How does one commence a review of Hermann Hesse's work? My initial encounter with his books was through "The Glass Bead Game". At that time, its content intrigued me, and I found it effortless to read.

However, this book has truly made me contemplate. Although I like it, I question whether the author is toying with the reader?

This is a spiritual odyssey of a German choirmaster named H.H. (Could this potentially be the author himself?). He endeavors, yet unsuccessfully, to pen down the "great journey" he undertook when he joined the "League", a religious organization. Nevertheless, he is handicapped due to his previous vow to the League never to disclose anything about it.

After a year's probation, he is asked what he hopes to obtain from this journey towards the East into a legendary realm. His heartfelt desire is to behold the Princess Fatima. Without issue, he officially becomes a member of the League and is bestowed a ring signifying his loyalty.

I discovered the plot to be somewhat intricate as H.H. sets off with a group bound for "the East". There are numerous groups, and some become lost, never to resurface. There are incidents where those lost members attempt to rejoin the League but are unsuccessful. They can all traverse through time and space, both backward and forward, and encounter real and imaginary individuals along the way, such as Almansor and Parsifal, Witiko or Goldmund, Sancho Oanza, Don Quixote, Hoffman, and the ferryman Vasudeva. Nevertheless, the writing style and descriptions are outstanding.

The catalyst in the book, for me, seems to be Leo, the servant of the group. And yet, "Leo knew all kinds of things; that he perhaps knew more than us, who were ostensibly his masters."

The group then descends into chaos when, upon arriving at the Morbio Inferiore Gorge on the Italian border, Leo vanishes.

Time marches on inexorably, and H.H. decides that he must document his own particular journey. However, he finds it increasingly arduous to recall events. In particular, he ponders about Leo. Through a friend, he discovers, "We already have a Leo. Andreas Leo, 69a, Seilergraben."

The outcome is that this is the "proper" Leo, but he apparently does not remember H.H., which frustrates H.H. to such an extent that he writes Leo a lengthy letter. The consequence of this is that he is taken to the League and discovers that Leo is, in fact, the president.

This is also a book about missed opportunities, as H.H. soon realizes. And as for the conclusion, well, that was rather unexpected.

The truth is that this book really didn't appeal to me much.

The first chapter of this book was extremely difficult to read and it made one feel dizzy. The reader didn't know exactly what was being read or what the author really wanted to say.

The advice I have for all readers is that if they don't read this book, they won't miss much. It's better for them to read other works.

Expanding further, this book seemed to lack a clear direction in its first chapter. The writing was convoluted and hard to follow, leaving the reader in a state of confusion. It was as if the author was trying to convey complex ideas but failed to do so in a coherent manner.

Given this, it might be a better choice for readers to explore other literary works that offer a more engaging and understandable reading experience. There are many great books out there that can provide valuable insights and entertainment without causing the frustration that this particular book did.

Perhaps the author could have taken more time to refine the first chapter and make it more accessible to the reader. This would have made a significant difference in the overall impression of the book.

In conclusion, while this book may not have been to my liking, it's important to remember that everyone has different tastes in literature. Some readers may find this book to be a masterpiece, while others may share my opinion. The key is to keep an open mind and continue to explore different works to find those that truly resonate with us.

Here is another book I read in the early seventies. During that time, like most children of this misinformationist postwar age, I was actively engaged in the search for a solid reality among the era's castoff debris.

It wasn't a bad book, but it was a sort of garden path book, with the blind leading the blind.

Particularly following Hesse, I was like a dazed and semi-delusional lapdog, weaving a desultorily crooked line to keep pace with its master. I seemed to have insisted on such frivolously arcane fiction as my only possible panacea for brute reality.

However, all it did was cast me further adrift.

Here a little dog I pause, heaving up my prior paws - pause - and sleep endlessly.

Little cats and dogs all must, like chimney sweepers, come to dust.

Well, this fictional sequence from my Quest, which led into a sybaritic admixture of the factual and fanciful, forced me to see the futility of any further tagging along behind a punchdrunk writer.

My own life has perforce adhered to the immediate, bargain basement reality, frugal in both tastes and temperament. My meds have shrunk my ego. After a life - as Mallarme says, "virgin of expectation" - I don't really mind coming to dust. But what about Hesse?

Hesse was rapidly becoming a fallen star in my fanciful firmament, and my initial delight was now turning to dust, just like T.S. Eliot's lamented lapdog.

Let's face it: Kurt Vonnegut was right in calling poor Hermann a second-string author! All invention - no substance.

All of this perfectly summed up the addled mind of Yours Truly in those septic seventies.

There's no rest for the wicked: it took me fifty years to realize that.

I would bore you to no end if I told you that I was to drunkenly circumambulate Mount Purgatory in that same wobbling way until the recent day when I finally woke up and climbed it.

You see, it dawned on me that this Mountain was really Frodo's Mount Doom.

And the only way we can live an awake life is to CLIMB up and TRASH our Ring of Ego-Power in its molten lava FOREVER.

And the sooner the better - our final unsentimental journey in stark solitude, and for Hesse, a Road Never Travelled.

"Svaku tvoju riječ ja volim, mada ništa ne razumijeeeem." This beautiful phrase expresses a deep and somewhat mysterious sentiment. It seems that the speaker loves every word the other person says, even though they don't understand a thing. Maybe it's the sound of the words, the way they are pronounced, or the emotions that are conveyed through them. It could also be that the speaker is so in love with the person that they don't care about the meaning of the words, but just the fact that they are being spoken. In any case, this phrase captures a moment of pure and unconditional love, where the language barrier doesn't matter and the heart speaks louder than anything else.

The story was not interesting at all.

Throughout the entire book, there was only one part and dialogue that I liked.

However, it had beautiful writing.

And apart from the writing, there was nothing else.

I suggest that if you want to read a book from this author, start with "Damyan".

This way, you can get a better sense of the author's writing style and decide if you want to continue reading their other works.

Maybe you'll find something more to your liking in "Damyan" than in this particular book.

It's always worth giving it a try and seeing for yourself.

Who knows, you might discover a new favorite author or story.

So, go ahead and give "Damyan" a chance and see what it has to offer.

The story was excellent, and people were constantly in pursuit of it, which of course distracted his attention from the story. The story is not simple and easy; especially since there are many escapes, hints, and allusions that make people curious. But on the other hand, his mood and state of mind are good.

This excellent story seems to have a kind of magic that attracts people's hearts. The complex plot and various elements in it make it a captivating work. Although it may bring some distractions, it also enriches people's spiritual world. And for him, despite the distractions, his good mood remains, perhaps because he can still find joy and satisfaction in other aspects of life.

In conclusion, this story has its own charm and value, and his state of mind also shows that he is able to balance the distractions brought by the story and his own life.

The work is very good, especially for those who have been interested in traditional sciences for a long time and love exploration. Mr. Habibi's translation is also good and readable.

It can be said that this combination of good work and excellent translation provides a great opportunity for people to understand and appreciate the content related to traditional sciences. Whether it is for academic research or personal interest, it has certain value.

Moreover, the clear and smooth language of the translation makes it easier for readers to access and understand the original work. This is very important for promoting the spread and inheritance of traditional sciences.

The truth is that regarding such books

with such debatable topics in them, I don't know how exactly I should write about them.

But I always like to have written something after finishing something.

Maybe I will regret it later.

_________________________

Perhaps the middle was much more content-rich than the behavior towards dawn.

Although the second part of the middle came together a bit faster.

But in my opinion, it was still better.

This book, which is the second book I'm reading from him.

Had a better feeling and mood because of the descriptions that were made in the story.

Especially the last part of the story.

__________________________

Perhaps his way of thinking can also be of interest to me.

Because basically, I am from the kind of people who have strange and unusual thoughts and beliefs.

And among their contemporaries, they shine a lot and have many things to say.

"Journey to the East" is written by Hesse in 1932 after "Siddhartha", "The Steppenwolf", "Narcissus and Goldmund". His mind is clearly being greatly disrupted by secret societies and Masonic brotherhoods. After a long incubation period, he indeed brings out the "The Glass Bead Game" which is also themed around secret societies, and wins the Nobel Prize.

What is meant here is not an East or an Orient in the classical sense. It is a Masonic journey that Western minds seek within themselves and feel a spiritual evolution similar to that of the Easterners while seeking. Hesse makes us think that it is not meaningful to realize our inner search as an individual alone, but that it is a veil that can be discovered within the life of the society, together with sociality. Although it may be a bit on the side along with his other great works, "Journey to the East" is an important pillar of Hesse's oeuvre.

I initially started with great difficulty, and it was hard to move forward.

The word "Anyway" was very common, and it was a bit comforting.

But still, in general, it was very good <3

The game of Hoolunka remained...

Expanded version: I initially embarked on this journey with great difficulty. Every step forward seemed like a Herculean task.

The word "Anyway" kept popping up frequently in my thoughts. It was like a small ray of hope in the midst of the chaos. It provided a bit of comfort and a sense of perseverance.

But despite all the hardships, when I took a step back and looked at the big picture, I realized that in general, things were actually very good <3.

And then there was still the game of Hoolunka. It was like a mystery waiting to be solved, a challenge that I was determined to take on.

I really enjoyed it as if I had never read it before. In the second reading, it was great to learn that Greenleaf got the idea of "servant leadership" from Leo.

June 18, 2020

This was my second Hesse book, and I can say that it once again took me through the process of self-discovery and self-questioning. Although it wasn't as long and deep as his journey, it had triggered many trainings, changes, and transformations where I participated and the sharing of its content was prohibited. But after a certain point, it had lost its charm, again from my perspective. As we also saw at the end of this book, actually the charm hadn't disappeared, only my way of perceiving it had been damaged as if Leo had disappeared:)

It is said that this book was written as a preliminary preparation for the book "The Glass Bead Game" and the author won the Nobel Prize in the field of literature after the book "The Glass Bead Game".

So I can say that my next Hesse book is certain:).

Noomi is the result of every serious attempt in understanding and justifying human life.

From the text of the book

So far, I haven't picked up a book by Herman Hesse and not felt a sense of familiarity with every single word. Every time I decide to read a book of his, I'm almost certain that I'm going to a house where I know the host. The aroma of tea that spreads in the air and I know that Rassendyll is waiting for me. And I know that he knows my deepest pains, without me saying a word, and he will speak in my place when I'm unable to speak.

He is the substitute for lost humans. The substitute for those who are strangers in the position where they stand. I can claim that he knows better than anyone the pain and bitterness of decline. The human pain that was inflicted on him before this truth and now he himself must be the discoverer of this truth. He knows the human cries that many have cried out to God but no sound has been heard. He knows how difficult it can be to live without faith, even for someone who has built a beautiful house for his faith in his heart. A house that once had a lot of splendor but now is left in ruins and disuse. He knows what a dilemma it is to have existence for a human who has no answer to this painful question: why is there something instead of nothing?