These were some interesting and a little dark stories.

They had an air of mystery and enigma that kept me hooked from the very beginning.

I had never read anything by Hesse before, and I hadn't heard much about his works either.

So, when I came across these stories, I was quite intrigued.

The unique writing style and the depth of the characters and their experiences made them truly captivating.

I don't have a favourite story among them, as I really enjoyed all of them equally.

Each story had its own charm and message, and they all left a lasting impression on me.

I'm glad I took the opportunity to explore Hesse's works and discover these wonderful stories.

I'm looking forward to reading more of his books in the future and delving deeper into his literary world.

Much can be learned from the ruminations of mountains.

Mountains have stood tall and silent for eons, witnessing the passage of time and the evolution of the world around them. Their majestic presence and unwavering stability offer a profound lesson in patience and perseverance.

Just as mountains endure the forces of nature, we too can find strength within ourselves to face the challenges and hardships of life.

Moreover, everyone should write fairy tales for their time.

Fairy tales have the power to transport us to magical worlds, where anything is possible. They can inspire us, give us hope, and teach us valuable lessons about love, friendship, and courage.

By writing fairy tales, we can express our deepest dreams and fears, and share them with others.

In a world that often seems harsh and unforgiving, fairy tales can provide a much-needed escape and a source of comfort.

So, let us all take a cue from the mountains and write our own fairy tales, creating a better and more magical world for ourselves and those around us.

I think these stories are more like morality tales or fables than traditional fairy tales.

The author's exploration of the human condition, relationships, and foibles is truly fascinating. It offers insights that are not only somewhat enlightening but also socially astute.

Even after more than 75 years since their composition, these stories still hold great value. They make us reflect on our own lives and behaviors, and encourage us to strive for better moral and ethical standards.

Perhaps this is the reason why these tales have endured the test of time and continue to be relevant today. They serve as a reminder of the importance of understanding and respecting the complexities of human nature.

Do you know the singer who moves between high and low notes, playing them skillfully whenever he wants? The painter who combines simple and complex shapes and colors, not caring what the critics say about each individual shape being gentle or clumsy, but rather creating his canvas in harmony, rising and falling with it, playing with the emotions of the connoisseurs.

Similarly, Hermann Hesse in his stories. Between the clear simplicity with its direct and magnificent sparkle and the complex symbolism that is so obscure that it is hardly understandable, between getting lost in the description until the text becomes a flat written canvas and the assertion in the character as a given that the reader knows but does not taste. For others, these may be flaws or condemnable habits in writing.

But for Hermann Hesse, they are strings that he plays within his works as he wishes and wherever he wishes, creating from the note that seems on its own to be a discordant part of his own symphony.

The book is a collection of a group of stories.

Not all of them are fairy tales, but they are all written in the form of modernity.

Some of them have a sparkle and direct magnificence, like the empire that he summarizes in it the history of Germany before World War I.

And some are so complex that I cannot claim to have understood them at all.

A harsh style in all circumstances. A clear hatred of wars that this author experienced, the most difficult of which is the sensitivity to human emotions on a high level. The capture of the simplest things like chairs.

By the way, the translation is wonderful.

Hermann Hesse's fables are truly enchanting, as beautiful as his writing style which is picturesque, dreamy, and philosophical.

All of the stories are told in a highly poetic language and with vivid images, making them a joy to read. Moreover, most of them have remarkable endings that leave a lasting impression.

The unifying theme among these tales is the presence of very bright and innocent characters who enter the world and experience its depth and/or cruelty for the very first time. They are incredibly imaginative, and their plotlines are equally beautiful. Here are some of my favorites:

\\n  Augustus\\n
In this story, a recently widowed young woman is about to give birth. Her neighbor, an old and peculiar man, offers her help and a wish: anything she wishes for her son when the angels sing will come true. With time running out, she wishes that he will be loved by everyone, which unfortunately turns out to be a curse.

The themes in this story remind me of \\"The Picture of Dorian Grey\\": two beautiful young men with a curse, using their beauty and alliances to gain power. For both of them, love is the beginning of their downfall, although Dorian focuses more on romantic love and Augustus on platonic love as in caring for others.

\\n  Faldum\\n
Every year, everyone near the village of Faldum comes there for the fair. A rather strange man also arrives and starts granting wishes for everyone in the village. I particularly liked the latter part of the story, told from the perspective of the mountain, as it felt very sentimental and sweet.

\\n  Strange News from Another Planet\\n
After an avalanche hits a village, there are not enough flowers to decorate every tomb. A boy volunteers to ask their king for more flowers. However, along the way, he meets a bird that takes him to another planet - a battlefield. The purity of the main character and his desire to make others' lives easier touched me deeply, and this is a sad yet beautiful story.

\\n  Poet\\n
The main character, the aspiring poet Han Fook, is soon to marry a beautiful girl from his village. However, he values art more than the arranged marriage and wants to practice his skills before settling down. During a festival, he sees a man reciting the most beautiful poems he has ever heard, and the man offers to teach him. He does so after getting permission from his father, expecting to return after a year or two. But when passion meets ambition, is it possible to adhere to societal norms and remember one's responsibilities?

These fables by Hermann Hesse are not only entertaining but also thought-provoking, exploring themes such as love, power, ambition, and responsibility. They are a testament to Hesse's talent as a writer and his ability to create stories that resonate with readers on a deep level.

I had a different perception in mind for "fairy tales". Instead, I would prefer to see the title as "short stories".

All of these works were written before 1920, yet their messages remain highly relevant and valid even today.

Hesse is a philosopher who is extremely adept at concealing his true intent. The language and rhetoric of sophistry are never blatantly obvious in his works.

One particularly humorous story he tells is about a utopian community that is specifically created only for vegetarians. In this story, he differentiates between various types of vegetarians, such as vegetarianists, vegetabilitarians, raw purists, pulpists, and mixed vegetarians.

Even one hundred years later, we still find ourselves attempting to classify and label each and every one of these types. It's truly quite amusing.

Hesse is an amazing and inspiring individual. I hold him in high regard for his unwavering stance against regionalism, which is the very thing that often leads to war. He also exposes how easily humans tend to accept continuous and never-ending wars.

Above all else, I admire Hesse as a kind humanitarian and artist who endured significant criticism for his rather unpopular beliefs.

I may be personally a bit jaded, and perhaps most people are to some extent. However, every single human being living today would stand to benefit greatly by understanding Hesse's arguments and applying them to their own lives.

Long live the words and thoughts of Hermann Hesse!

I truly love this book.

It is a thick compilation of fairy tales that are presented as part of a broader narrative, following the classic Arabian Nights style. However, these tales are all written by Hesse himself.

In these stories, he leads the reader on a fantastical adventure where everything is not what it appears to be. Instead, a new reality exists, just within the tantalizing reach of the reader.

This reality is one where the values that are inherent in fairy tales flourish. There is love, honour, and courage, but also betrayal, death, and loss.

Like all excellent fairy tales, when the reader returns to their ordinary reality, they have the sense that they have undergone something extraordinary. It is a form of enlightenment, yet also an ordeal, which is the necessary precursor for all learning and progress in life.

Hesse has managed to capture the essence of traditional European fairy tales and use it to create his own unique concoction. It is truly great stuff.

Fairy Tales by Hermann Hesse offer a diverse collection of stories. Translator/editor Jack Zipes has brought together tales originally published between 1904 and 1918. There are early Gothic-style romances like "The Dwarf," pieces mimicking traditional folklore such as "The Three Linden Trees," several surreal dream narratives, anti-war satires like "If the War Continues," and symbolic quest stories like "Iris."

These tales, though few are retellings of traditional ones, share the intense language and rich symbols from our fairy-tale heritage. They not only draw on the past but also point to the future. Some even reminded me of science-fiction themes, making me wonder if Hesse influenced authors in that emerging genre.

The book is filled with wonderful flights of imagination. There's a poet with wordless poems that can't be written down, a mysterious stranger who grants everyone in a city one wish with unexpected outcomes, and an isolated forest dweller on a quest for the mysterious "outside" world.

Most of the stories were written during the Great War, and they variously call on humans to fight oppression and mechanization by nurturing the living forces within. Some are more refined, while others are like sketches or drafts for larger works. But all provide a captivating look into the soul of an artist trying to express his deepest feelings and thoughts in a tumultuous era.

See my full review at The Emerald City Book Review.

Since it’s a collection of short stories, in my opinion, they averaged around a 3.5 as a group.

I truly love Hesse, but unfortunately, I wasn't completely drawn in by every single story. That's why, as a whole collection, I rated it a 3.5.

Interestingly, another reader named Susan ranked this collection a 5.0 back in 2017 and even gave individual ratings to each story. I have to admit that I agree with her to some extent. There were indeed some stories within the collection that were excellent and truly stood out.

However, when considering the collection as a whole, I still have to stick with my initial rating of 3.5. It's not that the collection was bad by any means, but there were just a few stories that didn't quite reach the same level of excellence as the others.

Overall, it's a decent collection of short stories, but it didn't quite manage to wow me enough to give it a higher rating.

This book is truly worth adding to your collection.

Hesse's works are generally wonderful, and these stories in particular highlight his timeless brilliance.

The Audible version, although highly abridged (unfortunately), is read by Donovan.

This is just extremely great. It is definitely worth listening to.

However, it may not be worth buying since it is only three hours long.

But those three hours of Donovan reading are really nice.

Nevertheless, it sucks that it's just three hours because you truly want there to be so much more.

You long for a more in-depth exploration of Hesse's world through Donovan's voice.

Despite its brevity, the Audible version still manages to capture some of the essence and charm of Hesse's stories.

It gives you a taste of his genius and leaves you craving for more.

Whether you choose to add this book to your collection in print or audio format, it is sure to provide you with an enjoyable and thought-provoking experience.

My new all-time favorite book!!

I am so excited about this book that I want to throw it at everyone to read.

Here is a general overview:

- The language used by Hesse is as magical as always, which will surely delight the fans.

- It is not your typical 'fairytale' as the endings are not always happy and the stories are not light-hearted. Instead, they offer a more profound and thought-provoking exploration of life.

- The book leans towards being heavily moralistic, but the views presented are worth considering. They make you reflect on your own values and actions.

- Overall, it is one man's thoughtful perspective of the human condition. I truly appreciated it and I know I will read it again and again. It has left a lasting impression on me and I believe it will do the same for others.

This is a nice collection of tales that is not specifically targeted at children.

Each tale within this collection holds hidden meanings that are diverse and complex. Some of the tales are ironical, using humor and unexpected twists to convey a deeper message about human nature or society.

Others are bitter, perhaps reflecting on the hardships and disappointments that life can bring.

There are also tales that are nostalgic, evoking a sense of longing for the past or a simpler time.

The variety of hidden meanings makes this collection a thought-provoking read for adults, who can appreciate the depth and nuance of each story.

It offers a unique perspective on different aspects of life and can引发读者对人生的思考和感悟.