A review by seventhswan
Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I expected this book to be a bit of a slog, given its age and the fact it's translated, but it was a wonderful experience from start to finish. Goldmund is a fantastic character and his adventures had everything I could possibly want from a work of historical fiction - religion, plague, fighting, romance, art and friendship. It had a lot in common with To Calais in Ordinary Time by James Meek, which is also one of my favourite books for similar reasons. As well as this, the writing itself felt very modern and fresh, and I would have assumed this was a fairly recent publication if I didn't know better.
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