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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
emotional
informative
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
slow-paced
I really enjoyed a decent amount of it, probably about 4 stars worth, but there was absolutely no way in hell this book needed to drag on this long. Just, why? How interesting could a dude who sits in an intellectual monastic order playing a game somewhere between trivia and chess actually be? For all the superlatives given him, Knecht is mostly pretty boring, and really, REALLY not worth this many pages of fictional biography. I still struggle to figure out how Hesse even filled this many pages? When I think back on what happened, I can't figure out what all that space was even used for.
Not a terrible book, but I was ready for it to make a graceful end and exit about halfway through. No idea why it didn't, other than Hesse liking the sound of his own voice, so to speak. And to have a ton of material after the character's death feels like flogging an already half-decomposed corpse. I do NOT care about his poetry unless it was relevant *during* the story. I don't care about his infantile ideas of other lives he could have lived - they could have easily been summarized to get the point across, rather than torturing an already exhausted reader with of this guy's sheltered life and ideas.
Not a terrible book, but I was ready for it to make a graceful end and exit about halfway through. No idea why it didn't, other than Hesse liking the sound of his own voice, so to speak. And to have a ton of material after the character's death feels like flogging an already half-decomposed corpse. I do NOT care about his poetry unless it was relevant *during* the story. I don't care about his infantile ideas of other lives he could have lived - they could have easily been summarized to get the point across, rather than torturing an already exhausted reader with of this guy's sheltered life and ideas.
challenging
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Honestly this book is too dense and challenging for me to read atm whilst still studying full time
Hope to revisit it later in life ! 😅 just don’t have the time or brain power rn
Hope to revisit it later in life ! 😅 just don’t have the time or brain power rn
"The Glass Bead Game" is an engrossing but occasionally unfocused work, a fictional biography from the future. Its subject is Joseph Knecht, the Magister Ludi of the Glass Bead Game, a scholarly/aesthetic puzzle "played" (where playing is understood as constructing elaborate theses) by linking apparently disparate subjects. Hesse's prose is exquisite, and the story is deeply compelling in a strange, circular, quasi-religious way (Hesse's fascination with Asian mysticism is clearly evident, both overtly in his "history" of ideological development and more subtly to scholars of the subject, particularly Buddhism). Knecht is a compelling protagonist, and the other chief characters (though few in number) are depicted with a warmth and vitality that is a delight to read.
The main problem with the book is its format. Hesse is deeply faithful to his mock-biographical format, and the end of the narrative of Knecht's life is (for me, at least) deeply unsatisfying. This is actually made worse by the fact that appended to the end of the narrative are Knecht's "posthumous writings" which, if anything, are more elliptical and obscure than the rest of the book. It is also worth noting that Hesse, as a mid-20th century white male, is a dishearteningly non-diverse writer. All the characters are apparently assumed to be white, and I believe there is exactly one (tertiary) female character. (It is striking that for an "enlightened" society, even in the 1930's, Knecht's scholarly organization admits exclusively men.)
Aside from these organizational and ideological issues, it is a book I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys pseudo-mystical and speculative fiction. A sci-fi hagiography, if you will.
The main problem with the book is its format. Hesse is deeply faithful to his mock-biographical format, and the end of the narrative of Knecht's life is (for me, at least) deeply unsatisfying. This is actually made worse by the fact that appended to the end of the narrative are Knecht's "posthumous writings" which, if anything, are more elliptical and obscure than the rest of the book. It is also worth noting that Hesse, as a mid-20th century white male, is a dishearteningly non-diverse writer. All the characters are apparently assumed to be white, and I believe there is exactly one (tertiary) female character. (It is striking that for an "enlightened" society, even in the 1930's, Knecht's scholarly organization admits exclusively men.)
Aside from these organizational and ideological issues, it is a book I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys pseudo-mystical and speculative fiction. A sci-fi hagiography, if you will.
It's a bit long. Maybe a bit longer than it needs to be. But I really enjoyed it! It made me realize how nerdy I am. A school doesn't need to be magical like Hogwarts in order to appeal to me. Of course, I couldn't have gotten into a Castalian school due to my gender. But anyway, I did love going on this vicarious adventure with Joseph.
At first, Joseph's excitement to go to Castalia is utterly contagious. He is a nerd too, excited to learn and become a member of this exclusive intellectual elite. Then came waves of doubt. Will this really be the best life for Joseph? Is life in Castalia really superior to life out "in the world?"
The arguments against Castalia had some persuasive points. For example, Castalians live on the government's dime, which makes some people see them as a burden to society. Especially when Castalians spend their lives researching topics that don't really matter. These studies often don't seem to contribute to society at all.
There's really a lack of purpose for much of Castalian life. I found it really surprising and sad that they are discouraged from expressing creativity outside the glass bead game. It's odd that they deeply study and revere the arts, yet don't make any art themselves. They don't write creatively or paint or make original music.
These drawbacks to Castalian life made me relate heavily to Joseph's internal struggle. Part of him feels drawn to the outside world, where he feels his life could be more purposeful and free. Yet, the Order offers a life of relative carefree stability, where he can devote his life to his beloved glass bead game.
There is foreshadowing throughout the book, but it didn't spoil the journey for me at all. It felt like a heartwarming, thought-provoking journey.
At first, Joseph's excitement to go to Castalia is utterly contagious. He is a nerd too, excited to learn and become a member of this exclusive intellectual elite. Then came waves of doubt. Will this really be the best life for Joseph? Is life in Castalia really superior to life out "in the world?"
The arguments against Castalia had some persuasive points. For example, Castalians live on the government's dime, which makes some people see them as a burden to society. Especially when Castalians spend their lives researching topics that don't really matter. These studies often don't seem to contribute to society at all.
There's really a lack of purpose for much of Castalian life. I found it really surprising and sad that they are discouraged from expressing creativity outside the glass bead game. It's odd that they deeply study and revere the arts, yet don't make any art themselves. They don't write creatively or paint or make original music.
These drawbacks to Castalian life made me relate heavily to Joseph's internal struggle. Part of him feels drawn to the outside world, where he feels his life could be more purposeful and free. Yet, the Order offers a life of relative carefree stability, where he can devote his life to his beloved glass bead game.
There is foreshadowing throughout the book, but it didn't spoil the journey for me at all. It felt like a heartwarming, thought-provoking journey.