Hermann Hesse at Top Ten Books

Hermann Hesse
(1877 - 1962)

Hermann Hess was born in Calw, Germany at the edge of the Black Forest on July 2, 1877. He grew up in a missionary household where it was assumed that he would enter the ministry. As a child, Hesse was extremely rebellious. Because of behavior problems, he was constantly moving from one school to another. His parents even considered sending him away. Despite Hesse's difficulties at home, he was always at the top of his class without putting much effort into his school work. From the age of twelve, Hesse aspired to be a poet. He was enrolled at the Maulbronn Seminary in Stromberg from September 15, 1891 until May 7, 1892. Other famous seminarians at the 850 year old Maulbronn Monastery include astronomer Johannes Kepler and poet Friedrich Hölderlin. Hesse left the school without permission. He was found on the following day after spending the night in an open field. The reason for this episode was presumed to be a difficult "state of mind" and he was not punished very severely. But the parents of other pupils suggested that Hermann be asked to leave the school. He left the school in 1892 without completing his studies. He tried a cure by a well known theologian, but later attempted suicide. Hesse studied the works of Freud and underwent psyhoanalysis by Carl Jung. For a time, he was a patient in a sanatorium. Hermann Hesse's search for orientation in his life continued for several years.

In 1895, Hesse began his apprenticeship as a bookseller at the Hechenhauer Bookshop in Tubingen. He educated himself by reading while working as a bookseller and antiquarian in Basel. Bookseller apprenticeship was typical of most aspiring German authors of the time. During his apprenticeship, Hermann Hesse published several poems (Romantische Lieder - Romatic Songs, Eine Stunde Hinter Mitternacht - An Hour Behind Midnight, 1899 ) and began his career as an author. His first novel Peter Carmenzind (1904) was inspired by this time in his life. He writes of his experience at the Maulbronn School in the novel Unterm Rad. Hesse's rebellion against formal education is also expressed in the work Beneath the Wheel (1906, trans. 1958).

During World War One, Hesse joined the pacifist Romain Rolland in antiwar activities. He wrote antiwar tracts and novels. Hesse also edited two newspapers for german prisoners of war being a member of the Prisoners of War Welfare Organization. Hesse's wartime activities alienated many of his friends and readers who were enthralled with the militarism sweeping over Europe. Hesse was advised in 1917 to stop his journalism on contemporary issues, but he continued under the nom de plume Emil Sinclair. At this time, Hesse's first marriage broke up. He left Germany moving to Montagnola, Switzerland and became a Swiss citizen in 1923. The war and a series of personal tragedies led him to focus his writing on the spiritual search for new goals and values.

Demian (1919, trans. 1923) was strongly influenced by the Swiss Psychiatrist Carl Jung and reflected Hesse's interest in the sub concious and psychoanalysis. The book was an enormous success and made Hesse famous throughout Europe.

Siddhartha (1922, trans. 1951) is based on the early life of Buddha and resulted from a trip to India. Journey to the East (1932, trans. 1956) examines the mythic qualities of the human experience. For the next eleven years after Journey to the East, Hesse published no major works.

In 1943, Hesse's last and greatest novel, Magister Ludi or The Glass Bead Game was published. He began working on the book in 1931in Switzerland. The work was described as "sublime" by Thomas Mann and admired by André Gide and T.S. Eliot. It is considered one of the most important novels of the twentieth century. It was originally published as Das Glasperlenspiel. In 1946, Hesse was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for Magister Ludi.

Hermann Hesse remained in Switzerland living in seclusion. He died in his sleep on the morning of August 9, 1962. His psychological and mystical concerns made him a cult figure after his death.

Hermann Hesse

Siddhartha (Dover Thrift Editions) by Hermann Hesse - This classic novel of self-discovery has inspired generations of seekers. With parallels to the enlightenment of the Buddha, Hesse’s Siddhartha is the story of a young Brahmn’s quest for the ultimate reality. His quest takes him from the extremes of indulgent sensuality to the rigors of ascetism and self-denial. At last he learns that wisdom cannot be taught–it must come from one’s own experience and inner struggle. Steeped in the tenets of both psychoanalysis and Eastern mysticism, Siddhartha presents a strikingly original view of man and culture, and the arduous process of self-discovery that leads to reconciliation, harmony and peace. In the shade of a banyan tree, a grizzled ferryman sits listening to the river. Some say he's a sage. He was once a wandering shramana and, briefly, like thousands of others, he followed Gotama the Buddha, enraptured by his sermons. But this man, Siddhartha, was not a follower of any but his own soul. Born the son of a Brahmin, Siddhartha was blessed in appearance, intelligence, and charisma. In order to find meaning in life, he discarded his promising future for the life of a wandering ascetic. Still, true happiness evaded him. Then a life of pleasure and titillation merely eroded away his spiritual gains until he was just like all the other "child people," dragged around by his desires. Like Hermann Hesse's other creations of struggling young men, Siddhartha has a good dose of European angst and stubborn individualism. His final epiphany challenges both the Buddhist and the Hindu ideals of enlightenment. Neither a practitioner nor a devotee, neither meditating nor reciting, Siddhartha comes to blend in with the world, resonating with the rhythms of nature, bending the reader's ear down to hear answers from the river. In this translation Sherab Chodzin Kohn captures the slow, spare lyricism of Siddhartha's search, putting her version on par with Hilda Rosner's standard edition. --Brian Bruya List Price: $3.50 Our Price: $0.79 More Info!

Demian by Hermann Hesse - One of the great writers of the twentieth century tells the dramatic story of a young man's awakening to selfhood. "An Existentialist intensity and a depth of understanding rare in contemporary fiction."Saturday Review Our Price: $10.50 More Info!

Steppenwolf: A Novel by Hermann Hesse - With its blend of Eastern mysticism and Western culture, Hesses best-known and most autobiographical work is one of literatures most poetic evocations of the souls journey to liberationHarry Haller is a sad and lonely figure, a reclusive intellectual for whom life holds no joy. He struggles to reconcile the wild primeval wolf and the rational man within himself without surrendering to the bourgeois values he despises. His life changes dramatically when he meets a woman who is his opposite, the carefree and elusive Hermine. The tale of the Steppenwolf culminates in the surreal Magic TheaterFor Madmen Only!Originally published in English in 1929, Steppenwolf s wisdom continues to speak to our souls and marks it as a classic of modern literature. List Price: $14.00 Our Price: $7.68 More Info!

Siddhartha (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) by Hermann Hesse - Siddhartha is perhaps the most important and compelling moral allegory our troubled century has produced. Integrating Eastern and Western spiritual traditions with psychoanalysis and philosophy, this strangely simple tale, written with a deep and moving empathy for humanity, has touched the lives of millions since its original publication in 1922. Translated by Joachim Neugroschel Introduction by Ralph Freedman List Price: $13.00 Our Price: $4.16 More Info!

The Glass Bead Game: (Magister Ludi) A Novel by Hermann Hesse - The final novel of Hermann Hesse, for which he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946, The Glass Bead Game is a fascinating tale of the complexity of modern life as well as a classic of modern literature Set in the 23rd century, The Glass Bead Game is the story of Joseph Knecht, who has been raised in Castalia, the remote place his society has provided for the intellectual elite to grow and flourish. Since childhood, Knecht has been consumed with mastering the Glass Bead Game, which requires a synthesis of aesthetics and scientific arts, such as mathematics, music, logic, and philosophy, which he achieves in adulthood, becoming a Magister Ludi (Master of the Game). List Price: $15.00 Our Price: $7.71 More Info!

Siddhartha (Shambhala Classics) by Hermann Hesse - This book chronicles the spiritual evolution of a man living in India at the time of the Buddha—a tale that has inspired generations of readers. We are invited along Siddhartha's journey experiencing his highs, lows, loves, and disappointments along the way. Hesse begins by showing us the life of a privileged brahmin's son. Handsome, well-loved, and growing increasingly dissatisfied with the life expected of him, Siddhartha sets out on his journey, not realizing that he is fulfilling the prophesies proclaimed at his birth. Siddhartha blends in with the world, showing the reader the beauty and intricacies of the mind, nature, and his experiences on the path to enlightenment. Sherab Chödzin Kohn's flowing, poetic translation conveys the philosophical and spiritual nuances of Hesse's text, paying special attention to the qualities of meditative experience. Also included is an extensive introduction by Paul W. Morris that discusses the impact Siddhartha has had on American culture. List Price: $5.99 Our Price: $2.47 More Info!

The Journey to the East: A Novel by Hermann Hesse, Hilda Rosner - In simple, mesmerizing prose, Hermann Hesse tells of a journey both geographic and spiritual. H.H., a German choirmaster, is invited on an expedition with the League, a secret society whose members include Paul Klee, Mozart, and Albertus Magnus. The participants traverse both space and time, encountering Noah’s Ark in Zurich and Don Quixote at Bremgarten. The pilgrims’ ultimate destination is the East, the “Home of the Light,” where they expect to find spiritual renewal. Yet the harmony that ruled at the outset of the trip soon degenerates into open conflict. Each traveler finds the rest of the group intolerable and heads off in his own direction, with H.H. bitterly blaming the others for the failure of the journey. It is only long after the trip, while poring over records in the League archives, that H.H. discovers his own role in the dissolution of the group, and the ominous significance of the journey itself. List Price: $12.00 Our Price: $5.00 More Info!

Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse - 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 List Price: $7.50 Our Price: $3.54 More Info!

Narcissus and Goldmund: A Novel by Hermann Hesse - Narcissus and Goldmund is the story of a passionate yet uneasy friendship between two men of opposite character. Narcissus, an ascetic instructor at a cloister school, has devoted himself solely to scholarly and spiritual pursuits. One of his students is the sensual, restless Goldmund, who is immediately drawn to his teacher’s fierce intellect and sense of discipline. When Narcissus persuades the young student that he is not meant for a life of self-denial, Goldmund sets off in pursuit of aesthetic and physical pleasures, a path that leads him to a final, unexpected reunion with Narcissus. List Price: $15.00 Our Price: $2.14 More Info!

Siddhartha (Modern Library) by Hermann Hesse - Hermann Hesse’s classic novel Siddhartha has delighted, inspired, and influenced generations of readers, writers, and thinkers. Though set in a place and time far removed from the Germany of 1922, the year of the book’s debut, the novel is infused with the sensibilities of Hesse’s time, synthesizing disparate philosophies–Eastern religions, Jungian archetypes, Western individualism–into a unique vision of life as expressed through one man’s search for meaning. It is the story of the quest of Siddhartha, a wealthy Indian Brahmin who casts off a life of privilege and comfort to seek spiritual fulfillment and wisdom. On his journey, Siddhartha encounters wandering ascetics, Buddhist monks, and successful merchants, as well as a courtesan named Kamala and a simple ferryman who has attained enlightenment. Traveling among these people and experiencing life’s vital passages–love, work, friendship, and fatherhood–Siddhartha discovers that true knowledge is guided from within. Susan Bernofsky’s magnificent new translation brings out Hesse’s inspired lyricism and his elegant, melodious cadences, illuminating the novel’s universal themes and timeless wisdom about the human condition. This original Modern Library edition includes a lively new Introduction by Tom Robbins and a glossary of Indian terms. List Price: $16.95 Our Price: $9.45 More Info!

Magister Ludi - The Glass Bead Game

Magister Ludi by Hermann Hesse - List Price: $4.95 Our Price: $14.50 More Info!

The Glass Bead Game: (Magister Ludi) A Novel by Hermann Hesse - The final novel of Hermann Hesse, for which he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946, The Glass Bead Game is a fascinating tale of the complexity of modern life as well as a classic of modern literature Set in the 23rd century, The Glass Bead Game is the story of Joseph Knecht, who has been raised in Castalia, the remote place his society has provided for the intellectual elite to grow and flourish. Since childhood, Knecht has been consumed with mastering the Glass Bead Game, which requires a synthesis of aesthetics and scientific arts, such as mathematics, music, logic, and philosophy, which he achieves in adulthood, becoming a Magister Ludi (Master of the Game). List Price: $15.00 Our Price: $7.71 More Info!

Magister Ludi by Hermann Hesse - List Price: $3.95 Our Price: $6.87 More Info!

MAGISTER LUDI. (THE GLASS BEAD GAME) by HERMANN HESSE TRANS MERVYN SAVILL - More Info!

Das Glasperlenspiel: Versuch e. Lebensbeschreibung d. Magister Ludi Josef Knecht samt Knechts hinterlassenen Schriften (Suhrkamp Taschenbuch; 79) (German Edition) by Hermann Hesse - More Info!

Magister Ludi by Hermann. Savill Trans. Hesse - More Info!

Magister Ludi by Hermann Hesse - More Info!

Magister Ludi. by HERMAN. HESSE - More Info!

Magister Ludi (The Bead Game) by Hermann Hesse - More Info!

Six Great Novels By Hermann Hesse: Demian, Steppenwolf, Beneath the Wheel, Magister Ludi, Narcissus and Goldmund, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse - More Info!

Hermann Hesse on DVD

Journey to the East

The Journey To The East by Hermann Hesse - Journey to the East is written from the point of view of a man (coincidentally called 'H. H.') who becomes a member of 'The League', a timeless religious sect whose members include famous fictional and real characters, such as Plato, Mozart, Pythagoras, Paul Klee, Don Quixote, Tristram Shandy, Baudelaire, and the ferryman Vasudeva, a character from one of Hesse's earlier works, Siddhartha. A branch of the group goes on a pilgrimage to 'the East' in search of the 'ultimate Truth'. The narrator speaks of traveling through both time and space, across geography imaginary and real. Although at first fun and enlightening, the Journey runs into a crisis in a deep mountain gorge called Morbio Inferiore when Leo, aparently a simple servant, disappears, causing the group to plummet into anxiety and argument. Leo is described as happy, pleasant, handsome, beloved by everyone, having a rapport with animals - to a discerning reader, he seems a great deal more than a simple servant, but nobody in the pilgrimage, including the narrator, seems to get this. Nor does anyone seem to wonder why the group dissolves in dissension and bickering after Leo disappears. Instead they accuse Leo of taking with him various objects which they seem to be missing (and which turn up later) and which they regard as very important (and which later turn out not to be very important), and they blame him for the eventual disintegration of the group and failure of the Journey. Years later the narrator tries to write his story of the Journey, even though he has lost contact with the group and believes the League no longer exists. But he is unable to put together any coherent account of it; his whole life has sunk into despair and disillusionment since the failure of the one thing which was most important to him, and he has even sold the violin with which he once offered music to the group during the journey. Finally, at the advice of a friend, he finds the servant Leo and, having failed in his attempt to re-establish communication with him or even be recognized by him when he meets him on a park bench, writes him a long, impassioned letter of 'grievances, remorse and entreaty' and posts it to him that night. The next morning Leo appears in the narrator's home and tells him he has to appear before the High Throne to be judged by the officials of the League. It turns out (to the narrator's surprise) that Leo, the simple servant, is actually President of League, and the crisis in Morbio Inferiore was a test of faith which the narrator and everyone else flunked rather dismally - and H. H. continues to flunk test after test even after finding this out. But the final dénouement is a stroke of Hesse's typical Eastern mysticism at its finest. List Price: $14.99 Our Price: $14.99 More Info!

Journey To the East by Herman Hesse - More Info!

Journey to the East: The Jesuit Mission to China, 1579–1724 by Liam Matthew Brockey - It was one of the great encounters of world history: highly educated European priests confronting Chinese culture for the first time in the modern era. This “journey to the East” is explored by Liam Brockey as he retraces the path of the Jesuit missionaries who sailed from Portugal to China, believing that, with little more than firm conviction and divine assistance, they could convert the Chinese to Christianity. Moving beyond the image of Jesuits as cultural emissaries, his book shows how these priests, in the first concerted European effort to engage with Chinese language and thought, translated Roman Catholicism into the Chinese cultural frame and eventually claimed two hundred thousand converts. The first narrative history of the Jesuits’ mission from 1579 until the proscription of Christianity in China in 1724, this study is also the first to use extensive documentation of the enterprise found in Lisbon and Rome. The peril of travel in the premodern world, the danger of entering a foreign land alone and unarmed, and the challenge of understanding a radically different culture result in episodes of high drama set against such backdrops as the imperial court of Peking, the villages of Shanxi Province, and the bustling cities of the Yangzi Delta region. Further scenes show how the Jesuits claimed conversions and molded their Christian communities into outposts of Baroque Catholicism in the vastness of China. In the retelling, this story reaches across continents and centuries to reveal the deep political, cultural, scientific, linguistic, and religious complexities of a true early engagement between East and West. (20071103) List Price: $19.95 Our Price: $15.47 More Info!

The Journey to the East by Hermann Hesse - Our Price: $17.95 More Info!

The Journey to the East by Hermann Hesse - More Info!

The Journey to the East. by Hermann. Hesse - More Info!

The Lost Years of Jesus: Documentary Evidence of Jesus' 17-Year Journey to the East by Elizabeth Clare Prophet - Documentary evidence of Jesus' 17-year journey to the East. The Gospels do not say where Jesus was between the age of 12 and 30. But ancient Buddhist manuscripts say Jesus left Palestine and traveled to India, Nepal, Ladakh and Tibet during the "lost years." For the first time, Prophet brings together the eyewitness accounts of four people who have seen these remarkable manuscripts--plus three variant translations of the texts. Illustrated with maps, drawings and 79 photos. List Price: $9.95 Our Price: $4.00 More Info!

Journey to the East by Le Corbusier - Winning entry, General Trade Cover/Jacket Category, in the 2008 New England Book Show sponsored by Bookbuilders of Boston. This is the legendary travel diary that the twenty-four-year-old Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (Le Corbusier) kept during his formative journey through Southern, Central, and Eastern Europe in 1911. In a flood of highly personal impressions and visual notations, it records his first contact with the vernacular architecture that would preoccupy him for the rest of his life and his first sight of the monuments he most admired: the mosque complexes, the Acropolis, and the Parthenon. Le Corbusier himself suppressed publication of this book during his lifetime; after his death, the text was released as "an unprefaced last confession." Journey to the East can be read as a bildungsroman by a young author who would go on to become one of the greatest architects of the twentieth century. It is very much a story of awakening and a voyage of discoveries, recording a seven-month journey that took Le Corbusier from Berlin through Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest, Istanbul, Athos, Athens, Naples, and Rome, among other places. Le Corbusier considered this journey the most significant of his life; the compulsion he felt to record images and impressions established a practice he would continue for the rest of his career. For the next five decades, he would fill notebooks with ideas and sketches; he never stopped deriving inspiration from the memories of his first contact with the East, making this volume as much a historical document as a personal confession and diary. Ivan Zaknic's highly regarded translation was first published by The MIT Press in 1987 but has been unavailable for many years. List Price: $21.95 Our Price: $14.30 More Info!

The Journey to the East,1978,5th print. by Hermann Hesse; Translator-Hilda Rosner - More Info!

The Journey to the East by Hermann Hesse - More Info!