A review by cowboy_rat
Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

It is a very well written and interesting novel that presents a lot of interesting philosophical ideas. It is also extremely fucking sexist. Hesse we all know that no woman has ever wanted to have sex with you ever but you do Not need to write a self insert. I'm not joking Goldmund is a self insert. He is troubled young man who finds himself as an artist but sleeps with soooo many women because he's just so hot and irresistible that 16 year old girls want his dick so bad and can't stop salivating over him because he's just that charming and good at sex. he doesn't sleep with a 16 year old though. The entire idea of a universal mother just serves to objectify women more than the plot already does. Women are not their own people in this book. They merely serve to help a man find himself through the universal mother. Freud would have a field day with this because Goldmund kind of wants to have sex with his dead mom. Other than that it's a good novel. I just hate Goldmund. I like Narcissus though. Probably because when he's in the story there are no women to be objectified.