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Narcissus and Goldmund

By Hermann Hesse
Series: Penguin Modern Classics
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse explores the contrasting lives of two men in medieval Europe. Narcissus is a disciplined, intellectually driven monk, while Goldmund is a free-spirited wanderer in pursuit of meaning through art and experience. Their different paths embody the duality of mind and heart, intellect and passion, as they both seek self-discovery and understanding.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy exploring the contrasting paths of intellectual and sensual pursuits. Set during the medieval period, it delves into the journey of two polar opposite characters, offering profound insights into the nature of friendship, spirituality, and self-discovery. Hermann Hesse's storytelling weaves rich philosophical themes with an evocative narrative that examines the essence of human desires and destiny.

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Narcissus and Goldmund

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A gripping, vivid novel which brings to life Europe in the Middle Ages, in all its beauty and horror.

One of Hermann Hesse's greatest novels, Narcissus and Goldmund is an extraordinary recreation of the Middle Ages, contrasting the careers of two friends. One of them shuns life in a monastery and goes on the road, entangled in the extremes of life in a world dominated by sin, plague, and war. The other stays in the monastery, struggling with equal difficulty, to lead a life of spiritual denial.

An superb feat of imagination, Narcissus and Goldmund can only be compared to such films set in medieval Europe as Bergman's The Seventh Seal and Tarkovsky's Andrei Rublev. It is a gripping, profound reading experience— as startling, in its different way, as Hesse's Siddhartha and Steppenwolf.

Series: Penguin Modern Classics

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse is esteemed as one of his masterpieces, celebrated for its exploration of contrasting lifestyles. Set in a medieval monastery, it follows Goldmund's journey from cloistered monkhood to a life rich with worldly experiences and indulgence in desires, before finding a deeper understanding through art. The novel is acclaimed for its profound themes and narrative, making it an essential read in literary circles.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141984612

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 April 2017

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 237g

Pages: 320

Collections

2025 Best Sellers Featured Fiction General Fiction Hermann Hesse Literary Fiction New Release Fiction Penguin Books Penguin Classics Series: Penguin Modern Classics

About the Author

Hermann Hesse was born in Calw, Germany, in 1877. After a short period at a seminary he moved to Switzerland to work as a bookseller. During the First World War he worked for the Red Cross. His later novels - most importantly Siddhartha (1922), Steppenwolf (1927), Narcissus und Goldmund (1930) and The Glass Bead Game (1943) - and his poems and critical essays established him as one of the towering literary figures of the German-speaking world. He won many literary awards including the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946. Hermann Hesse died in 1962.

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