Knowledge can be communicated, but wisdom can not, Sidd decides. Great thoughts about the book! I love teaching this book, and telling kids about the duality of life (and even in the structure of the book--it's very simplistic in many ways, as a story, but then also very abstract, moving back and forth. Hesse was also a dualist. Note in his later life, when he was painting, he painted either very concrete scenes or abstract surreal pieces.) Yes, many paths up to the same mountain top. The parallels to other religions (Hesse was Christian and those ideas are in the book), cycles, and the ideas of love bleed from this book! The best works of literature make readers interact more with the text, particulary because the best literature, IMO, is purposeful. It can be aesthetic, it can be moralistic. I also used to teach (and write) music. Listening to music is similar to close reading a literary text. It takes actively listening to really know what's going on in it. Same thing looking at fine art.
I went through a Hesse phase too at one point. Started out by reading Narcissus and Goldmund and I ended up having no desire to read any more Hesse. 😂😂😂 I dunno if I'll ever come back around, but if I do, then like you, I'll probably give The Glass Bead Game a go. And who knows, I might read Siddhartha eventually. Enjoyed hearing you talk about it either way; you do a really great job discussing and analyzing. Also like what you said there towards the end about art and how it relates to morality. Good stuff. 🙂
I will go back and read it a third time, always loved it, but should give more depth. Narcissus and Goldman, too, I loved. You really have me thinking of attempting the Bead Game again ( older copy than yours I wager 😅)
@It's Too Late to Apologize I'm sorry! ( I am not a writer), so communication is sometimes an illusion. I read Siddhartha twice. I tried the Bead Game a few times but I wasn't there yet. However, you have awakened that quest, and it is still an old acquaintance waiting on my shelf to have a drink with me and try again
The one thing I have so far in my journey as a reader, associated with "bad writing" is didacticism. No matter the genre, if an author is more concerned with giving answers, rather than inspiring the reader to formulate their own questions, they are in my eyes, committing a literary cardinal sin. Siddhartha is happily innocent of this. I only read this book a year ago myself, but I have since then come to consider it one of those books that I would guiltlessly gift pretty much anyone - it is short, it reads like a fairy-tale, while at the same time it is packed with as much food-for-thought and insight, as the reader is inclined to perceive. So, for me it's not a question of choosing aesthetics over morality as all great works of fiction are unavoidably grappling with some moral issue. The question is: can you pull-off writing about morality/moral dilemmas, and can you conjure meaningful realisations for the reader without attempting to control what those will be?
Aesthetics or Morality? Where on that scale is the right stance for you?
Haven’t read most of Hesse’s work except for Siddhartha in high school. This review is well done and well thought over, nice work.
Thank you for watching. ☺️
Knowledge can be communicated, but wisdom can not, Sidd decides. Great thoughts about the book! I love teaching this book, and telling kids about the duality of life (and even in the structure of the book--it's very simplistic in many ways, as a story, but then also very abstract, moving back and forth. Hesse was also a dualist. Note in his later life, when he was painting, he painted either very concrete scenes or abstract surreal pieces.) Yes, many paths up to the same mountain top. The parallels to other religions (Hesse was Christian and those ideas are in the book), cycles, and the ideas of love bleed from this book! The best works of literature make readers interact more with the text, particulary because the best literature, IMO, is purposeful. It can be aesthetic, it can be moralistic. I also used to teach (and write) music. Listening to music is similar to close reading a literary text. It takes actively listening to really know what's going on in it. Same thing looking at fine art.
I agree. Everyone's aesthetic taste and values are different.
I went through a Hesse phase too at one point. Started out by reading Narcissus and Goldmund and I ended up having no desire to read any more Hesse. 😂😂😂 I dunno if I'll ever come back around, but if I do, then like you, I'll probably give The Glass Bead Game a go. And who knows, I might read Siddhartha eventually. Enjoyed hearing you talk about it either way; you do a really great job discussing and analyzing. Also like what you said there towards the end about art and how it relates to morality. Good stuff. 🙂
Thank you. Siddhartha is a very quick read if you’re ever interested in it. It’s quite short and straight to the point.
I will go back and read it a third time, always loved it, but should give more depth. Narcissus and Goldman, too, I loved. You really have me thinking of attempting the Bead Game again ( older copy than yours I wager 😅)
Did you enjoy the Glass Bead Game?
@It's Too Late to Apologize I'm sorry! ( I am not a writer), so communication is sometimes an illusion. I read Siddhartha twice. I tried the Bead Game a few times but I wasn't there yet. However, you have awakened that quest, and it is still an old acquaintance waiting on my shelf to have a drink with me and try again
The one thing I have so far in my journey as a reader, associated with "bad writing" is didacticism. No matter the genre, if an author is more concerned with giving answers, rather than inspiring the reader to formulate their own questions, they are in my eyes, committing a literary cardinal sin.
Siddhartha is happily innocent of this. I only read this book a year ago myself, but I have since then come to consider it one of those books that I would guiltlessly gift pretty much anyone - it is short, it reads like a fairy-tale, while at the same time it is packed with as much food-for-thought and insight, as the reader is inclined to perceive.
So, for me it's not a question of choosing aesthetics over morality as all great works of fiction are unavoidably grappling with some moral issue. The question is: can you pull-off writing about morality/moral dilemmas, and can you conjure meaningful realisations for the reader without attempting to control what those will be?