“Narcissus and Goldmund” by Herman Hesse – Flesh and Spirit Collide

Different authors write for different reasons, and there certainly is no shortage of them; some want to simply tell a story they have on their mind, others want to shed light on an issue... and a select few like to use the writing medium as a tool to study life itself.

I believe Herman Hesse can definitely be classified amongst them, with his novels often being a bit more reminiscent of parables where he meditates on the more profound aspects of human life.

While Hesse may be known internationally for novels like Steppenwolf or Damien, he does have many excellent works that have flown under the radar, such as Narcissus and Goldmund.

The concept behind this book is rather simple: Hesse follows the lives of two young men with drastically different ideas about how life ought to be lived.

The first one is quite content with his quiet, ordinary and uneventful pious life devoted to the development of his spirituality. The second one has the complete opposite view, far preferring the decadent artistic lifestyle of physical pleasures, adventure and debauchery.

We are shown the journey travelled by both of them through the plague-ridden Middle Ages and the many surprising teachings they come to acquire until the day of their reunion.

While the book can certainly be given the title of a novel, Hesse certainly doesn't take the typical approach, placing the brunt of the focus on exploring the two different lifestyle extremes and depicting them is as neutral a way as possible.

It's about the exploration of questions, ideas and concepts, such as the actual meaning of spiritual development and its requirements, the definition of truth and beauty, the eternal conflict between the mind and the heart, how to appraise the richness of one's life, and the ultimate goal of our chosen lifelong pursuits... and that's just to get started.

In other words, this novel is less about telling a story and more about meditating on the nature of our existence.

With all of that being said though, it doesn't mean that this is a voyage lacking in the plot department. There are some truly amazing scenes where the power of artistic creation really shines through, a cast of interesting characters that have rather insightful teachings to share, and the journeys through the plague-desolated world end up being most eventful. The setting is described in both magnificent and horrific detail, leaving vivid impressions of a time we don't get to visit too often in literature.

As far as the characters are concerned, you may be a bit surprised to find them less complicated than you would expect in a novel of this kind. Rather than being multidimensional beings with many depths, Hesse chose instead of to make them into clear archetypes that represent either one side or the other in the intellect vs. emotions debate.

Considering how complex the rest of the novel is, it's actually a welcome bit of simplicity that helps us a long way in following the story, the character's thoughts and motivations.

Ultimately, it's what they learn following all of their struggles that makes them truly interesting, especially their mutual recognition of the value in each other's life paths.

All things taken into consideration, while Narcissus and Goldmund may not be as well-known as Hesse's other international successes, he's definitely at the height of his power here, weaving together a genuinely original and thought-provoking story, one you can come back to at different stages of your life for new meanings.

Those of you who enjoy philosophically-geared writing will definitely find this a fascinating read to be appreciated time and time again.

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Hermann Hesse (July 1877-August 1962) Hermann Hesse was a German-born Swiss author, poet, novelist and painter whose many works of writing have shaped the world of literature, with some of his more titanic efforts including Steppenwolf, Siddhartha and The Glass Bead Game. In 1946 he was awarded the highest honor any that can be bestowed upon any writer, the Nobel Prize in Literature.