally, after many years of being immersed in Indian culture and Buddhist philosophy that he'd developed at an early age, he published Siddhartha in 1922. Even Hesse's characterization of Siddhartha's evolving ideology make a lot more sense when viewed through the light of Carl Jung's psychology of the unconscious. Jung's psychology insisted on also "acknowledging the dark side" of human nature and allowing for its manifestations along your life path. Sex, gambling, and greed possessed Siddhartha for a while but still never completely fulfilled him.

A new dimension that we find in the novel Siddhartha is his smile. Siddhartha is a similar story as that which was written in Demian: the search for self through all the stages of despair, alienation, guilt, and on to the experience of fulfilling the whole. In this new story, Hesse insists upon using love as the creator of this fulfillment, and he regards this component as "natural growth and development" out of earlier beliefs.In his essay "My Faith", which he wrote in 1931, he clarified "that my Siddhartha puts not cognition, but love in first place: that it disdains dogma and makes the experience of unity the central point...."

Hesse's works are challenging and unlike almost any other works of Western writers, and he's had periods of great fame, and also periods of scorn and neglect.Upon his receipt of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946, a great flurry of translations of his works was begun, including a 1951 English translation of Siddhartha.His books did not get much attention in the English-speaking world until the political and social upheaval in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. Because he excelled in depicting personal crisis's and private agonies, and this type of literature also seems to be remarkably popular during dark periods in culture, which also accounts for Hesse's large-scale adoration in Germany during both devastating wars.

This book review is excerpts from my blog (Ancient Wisdom Blog).

Great story, bad spelling
This book is cheap, and after reading it I noticed why, there are quite a number of spelling errors. It doesn't really detract from the quality of the story, but it is a bit annoying. I guess beggars can't be choosers.

Translation is filled with grammatical errors
The layout and cover are beautifully done.Hesse's book is a masterpiece.The translation also has a kind of poetry that I suspect is close to the German, however there are a fair number grammatical errors or typos in this edition - it seems they used spell check so the typos aren't obvious, but I can't go more than a few paragraphs without having to read a sentence a few times to figure out which word was left out or spell-checked into the wrong word.'Learned' becomes 'Leaned', 'that' becomes 'That', 'ice' becomes 'icy', 'breaths' becomes 'breathes', commas break sentences in ways that unintentionally change meaning, etc... These are just some examples from a few pages chosen at random.This problem is consistent throughout the book.There is even an instance where a question left by the translator, in German, is sitting IN THE TEXT in a sentence, which is just absurd.

A Pretty Edition, A Different Translation.
This edition of the classic Siddhartha is beautifully presented, and the translation of this version of the timeless story is deeply moving. I have read this book over and over, and will read it over and over again! ... Read more

Product Description
Miguel Serrano, a Chilean diplomat and writer who has travelled widely in India studying Yoga, had a close friendship with Jung and Hesse at the end of their lives. This book is the outcome of his meetings and correspondence with them. Many letters are reproduced including documents of great importance written to the author by Jung shortly before his death, explaining his ideas about the nature of the world and of his work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A Beautiful Book!
Steven B. Herrmann, PhD, MFT
Author of "William Everson: The Shaman's Call"

It has been said by many Jungian's that Jung's attitude was not aesthetic, but with the recent publication of his Red Book, it is clear that he was a skilled artist, a calligrapher and also a poet.The early misunderstanding by Jungians about his basic psychological attitude towards art has much to do with Jung's own judgments towards the products of his active imagination experiences.He did not view them as art.Miguel Serrano was one of the first friends of Jung who saw through his empirical and scientific attitude to the artist underneath.He thought that Jung passed beyond the frontiers of science when he said to Serrano in a reverie:"Somewhere there was once a Flower, a Stone, a Crystal, a Queen, a King, a Palace, a Lover and his Beloved, and this was long ago..."In this marvelous book, which I loved reading many years ago, Serrano says that Jung spoke these words "as though he were in a trance.""Nobody understands what I mean," Jung said to his friend, "only a poet could begin to understand...." (60).Moved by what he had heard, Serrano told Jung: "You are a poet" (61).After his interview with Jung, Serrano began to wonder if there was a "second language" in the process of individuation described by Jung that is "waiting to be discovered" by one of his disciples, an "underlying language" which "is already there as a palimpsest" (64).Serrano felt this hidden aspect of Jung's works needed only to be interpreted by "a priest, a magician or a poet" (64).Serrano captured this latent shamanic meaning in Jung's works, and although he may have mislabeled it as the achievement of a poet, many of Jung's works border on poetry.For this reason I find Serrano's Record of Two Friendships to be a first attempt to arrive at a synthesis between a scientific and aesthetic view of Jung.With the recent publication of the Red Book, the preponderance of evidence that he was indeed an artist and a poet is leading towards a more balanced view that shows how prescient Serrano was.This is a beautiful book, one that will be of interest to anyone interested in Serrano's writing, in Jung, and in poetry and literature.

Magical and life-changing
I discovered this book during a bleak time in late 2002, and magic and mystery returned to my life as a result. The book inspired me to make the pilgrimage to Chile to visit the author, just as he himself had visited Hesse and Jung decades earlier, and I will always cherish the memory of the afternoon I spent with him in Santiago in March 2005.

Unfortunately Serrano has now passed beyond this world, but his spirit lives on, forever part of the Hermetic Circle he writes of in this wonderful book.

Frank McShane, who was a friend of Serrano, has rendered it brilliantly into English, but despite its accessibility few will ever read it, partly for reasons Serrano himself mentions on the very first page: "Even today, I would go half-way round the world to find a book if I thought it essential to my needs, and I have a feeling of absolute veneration for those few authors who have given me something special. For this reason I can never understand the tepid youth of today who wait for books to be given to them and who neither search nor admire."

Today, of course, few even read at all, and especially not writing like this, so saturated in meaning and magic, and filled with synchronicity, from the bee sting that caused Hesse to be at home when Serrano first visited him to the lightning bolt which struck Jung's favourite tree the night of his death.

People who believe the universe is a dead machine will laugh at this book...but let them. Serrano already mentions them in a chapter called 'The Dream': "They were untroubled by doubt and had no concern for vital essences. [...] The last exponents of a world of flesh and blood had departed and, with their concern for a living earth with gods and demons, were considered by this new generation of anti-men as romantic idealists, the product merely of a decayed bourgeois society..."

Serrano's book, on the contrary, belongs to that living earth of gods and demons. Just read it and immerse yourself in the magical atmosphere of Bremgarten and the great world of dreams, and the essence of a Legend beyond time or space.

When Conversation Matters
Carl Jung and Hermann Hesse unplugged in a fascinating and accessible way. The reader is a fly on the wall during Serrano's visits to these spiritual giantsover the years. In my memory now, I almost feel like I was at a series of small dinner parties- Jung, Hesse, Serrano and me. Serrano has helped Jung and Hesse become 'companions' in the background and trajectory of my life. And these are some friends to have! Imagine that...

Read this review before you buy
While I enjoyed this book, it fell short of the other reviews posted here. I'll preface my review - my readings of Jung are more limited than Hesse. I would rate the Hesse portion 2 stars, and the Jung Section 4 stars.

Serrano romanticizes both Hesse and Jung to the point that they are portrayed as spiritual leaders. Serrano reminded me of a wide-eyed traveler who enjoyed idealizing the East, never really becoming entrenched in the culture. Spirituality isn't found by moving to India as much as Serrano alludes. It is possible my cynicism is a result of a recent trip to Asia where I encountered many travelers that reminded me of Serrano's worldly immaturity, although his later fascination with Nazism lends itself to my analysis.

I was looking forward to the linkage between these authors and East theology/philosophy, but I think Serrano came up short. Some ideas he purports came from Jung or Hesse were around long before either author was born, and I do not think either author would say otherwise.

Serrano fixates, at times, on himself a bit too much. Maybe some readers find Serrano interesting, but I was reading the book for insight into Hesse and Jung.

Serrano wrote about Hesse as if Hesse were the Buddha. If you are interested in spiritual guidance I'd search elsewhere. Personally I think Hesse led a life of greater inner turmoil than Serrano lets on in this piece. I can appreciate the other reviewer's comment about people misunderstanding Hesse, however I found reading Hesse's "Wandering" more fruitful than this work.

I did enjoy the Jung section. Serrano focuses less on himself in the Jung section and has more detailed accounts of interactions which I found fascinating. However, my readings of Jung are somewhat limited so the section may not actually offer much insight compared to other works.

I'd recommend reading the book for the Jung section, but maybe get this book from the library rather than buying it.

The Hermetic Circle
_This is the second time that I have read this remarkable book. Both times I found myself envying the author for having established friendships with two of my greatest heroes, two of the greatest sages of modern times, Hermann Hesse and C.G. Jung.

_This is not some collection of trivial exchanges- from the first meeting with both men the tone of the conversations were deep and significant. As the author says, it was like he had known both men before and they were resuming an old discussion. Hess himself commented on it and said that, "Here, only the right guests meet. This is the Hermetic Circle...." Sounds rather like Jung's concept of synchronicity, though Jung also speaks of Hermetic links with past and future in these discussions.

_While both sections cover a remarkable amount of the core meaning of the life work of both men, there is also a personal sense here. You feel like you are meeting them yourself, are also guests in their houses. Not that the ideas are all rehash either- here and there something new pops up. An example would be how in one of the interviews with Jung the discussion turned to how both the ancient Greeks and the Native Americans both thought from their hearts and not their heads. Thinking exclusively from one's head is the result of dissociation between ego and Self- and sets up a tension that may tear a person or culture to pieces. In any case, you feel that you know both men. Of course, Hesse's novels were autobiographical in the deepest sense (and it is reaffirming to know that he actually was an accurate reflection of his characters- it wasn't just a show.) As for Jung, he states outright that he wrote primarily for his own process of individuation and that the fact that so many others read him made him frankly uncomfortable.

_I was glad to see that my own perceptions of these often misunderstood and misinterpreted men seem to have been accurate from the start. For me too it was like a conversation with old friends- relinking with the Hermetic Circle.
... Read more

Product Description
Hermana Hesse nos ofrece en la serie de sus novelas y relatos la vision de un mundo esencial-mente intimo. Aseguraba no haber escrito otra cosa que lo que ""queria salir de el"", y nos lego una obra que hay que considerar, en su conjunto, como una confesion, una descripcion de su manera de pensar y de su vida, ""idealizacion no, solo confesion"", escribio. La obra de Hesse es ""juego e intento"" de superar las propias experiencias y sensaciones. Para el comenzaba siempre un nuevo trabajo en el instante en que vislumbraba un personaje que durante algun tiempo podia convertirse en simbolo y portador de su experiencia, de sus pensamientos, de sus problemas. Por eso llamaba a sus trabajos ""biografias del alma"", en el fondo son monologos en los que una sola persona se contempla en sus relaciones con el mundo y el propio yo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Dimyan
Dimyan is me some how.. but i hope to be him completely ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
This is Hesse's last and greatest work, which won for him the Nobel Prize for Literature. Described as "sublime" by Thomas Mann, admired by Andre Gide and T. S. Eliot, it is considred one of the important novels of this century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Those curious enough to finish this book will be rewarded.
Hermann Hesse, mystical madman genius, blessed 20th century culture with an irresistable body of work.Magister Ludi, like so many of Hesse's novels, takes the reader inside the mind of its central character.Joseph Knecht, a human MENSA meeting, is given every opportunity to develop hisintellect to its fullest potential.The majority of the book followsJoseph's charmed life from childhood music lessons to his apex as master ofthe glass bead game, a metaphor for the most balanced expression of music,philosophy, mathematics, and all that is and will be.Set in a futuristic,utopian nosuchplace long after the last of the great wars, the story beginsand ends in anintellectual arena which seems to exist outside of time. Many readers may grow tired of the scores of pages dedicated to theramblings, conflicts, and introspections of a scholar.However, the trulydevoted reader will find unparalleled examples of Hesse's penchant for bothharsh reality and eastern mysticism in the last hundred pages.Theposthumous writings of Joseph Knecht, a collection of "homeworkassignments" written by the Magister Ludi in his youth, yields somebeautiful poems and parables.

Valuable lessons from the first half of this century
Another reviewer in this space criticised Magister Ludi because there is "No story, no compelling narrative, the constant fallback position of incessant gnattering about the nature of the mind." This is not a story, and the narrative is meant to support the theme of the book: an exploration of the dangers of purely intellectual pursuit of the world. It's a novel of ideas and one which provokes a patient reader to think about themes which are frequently glossed over or ignored in contemporary fiction. Readers who appreciate irony, subtle humor, and reference to real personages will enjoy this work. The idea that the whole of human culture, science, art, thought and understanding could be embodied in something called a "game" is an apt starting point for this cleverly constructed extension of HH's earlier works - without being mired in a specific age or setting, as in Siddhartha, Narcissus & Goldmund, etc.Hesse earned the Nobel Prize in Lit! erature for this provocative novel: deservedly so.

Dangerous to read while sleepy
There are certain books I feel compelled to read, whether enjoyable or not. I plowed through `Moby Dick` and did likewise with `Ulysses`, painful though each task was. Am I any better for sychiatrist.

I have to say I found myself in the same situation with Hesse`s `The Glass Bead Game`. This is the breathless biography of Joseph Knecht, Magister Ludi of utopian Castilia and leader of the Glass Bead Game (a bizarre symbological synthesis of music, science and the arts).

Hesse tries to make some sweeping indictments of modern technological culture. In the end, what he ends up doing is boring you half to death. I read and enjoyed his `Steppenwolf` and `Siddartha`, so no doubt that he knew his stuff. But I fear that his self-proclaimed magnum opus falls far short of the mark. Again and again he lapses into rambling discourses on the nature of intellectualism and pedantry, tepid enough to send you rushing for a hot shower.

Now admittedly, better readers than I have praised this book to the skies, but I must say that I don`t get it. No story, no compelling narrative, the constant fallback position of incessant gnattering about the nature of the mind. My advice to those who read this - coffee, and lots of it. ... Read more

Product Description
Embark on a spiritual journey with these four books on spirituality:

Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse,
The Essentials of Spirituality,
Concerning the Spiritual In Art, by Wassily Kandinsky,
Spiritual Life and the Word of God ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

a story by story run-through of the collection
CHILD'S SOUL: Hesse is largely an autobiographical author. Even when events in his novels or stories took place in the distant past or in the fantastically created future, he wrote about what he had lived through. His renowned novel "Demian" is very much autobiographical. The story "Child's Soul" may be the only thing ever written by Hesse, which is more autobiographical than "Demian". The narrating person in "Child's Soul" does not have a mental equilibrium. He can not draw a line between good and evil, between love and destruction; his mental state is characterized by fear. Nonetheless, he only sees the "chaos" and takes its existence into consideration. His future fate is unknown, but there we see a sparkle of hope that he will gain a foot-hold and achieve the state of mental equilibrium. PS: the term "chaos" was used by Hesse himself in one of his articles. [Rating: 5/5]

KLEIN AND WAGNER: An uxoricide and a filicide escapes from Germany to Italy to find peace for his tormented soul. He finds there death, however. Unlike the narrating person in the story described above, here we know for sure that Klein self-destructs. This story, especially, is laden with philosophical passages. Here (and in the story described bellow, as well) we see how Hesse uses associations; "klein" is the German adjective that stands for "small" and Wagner is not only the name of another uxoricide and filicide, but also that of a famous composer, whose music is tied in Klein's imagination with eroticism of his youth. [Rating: 5/5]

KLINGSOR'S LAST SUMMER: a story of a dying painter, who, as we know from the preface, is only forty-two years old. In this case, the name Klingsor comes from one epic poem that dates back to the seventh century. In that poem Klingsor was a magician, which suggest some sort of kinship between the art and the magic. This particular story is somewhat ambiguously written, even Klingsor's death remains ambiguous. One can not say with a certainty whether Klingsor committed a suicide, even though the whole mood of this story is imbued with ideas of life's frailty and death's imminence. This ambiguous narration (which Hesse employed in many of his works) does capture the atmosphere in which Klingsor spent his last days (and perhaps most of his life), but it bears a mark of abstractness. [Rating: 4/5]

Mind Triptych
fascinating, luscious stories filled with spiritual and debaucherous intrigues of the most unexpected sorts.

Hesse waves tales infused with rich mythological imagery and interesting turns around every corner.

Three stories that run the gamut from romanticism to melancholy.

Always a mystery and forever a joy.

More of Hesse�s beautiful spirituality
Not one review of this book! Incredible, you don't know what you're missing if you have not read this author. This is not one of the most recognized works of the Nobel prize author (my personal favorite), but it has everything of what made their other novels so remarkable: the beautiful and deep description of his characters' thoughts and emotions.

This edition contains three stories: "Child's soul", "Klein and Wagner" and "Klinsor's last summer" The first one succeeds in showing how intense a child's feelings can be, the happiness and sadness that can be reached while being so young, how a small mistake can trigger the biggest of fears... Klein and Wagner, for me the best one of this book. And "Klingsor's last summer" the story of an artist who is dying, while reading this you become Klingsor...I wonder how could Hesse succeed to such degree in portraying thoughts and feelings, no other existentialist author I've read so far reached this complexity. ... Read more

Product Description
With its excellent line-for-line English translation on facing pages, this handy dual-language volume allows students of German language and literature an ideal way to read the 1922 classic based on events from the life of Buddha. The restless young Brahmin Siddhartha undertakes a spiritual journey that takes him from years of asceticism to the utmost sensual and materialistic indulgence before he achieves his long-sought enlightenment. Introduction and new English translation by Stanley Appelbaum.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not Much To Look At
I love Siddhartha, and the opportunity to read it in German definitely appealed to me. Unfortunately, this particular edition seems to be rather dated. While the content seems mostly intact, I had to return it for a different edition because it felt odd to read a book with formatting from the last century.

Luckily, there was another edition available on Amazon which had a slightly better aesthetic, and Amazon handled the exchange very quickly. I'd recommend looking around a bit before adding this one to your cart.

Lucid and readable.
I admit from the start I am not one of those beings spiritual or intellectual or artistical or fantastical or...etc. So this book does not inspire me like it has done to so many and doubtless many more to come. My intellect unelevatable and my insight reaches few things beyond material. Poor me! So you know this is not the book for me if not for the sake of learning German.

That said I'll now talk about its merits as a language learning aid. Among many Dover dual-language books in German, this is among the most readable, from my personal experience! You should mingle with these books after you reading skill is already OK or a little more. But Beaware: Greman is real tough, German writer tougher, and still toughest are those immortal names in German literature. And it's exactly these formidable guys featured in this Dover series.In fact this is the first book I manage to go cover to cover with little reference to translation. It's no easy, as is not to be expected of any original work by a German writer with a name. I refrain from making further with regard to linguistics or literature comments (look like German?), which I don't qualify. Just for those language learners of similar stage, if you want that sense of achievement or pride
of finishing an original work on your own (to go along with improve reading skill), then this is a good starting place. ... Read more