narcissus touchstone siddhartha steppenwolf

books:

13 reviews
Hermann Hesse

Bantam, 1995

Certain Fairytales in Particular
I found Hesse fairy tales enlightening; three in particular stood out. One is "If the War Continues", which I studied in Intermediate German in college. This is an example of how war will trample on individual freedom; it carries shades of 1984, with Big Brother forbidding wearing of leather shoes, taking walk without permit. This tale does EXAGGERATE wartime restrictions; indeed, in OUR ...

Siddhartha

462 reviews
Hermann Hesse

New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1951

A must read for any spiritual seeker
A journey through the life of a man with a single purpose: to find his own truth. Knowing that the only way to discover life's greatest mysteries is to go through the heart of them alone, he finds himself living one extreme after another until he finally rests in the balance. The ending will either leave you glowing or pondering, but either way you will not regret taking the time to read ...

Siddhartha: Literary Touchstone Edition

1 review
Hermann Hesse

Prestwick House, Inc., 2005

Eastern Philosophy in Fiction
I'll preface my comments by stating that I read this in anticipation of possibly teaching. Having been a student of Postmodernity and Postcolonialism in Graduate School, I thought I'd grab ahold of Siddhartha and really just run with it. Hesse's depiction of Siddhartha's journey into his inner peace and truth was fascinating, but leads one to feel that peace is a journey that is merely an ...

The Journey To The East (Peter Owen Modern Classics)

31 reviews
Hermann Hesse

Peter Owen Modern Classics, 2007

Another amazing work from Hesse
There are several reviewers here, such as Christopher Nelson and Richard Schwartz, who are perfectly in tune with this novel. To truely understand this novel, you have to understand Hesse. I wouldn't recommend picking this book as one's first Hesse novel. Start with "Siddhartha" and "Narcissus and Goldmund" and then move into Demian. Find some essays on Hesse and the meanings of Demian and ...

The Glass Bead Game: (Magister Ludi) A Novel

82 reviews
Hermann Hesse

Picador, 2002

English translation
Yes, I agree with some of the reviews here that, of all Hesses books, 'Glass Bead Game' was difficult to follow at times, especially when compared to books like 'Demian', 'Siddhartha', etc. I had tried to read it several times & always my attention just drifted while in the middle of the introduction. The problem, for me, is the english translation, the one by Richard & Clara Winston (Who ...

Narcissus and Goldmund

79 reviews
Hermann Hesse

Farrar Straus Giroux, 1988

Quintessential Hesse
Hesse is widely loved for a number of things: the themes he addresses, the often unexpected light he casts on them, and the detail with which he develops his characters and their setting. His style, even when addressing weighty matters of substance, is simple and never resorts to O'Henry-style tricks. His stories are accessible to most literate people, never relying on technical or obscure ...

Siddhartha, 2008

Siddhartha is a brilliant Brahman, the highest caste in the Hindu religion, who had a good life but feels spiritually hollow. He embarks on a journey of self-discovery that tests his faith.

Demian

122 reviews
Hermann Hesse

Harper & Row, 2004

Strange beauty
I was never quite sure how to describe or catergorize this odd and beautiful masterpiece, but over the years, I have remained grateful that I even had a high school teacher who included this in a Senior lit. class so many years in my past. Over the years, I have glanced through this rather slim novel from time to time, puzzled at what it was that made such a huge impact on my spirit, all of ...

Siddhartha

1 review
Hermann Hesse

Norilana Books, 2007

Great Buy
I'm usually concerned about purchasing items on line, especially books. I can honestly say that this experience was worth it. I would recommend this seller to anyone interested in purchasing good quality books at extremely reasonable prices. Buy with confidence, I did!

Steppenwolf

132 reviews
Hermann Hesse

BBC Audiobooks America, 2008

The Man Who Understood
There are people out there, reading this review now, who have gone thru life feeling as though no one has ever understood them. Some of those people will read this book, 'Steppenwolf', & it will hit them like a bolt(& some wont like it at all). Not only will a few of them feel as though they have finally been understood, but they might feel as though at last they can begin to understand ...

Steppenwolf
Hermann Hesse

Bantam, 1978

Mass Market Paperback edition of this truly great work of literature.

Siddhartha

1 review

Dolphin Books, 2008

Not worth 80 cents - can you spell "zero stras?"
As soon as I bought my Kindle, I started looking for some of my all-time favorite books and references. When I found this, I said "80 cents, what a deal!" Well, it's no deal. First, this is a poor translation; it has little poetry or flow. Second, it was obviously created by scanning a text. The number of spelling errors is staggering. Couldn't these people download a free spell-checker ...

Steppenwolf

1 review
Hermann Hesse, 1979

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 ...

Steppenwolf
Hermann Hesse

Modern Library, 1963

Siddhartha - Bilingual Edition, German and English

4 reviews
Hermann Hesse

El Paso Norte Press, 2005

The Path to Enlightenment
Siddhartha is an essential book. Unless you have read Siddhartha, you have missed a major milestone in literature, eastern philosophy and personal growth. Hermann Hesse was a master of the written word. That's why he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature and why you should own a copy of his most popular novel. Having it in both English and German is a real plus, even if you don't read ...

Siddhartha (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

21 reviews
Hermann Hesse

Penguin Classics, 2002

great if you're in the mood for a mid-life crisis
Seriously, if you're gonna read Siddhartha, this is certainly the edition to get -- the slightly oversized Penguin Classics one. It features a useful (35-page!) introduction by Ralph Freedman, which includes suggestions for further reading. The translation by Joachim Neugroschel -- a new one -- also reads swiftly and naturally. There are no footnotes for the text itself, however.

Demian: A Dual-Language Book (Dover Thrift Editions)

1 review
Hermann Hesse

Dover Publications, 2002

Strange companions
As a little boy Emile Sinclair feels that life is divided into a world of light and a world of dark. Emile meets Max Demian, an older self-assured boy who seems to know much about life. While Demian does not dominate Sinclair, the younger boy falls increasingly under the influence of the older youth. The novel follows Sinclair's development through through childhood to adolescent rebellion to ...

Narcissus and Goldmund: A Novel

8 reviews
Hermann Hesse

Picador, 2003

His friend awakened him- the world and wandering molded him.
_This is the story of two very different young would-be monks in the medieval cloister of Mariabronn. Narcissus was a lunar type- introverted, a thinker and a scholar. On the other hand, Goldmund was a classic solar type- extroverted, a lover and an artist. _Yet, these two beings of seemingly opposite temperaments became the deepest of life-long friends. This is because different strengths- ...

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