Narziss and Goldmund
by Hermann Hesse · first published 1959
100% recommend
First published in 1930, Narcissus and Goldmund is the story of two diametrically opposite men: one, an ascetic monk firm in his religious commitment, and the other, a romantic youth hungry for worldly experience. Hesse was a great writer in precisely the modern sense: complex, subtle, allusive: alive to the importance of play. Narcissus and Goldmund is his very best. What makes this short book so limitlessly vast is the body-and-soul-shaking debate that runs through it, which it has the honesty and courage not to resolve: between the flesh and spirit, art and scientific or religious speculat
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Most books by Hermann Hesse, really... Narziss&Goldmund changed my perspective on life. If you have anything artistic in you, it's a must-read. Steppenwolf, Siddharta and the Glass Bead Game are other must-reads. Gabriel Garcia Marques, One hundred years of solitude. Practically all of Jorge Luis Borges' short stories. Mind-bending. Milan Kundera's Unbearable Lightness of Being. Michael Ende's
on “Ask HN: Good books?” ↗How about some real books? - Narziss & Goldmund, by Herman Hesse - One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marques - Crime and Punishment, by Dostoievsky - The Trial, by Kafka - L'étranger, by Albert Camus If you want to build your character, read the real stuff: fiction.
on “5 Great Books to Build Your Character” ↗Make sure you take a peep at Hesse too. Narziss and Goldmund is a must-read - the kind of book that changes your perspective on life. He's Thomas Mann's intellectual equal, I would say. As for Joseph, a word of encouragement: the further you get into it, the more…
on “Do you read?” ↗Yes I came here to post this one as well, together with Narziss and Goldmund and Steppenwolf - I read all of them in a pretty short period. There is a sort of common theme where Hesse explores the trade-offs between a life of thinking vs a life of feeling (most obviously in Narziss…
on “Ask HN: Great fiction books that have had a positive impact on your life?” ↗In my late teenage years, I was fond of Hesse's novels. Demian was interesting enough to get me started. Narziss und Goldmund was by far my favorite. Siddhartha was also a good read, but at this point it was getting repetitive with its other works, and I didn't share the author's fascination for Indian religion and philosophy.…
on “Ask HN: Great fiction books that have had a positive impact on your life?” ↗EDIT3: If we're going to go with fiction, this looks like a good list to pick from: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/6.Best_Books_of_the_20th_... Personally, I've read almost none of these! 1) How can you have read none of these? Get started already! And don't wait for others to tell you which books to read! 2) That list is very suspect... I don't know how they compiled it, but it's a bit st
on “Ask YC: Let's start a Hacker News book club” ↗