Narcissus and Goldmund

English language

Published July 15, 1971

ISBN:
978-0-553-27586-5
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4 stars (29 reviews)

Narcissus and Goldmund (German: Narziß und Goldmund; also published as Death and the Lover) is a novel written by the German–Swiss author Hermann Hesse which was first published in 1930. At its publication, Narcissus and Goldmund was considered Hesse's literary triumph; chronologically, it follows Steppenwolf.

5 editions

reviewed Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse

Review of 'Narcissus and Goldmund' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Freud would have had a field day with this one…

‘All existence seemed to be based on duality, on contrast.’

I was initially sucked into this because of the contrast between Narcissus, the stereotypical intellectual and Goldmund, the lover (or artist)—but it was so much more than just this!

Narcissus becomes to Goldmund what the iron rod was to Phineas Gage. He breaks in Goldmund to rid him of his Father’s influence and allows him to welcome in memories of his mother—a rouge woman of sorts, which his father spent years keeping away from his son’s mind. Embracing his mother’s spirit, he succumbs to his desires and begins life as a wanderer. Instead of learning the world through scripture and asceticism, he chooses to give his senses authority to lead him. Place to place he wanders, jumping from this women to another with (ironically) no attachment to anything worldly. But …

Review of 'Narcissus and Goldmund' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

This is a beautifully written book. It is posed as a dialectic of sorts between two friends. Narcissus - Masculinity, Order, Rationality, Philosophy, and Goldmund - Femininity, Chaos, Passion, Art.
Throughout the story, we are mostly with Goldmund. We see how his lack of will to keep his impulses in check lead to suffering. We see how his lack of structure leads him to nihilism and hedonism. We also see him find meaning in art and beauty, and then lose it. We see Goldmund struggle. We do not see much of Narcissus at all, which is one of the reasons why I believe this text does not work as a dialectic as well as it should.
Another reason why this book did not work for me is its synthesis, its reconciliation of the two worlds.
Narcissus to Goldmund: "Yes, certainly one can think without imagining anything! Thinking and imagining have …

Review of 'Narcissus and Goldmund' on 'GoodReads'

5 stars

Hesse, phenomenal as always. This story, set in medieval Germany, tells of Narcissus (the thinker) and Goldmund (the artist) and tells an allegorical tale of what Hesse presents as a dichotomy between these schools of thought through the behaviours of both characters. This novel is playful and striking.

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