Scan barcode
A review by benedettal
Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse
3.0
Intrinsically, a book about mommy issues. I guess Hermann Hesse really has a flare for writing books about quasi-religious journeys, and in many ways this reminded me of Siddhartha. Granted, I think I enjoyed this more because the religious themes are much less pronounced, and although I was afraid it was gonna follow those same plot beats, it ended up being an entirely unique tale of self-discovery and friendship.
Or I don’t know if self-discovery is the right term; Narcissus is very sure of himself, and really he’s marginally active in the plot, having only a bookend presence. He’s still pivotal, and right enough he’s the vessel through which the logic of the story is conveyed. He represents the rational mind, seeking elevation and realising itself through negation. Goldmund, on the opposite side of the spectrum, doesn’t know himself at any point of his life journey. He follows what Narcissus tells him to do, which is to live his true life, leaning into the differences between the two friends. He’s a free spirit following his instincts, seeking to fulfil himself carnally, reaching the apex of existence by experiencing everything. He doesn’t seek to possess a huge deal of agency, he only seems to push his luck with zero logic. His relationship with women is weird, he seems to form very surface level attachments, and they are hardly fully fledged characters. It’s hard to understand where his supposed love for them comes from, when he also wants to have everyone else in sight. The sisters scene was too much man.
But I guess it’s an interesting thought experiment after all. What if one was to follow their instincts entirely, leading to a life of hedonism, dissolute yet pure. He’s being true to himself, and really we’re not concern with the feelings of anyone else around him. And even when he has it all, he’s still a very humble wanderer who is just going with the flow.
Plus the big sell of this book is the beautiful prose. The aimless wandering lends itself to lovely descriptions of Goldmund’s thoughts, and the friendship with Narcissus is described in such sweet terms. It’s hard to give it justice in a few words, but it’s certainly something to behold.
Or I don’t know if self-discovery is the right term; Narcissus is very sure of himself, and really he’s marginally active in the plot, having only a bookend presence. He’s still pivotal, and right enough he’s the vessel through which the logic of the story is conveyed. He represents the rational mind, seeking elevation and realising itself through negation. Goldmund, on the opposite side of the spectrum, doesn’t know himself at any point of his life journey. He follows what Narcissus tells him to do, which is to live his true life, leaning into the differences between the two friends. He’s a free spirit following his instincts, seeking to fulfil himself carnally, reaching the apex of existence by experiencing everything. He doesn’t seek to possess a huge deal of agency, he only seems to push his luck with zero logic. His relationship with women is weird, he seems to form very surface level attachments, and they are hardly fully fledged characters. It’s hard to understand where his supposed love for them comes from, when he also wants to have everyone else in sight. The sisters scene was too much man.
But I guess it’s an interesting thought experiment after all. What if one was to follow their instincts entirely, leading to a life of hedonism, dissolute yet pure. He’s being true to himself, and really we’re not concern with the feelings of anyone else around him. And even when he has it all, he’s still a very humble wanderer who is just going with the flow.
Plus the big sell of this book is the beautiful prose. The aimless wandering lends itself to lovely descriptions of Goldmund’s thoughts, and the friendship with Narcissus is described in such sweet terms. It’s hard to give it justice in a few words, but it’s certainly something to behold.