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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
The bird fights it’s way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world. The world flies to God. That God’s name is Abraxas.
Introspection, what is destined for us will find us as long as we search/desire for it, the journey of finding yourself is lonely but the most fulfilling, how our introspection affects our external relationships
Introspection, what is destined for us will find us as long as we search/desire for it, the journey of finding yourself is lonely but the most fulfilling, how our introspection affects our external relationships
Reseña en español más abajo.
I started reading this because it was recommended by one of my favorite teachers and, in general, I had heard good things about it. The first half was ok, pretty slow, but I did like certain parts. Or more specifically, a character. Max Demian. The only character who had personality, and was actually interesting. Nevertheless, I did not enjoy the second half. Not at all. Emil's never ending lamentations and the clear supressal of his feelings towards Demian. Because painting the girl whose supposedly the object of your affections and ending up painting your male friend; or having dreams about said friend and saying that this person would be your future wife is completely straight, okay? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (Funny enough, it was recommended by my religion teacher. Catholic ). Other than that, it really didn't have plot and was frankly just plain boring. But then again, I did skip the last 20 pages so there's that. Maybe I'll finish it. Eventually. Maybe not.
Empecé a leerlo porque uno de mis profesores favoritos me lo recomendó y, en general , había escuchado muchas cosas buenas. La primera mitad estuvo bien, bastante lenta, pero tenía partes que me gustaron. O bueno, siendo más especifica, un personaje. Max Demian. El único personaje que tenía personalidad, y en realidad era interesante. Sin embargo, no me gustó la segunda parte. Ni un poquito. Los constantes lamentos de Emil y la clara represión de sentimientos por Demian. Porque claro, ponerte a dibujar a la chica con la que estas obsesionado y terminar dibujando a tu amigo, o tener sueños con ese mismo amigo, y decir que esa persona será tu futura esposa. Completamente heterosexual, okay? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (La mejor parte fue que me lo recomendo mi profesor de religión) Aparte de eso, no tenia trama y honestamente, fue simplemente aburrido. Aunque para ser justa me saltee las últimas 20 páginas así que ahí está. Tal vez lo termine. Eventualmente. Tal vez no.
I started reading this because it was recommended by one of my favorite teachers and, in general, I had heard good things about it. The first half was ok, pretty slow, but I did like certain parts. Or more specifically, a character. Max Demian. The only character who had personality, and was actually interesting. Nevertheless, I did not enjoy the second half. Not at all. Emil's never ending lamentations and the clear supressal of his feelings towards Demian. Because painting the girl whose supposedly the object of your affections and ending up painting your male friend; or having dreams about said friend and saying that this person would be your future wife is completely straight, okay? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (Funny enough, it was recommended by my religion teacher. Catholic ). Other than that, it really didn't have plot and was frankly just plain boring. But then again, I did skip the last 20 pages so there's that. Maybe I'll finish it. Eventually. Maybe not.
Empecé a leerlo porque uno de mis profesores favoritos me lo recomendó y, en general , había escuchado muchas cosas buenas. La primera mitad estuvo bien, bastante lenta, pero tenía partes que me gustaron. O bueno, siendo más especifica, un personaje. Max Demian. El único personaje que tenía personalidad, y en realidad era interesante. Sin embargo, no me gustó la segunda parte. Ni un poquito. Los constantes lamentos de Emil y la clara represión de sentimientos por Demian. Porque claro, ponerte a dibujar a la chica con la que estas obsesionado y terminar dibujando a tu amigo, o tener sueños con ese mismo amigo, y decir que esa persona será tu futura esposa. Completamente heterosexual, okay? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (La mejor parte fue que me lo recomendo mi profesor de religión) Aparte de eso, no tenia trama y honestamente, fue simplemente aburrido. Aunque para ser justa me saltee las últimas 20 páginas así que ahí está. Tal vez lo termine. Eventualmente. Tal vez no.
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I'm a big fan of Hesse and yet until now had not read this book, and that's a shame because I think I would have enjoyed it more had I read it when I was a lot younger. All of the classic Hesse themes are here - the journey to self, an examined life, an aesthetic life vs a life of the senses, transformation, etc. it's just there not fully formed and they are scattered.
What little story arc there is was so thin that it's a slog to find the gems of insight. Essentially we follow the main character as he has the standard meandering, oh woe is me experiences. Sure, that's kinda how Hesse operates but I'm his other books, especially the last two, you truly care for the characters. Their journeys and struggles matter because you relate more to them.
Certainly there are insights and truths and I wouldn't say don't read this book. What I will say is, don't read it if you've already read the last two and loved them. This book will not deepen you appreciation for the author or any of the boss you love. Your better off rereading them. Here you'll get hints of the glory to come...
"I realize today that nothing in the world is more distasteful to a man than to take the path that leads to himself."
I will say that when Hesse relates Demian's observations on the state of Europe (pre WW1), the pervading fear amongst the majority, the herd instinct growing stronger, and nowhere freedom and love, I got a bit of a chill as it sounds like a description of today. Not to say that I don't see love but it's under attack. The rest rings true.
So, good luck. If your a dude under thirty you'll likely love it, otherwise, pass. Why only dudes, there's of course basically no female characters besides the one woman that the main character has a creepy obsession of.
State of Europe:
"Whether the workers kill the manufacturers or whether Germany makes war on Russia will merely mean a change of ownership. But it won't have been entirely in vain. It will reveal the bankruptcy of present-day ideals, there will be a sweeping away of Stone Age gods. The world, as it is now, wants to die, wants to perish-and it will."
What little story arc there is was so thin that it's a slog to find the gems of insight. Essentially we follow the main character as he has the standard meandering, oh woe is me experiences. Sure, that's kinda how Hesse operates but I'm his other books, especially the last two, you truly care for the characters. Their journeys and struggles matter because you relate more to them.
Certainly there are insights and truths and I wouldn't say don't read this book. What I will say is, don't read it if you've already read the last two and loved them. This book will not deepen you appreciation for the author or any of the boss you love. Your better off rereading them. Here you'll get hints of the glory to come...
"I realize today that nothing in the world is more distasteful to a man than to take the path that leads to himself."
I will say that when Hesse relates Demian's observations on the state of Europe (pre WW1), the pervading fear amongst the majority, the herd instinct growing stronger, and nowhere freedom and love, I got a bit of a chill as it sounds like a description of today. Not to say that I don't see love but it's under attack. The rest rings true.
So, good luck. If your a dude under thirty you'll likely love it, otherwise, pass. Why only dudes, there's of course basically no female characters besides the one woman that the main character has a creepy obsession of.
State of Europe:
"Whether the workers kill the manufacturers or whether Germany makes war on Russia will merely mean a change of ownership. But it won't have been entirely in vain. It will reveal the bankruptcy of present-day ideals, there will be a sweeping away of Stone Age gods. The world, as it is now, wants to die, wants to perish-and it will."
All of the real action takes place in the narrator’s mind, which might be the most fascinating part. You forget that the actual events occurring are fairly banal because the author’s thoughts accompanying them are the driving action of the story. Instead of being enveloped in external events, the reader is forced into the inner experience of the main character. It opens by misleading you through the normalcies with coming of age, then takes a gradual plunge into the dimension behind it all. In striking topics like the path to one’s self, the duality of light and dark within the deity Abraxas, and even a soft touch of how true friendships never change, Herman Hesse delivered a bona fide introspection into the world of Demian.
Im gonna have to come back to this bc i really don’t know how to formulate my thoughts
"La vida de cada hombre es un camino hacia sí mismo, el intento de un camino, el esbozo de un sendero. Ningún hombre ha llegado a ser él mismo por completo; sin embargo, cada cual aspira a llegar, los unos a ciegas, los otros con más luz, cada cual como puede."
Un libro que de haber leído hace algunos años me habría cambiado profundamente, pero que atesoro en el presente de igual forma. Quizás lo que presenta no me es tan disruptivo, porque es un trabajo interior que ya he conocido, gracias a mi guía, Eugenio. De hecho, él mismo me recomendó este libro hace años cuando lo necesité, y no lo leí.Y es que resueno mucho con él, con Sinclair, con ver más allá del niño bueno / niño malo, estar sobre esta falsa dicotomía, entender que lo único realmente bueno es ser honesto a la propia voluntad y no a destinos ajenos, sin hacer daño a los demás, ya que lo que vemos en un otro es realmente algo que vemos en nosotros mismos y sería una falta de tolerancia y amor hacia nosotros.
Para Sinclair es fácil desidentificarse de las colectividades decadentes del mundo, vengan de donde vengan: la iglesia, el estudiantado, el Estado, las agrupaciones, incluso la misma juventud. Y esto es más necesario que nunca en el mundo de hoy. "La voluntad de la humanidad no ha coincidido nunca con las colectividades actuales". Pero el verdadero desafio es no identificarse con nada de lo que uno haga, con nada externo a uno y con ninguna percepción ajena sobre quién es uno.
Tengo más para reflexionar, algunas conexiones con otros autores como Lao Tse o Proust, y más experiencias personales que resuenan con este libro, pero por el momento me parece suficiente.
Un libro que de haber leído hace algunos años me habría cambiado profundamente, pero que atesoro en el presente de igual forma. Quizás lo que presenta no me es tan disruptivo, porque es un trabajo interior que ya he conocido, gracias a mi guía, Eugenio. De hecho, él mismo me recomendó este libro hace años cuando lo necesité, y no lo leí.Y es que resueno mucho con él, con Sinclair, con ver más allá del niño bueno / niño malo, estar sobre esta falsa dicotomía, entender que lo único realmente bueno es ser honesto a la propia voluntad y no a destinos ajenos, sin hacer daño a los demás, ya que lo que vemos en un otro es realmente algo que vemos en nosotros mismos y sería una falta de tolerancia y amor hacia nosotros.
Para Sinclair es fácil desidentificarse de las colectividades decadentes del mundo, vengan de donde vengan: la iglesia, el estudiantado, el Estado, las agrupaciones, incluso la misma juventud. Y esto es más necesario que nunca en el mundo de hoy. "La voluntad de la humanidad no ha coincidido nunca con las colectividades actuales". Pero el verdadero desafio es no identificarse con nada de lo que uno haga, con nada externo a uno y con ninguna percepción ajena sobre quién es uno.
Tengo más para reflexionar, algunas conexiones con otros autores como Lao Tse o Proust, y más experiencias personales que resuenan con este libro, pero por el momento me parece suficiente.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes