Every sample of Hermann Hesse's literature is similar to Mozart's symphonies. The first time you listen, you don't understand. But when you already have a sufficient number of new eyes, when listening to Mozart, the whole universe seems to be painted inside you.

Hesse also demands a new spirit like Mozart. If you are reading Hesse for the sake of pure aesthetic pleasure, you will be misled. There is a wealth of symbols, metaphors, and subtextual threads around this author, which, as it were, forces you to understand that Hermann Hesse's literature is within literature...

His works are not just simple stories but complex tapestries of human emotions, thoughts, and experiences. They require careful examination and reflection to fully appreciate. Hesse's use of language is masterful, painting vivid pictures in the reader's mind and evoking deep emotions. Just like Mozart's music, his literature has the power to transport us to another world, a world of beauty, mystery, and profound meaning.

I'm so confused. I don't know what to write. I don't understand this writer at all.

From Galileo, it was good. From Siddhartha, it was bad. But I don't understand what he wants to say.

However, I still have some things to read from Hesse.

Maybe I'll gain more understanding as I continue to explore different works.

Each author has their own unique style and perspective, and it takes time and effort to truly comprehend their ideas.

I guess I'll just keep reading and hoping to have those "aha" moments when everything clicks.

Who knows, maybe one day I'll look back on this and laugh at how confused I was.

But for now, I'll just keep plugging away and see where this literary journey takes me.

It is a known human weakness that anything we lack seems to have great value, and that the possibility of compensation seems less for those things that we still possess.

Despair is the result of every sincere attempt to understand humanity and justify it. Despair is the result of every sincere attempt to play life with virtue, justice, understanding, and meeting its requirements.

The story was very short and I really don't know much to talk about its events, but it was beautiful.

It may be the charm of age, it may simply be my imagination, but the allusions and symbols present in these works remain largely mysterious to me. In no case should I be misled by the power of the book. As Hesse usually does, in these 100-page works, there is more provocation and stimulation than in his other novels.

First and foremost, who are the "members of the League"? What does their journey in the "lands of the heart" mean? Is all this really happening or is it part of the author's fertile fantasy? Who is Leo? A servant or a predecessor, and in general, what is his role in this great and endless journey?

It is clear that in the countries of the East, in general, the inner world of a person, a world full of contradictions, is depicted, just like his life and his possible paths. The narrator H.H. changes almost along with the development of this journey. If at first, with enthusiasm, he describes in detail every step taken by the League, in the end, he himself cannot tell what is real and what is imagined. Everything is blurred and this Odyssey, which is vividly presented, becomes almost sacred. However, the author himself states:

"The path of human development begins most painfully. From here we move towards danger, towards the alternation of good and evil, towards the demands imposed by culture, morality, religion and other ideals of manhood. For every person who takes these steps with full seriousness, as it concerns his own personality, it necessarily ends successfully."

At the end of the works, as in the author's other books, we find the idea of the unity of the inspired. Almost every kind of boundary is erased between service and power, as well as between elevation and degradation. In the final sum, everything is part of one great journey, whose existence, albeit fragile, successfully completes its task.

My favorite Herman Hesse books.

Actually, it is one of the few books by him that I like!

I think he is a very overrated author, but this particular book really appealed to me.

At times, it feels like a more mature version of Alice in Wonderland.

It has that sense of unbounded whimsical-ness, yet the characters are older, which allows them to truly appreciate the wonder.

However, it is very short.

Despite its brevity, it manages to capture my imagination and hold my attention.

The story takes the reader on a journey through a world of strange and wonderful experiences.

The characters are well-developed and the writing is beautiful.

Overall, it is a book that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good dose of whimsy and magic.

Another spiritual journey with Heseo, of surreal atmospheres, mythical symbolism, and unpredictable actions.

Heseo's works always manage to transport the viewer or reader into a realm that is both enchanting and mysterious. The use of surealne atmosfere creates an otherworldly feel, as if one has stepped into a dream or a parallel universe. The mitske simbolike adds depth and layers of meaning, inviting interpretations and discussions.

What makes these spiritual journeys even more captivating is the element of nepredvidive radnje. Just when you think you have grasped the essence of the story or the art, something unexpected happens, taking you by surprise and making you look at the work from a different perspective.

Overall, this 4/5 rating indicates that this particular spiritual journey with Heseo is well worth experiencing, offering a unique and thought-provoking adventure.

Hermann Hesse is a passion within me.

"Journey to the East" takes us to his mystical side, the search for the path, the things he saw and felt while advancing with both fear and excitement in pursuit of the mystery.

"Damian" (which became an amazing book that I loved very much) in this sense had taken me away from myself, and the journey he took with his intuitions had once again made me admire him.

You will understand that there is nothing changing; he is an author who I have never regretted reading and who nourishes me a lot, and the book is the same.

Due to its rather short length, it is a delicious bite-sized cake for those who are new to reading Hermann Hesse or who miss him.

I thought it was a real journey, but I discovered

that it was a journey from the author's imagination, and even the reality was integrated with the imagination.

This is the second book I have read by this author, and his books are characterized by their few pages and their philosophical depth.

Hesse says: "That is because our goal was not only the East,

or that the East was not just a country or a geographical thing, but it was

the homeland of the spirit and its youth was (the East) everywhere, and it was nowhere; it was the unity of all time."

This profound statement makes us think deeply about the meaning and essence of the East, and how it can exist in our hearts and minds in different ways.

The author's unique writing style and philosophical insights make this book a remarkable work that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

If ever the maxim ‘not the destination but the journey’ were true, this would be the perfect example.

Not even considering the fact that the ‘travelers’ on this journey never make it to the East, which is in fact a metaphor for our own individual passage from solitude to the enlightenment of the communal whole.

The community for this particular journey is called The League. And as they transverse through time and space encountering Don Quixote and Noah’s Ark, members of the League such as Mozart and Hugo Wolf, Paul Klee (and fictional characters from some of Hesses other novels) establish the parameters which one gains happiness by establishing faith in each other.

On the superficial level, a choirmaster named HH has been ostracized from the League for imposing his loss of faith on a servant whose sole raison d’etre was this fellowship and their planned trip to the east. Years later, as a form of atonement, HH tries to record his experience in the form of this novel. His crisis of faith becomes an insurmountable roadblock leading him to track down the servant named Leo only to find the Journey never ended and it is going on all around him.

Through a trial of abject personal abasement, he is restored through the knowledge that a singular individual will never germinate into the fruits of a full life without joining the brotherhood of man through religion, science, art or any bond that exploits common vision without sacrificing individuality.

Published a few years after ‘Steppenwolf’ (and immediately following “Narcissus”), this was the end of Hesses bucolic melodramas and the beginning of the final metaphysical novels. Written in mesmerizing prose bordering on poetry, even song, the sheer exuberance of unbridled passion is exhilarating.

Probably the most esoteric of his novels (‘Magister Ludi’ would be next), ‘Journey’ is profound and enigmatic.

When I first read this at around age twenty, I confessed to friends I didn’t understand it—but loved the language (even in translation). A few years later (for indeed, the complete works of Hesse travel with me no matter where I go), I admitted I finally understood the plot but ‘could it really be that thin?’ Still loved the language. Now, I think I get it. Perhaps like Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, it reveals itself endlessly and one must keep its presence close to the heart.

“History is rich in examples of similar kind. The whole of world history often seems to me nothing more than a picture book which portrays humanity’s most powerful and senseless desire—the desire to forget.”

That is because our goal was not the East alone, or the East was not just a country or a geographical thing, but it was the homeland of the spirit and its youth. The East was everywhere and nowhere.

Of Hesse's books that he read, the most symbolic and mysterious.

After reading it, you feel that it is not an independent novel... but rather it is closest to a chapter of a novel... or a part of an autobiography.

The three stars are not for the book but for the study attached to the book about Hesse, "The Poet of the Inner Journey" by "Timothy Leary", which briefly explained a lot of Hesse's personal and intellectual biography and presented his main ideas in his important books, in addition to some personal aspects.

I absolutely love the writing of Essa! There is something truly captivating about it. It speaks to me on the same wavelength, and our brainwaves seem to intersect in some way.

It is the 4th book of his that I am reading. And if we exclude "The Wolf of St. Petersburg", the other 3 I liked so very much! I don't know how to describe it, but I got lost again in this short little book. Even in the most paradoxical words, I found deep meaning.

As the quote goes:

\\n  \\n    Αυτός που θέλει να ζήσει πολύ, πρέπει να υπηρετεί, αλλά εκείνος που θέλει να κυβερνήσει, δεν ζει πολύ\\n  \\n

This book has less than 100 pages, and I believe it is worth reading. With an open heart, without the reader having to wait for a plot or a destination. All one needs to do is look within oneself.

Another wonderful quote from the book is:

\\n  \\n    Στον κήπο τα παγόνια τσίριζαν, κι ο Λουδοβίκος κουβέντιαζε ισπανικά με τον Παπουτσωμένο Γάτο...\\n  \\n

It really makes you imagine a vivid scene.

A journey through the self is an exploration that is both profound and transformative. It is a path that we embark upon, often unconsciously, in search of our true selves. Guided by authenticity, this journey becomes a quest for truth and self-discovery.

Authenticity is the compass that leads us on this adventure. It is the quality of being true to oneself, of living in accordance with our values and beliefs. When we are authentic, we are not afraid to show our true colors, to express our emotions and opinions freely.

As we travel through the self, we encounter many challenges and obstacles. We may face our fears, our insecurities, and our past traumas. But it is through these experiences that we learn and grow, that we become stronger and more resilient.

The journey through the self is not always easy, but it is always worth it. It is a journey that leads us to a deeper understanding of ourselves and of the world around us. It is a journey that can change our lives forever.