Life lessons from The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse

[@mikebell0315]

This, from the novel: ' Only the weak are set out on paths without peril' has stayed with me for decades and often helped me grasp perspective and context.

[@deeptime5581]

One of the great influences of my life and one of the reasons I left academia. Knecht by the way means servant.

[@Knaeben]

I tried to read this about 10 years ago and only got about 1/4 the way through. Thank you for reminding me about it. I need to try and read it again.

[@d.c.monday4153]

A brilliant book - like all of his books. Loved Steppenwolf.

[@RobertFranklin-of3ow]

Among the greatest of novelist, the themes of his books are often repeated in different settings. Narziss and Goldmund and Siddartha are my personal favorites.😊

[@hoon_sol]

Hard to not see the similarities between Siddhartha leaving the palace and Knecht leaving the ivory towers of the intellectuals.

[@Kjt853]

I’ve loved Hesse for over 50 years. I reread him again and again. It’s amazing to see those themes not only repeat, but develop, when you read his works chronologically. My own personal favorites are Steppenwolf and The Glass Bead Game; among his early (pre-Demian) books, I have a great fondness for Roßhalde.

[@infinidimensionalinfinitie5021]

the internet is like the glass bead game; everyone puts in their submissions; everyone judges the submissions; day after day;

[@samsonsamsonov243]

So true

[@hanskostka6788]

very good summary - I appreciate - you could have mentioned the table of contents in the book, the introduction, Knecht's life, the poems and the three vitas - many readers find it difficult to read the long introduction and give up reading the book - they should start from the end - read first the vitas, read some peoms, then Knecht's life and then the introduction to read the book a second time, this time from the beginning !

[@garyspence2128]

I like your idea. I found those three short character studies at the end to be quite intriguing. Didn't fully understand all their nuances, but overall Glass Bead Game was outstanding. Seemed like a very modern novel, rather that something written four score years in the past.

[@johnnolan1824]

Yes-especially love that story about being sent to fetch a ladle of water for the master

[@alinaanto]

One of the best books ever!

[@LoveOneAnotherHeSaid]

A book many claim to have read, but have not.

[@TheCompleteGuitarist]

Ai Art, AI Voice, AI script all we need now are AI comments.

[@donjindra]

It's not a bad 3 minute summary, though.

[@Karen-ul9hd]

Comments seem very real, and helpful, and touching

[@islandsedition]

Just read Siddhartha by Hesse. It's 50 million times shorter and ultimately carries the same message and story.

[@garyspence2128]

Or read both! They are that good.

[@hoon_sol]

A much too reductive claim that misses out on a lot of differences; but of course there are some very obvious similarities between the two.

[@islandsedition]

@@hoon_sol perhaps, and whilst it is beautifully written, it effectively is a long form version of all the ideas put forth in Siddhartha. I don't recall (though it has been a while) there being anything that different or novel laid out in TGBG. Still a good read and definitely it a lesson in world building.

[@hoon_sol]

@@islandsedition: Repeating the same reductive claim doesn't make it less wrong.

[@islandsedition]

@@hoon_sol that's quite a prescriptive and subjective view you're holding on to there and not something I think Knecht would have thought subscribed to.

[@johnk1529]

He wanted to re-Knecht with nature and drowned in a mountain lake lol.

[@garyspence2128]

He had just found his version of nirvana. It made me sad as a reader, but he died a contented man. Great book!

[@GS-gq5is]

Knecht-dis-connects to achieve greater connection.

[@PaulEBoy-gz1rp]

The meaning I took from the book was that he veered from the path set out for him and the universe took him back to the source to be reincarnated.

[@jimig6442]

Would have been nice to get warned about the 'SPOILER '.. I'm began reading this last week..

[@Mr.S369]

Ironic that AI cannot recognize a silent "K".

[@rumfordc]

there is a real life glass bead game and it is called Go/Baduk/Weiqi

[@nvraman]

I bought the book, 3 years back on q referral, not yet opened.😢. I have about 50 books to read.

[@Stogdad1]

This book is the reason why I left the Jesuit order as a young man.

[@charlesstepp2083]

Left the Jesuit order because of a fantasy novel? 😅

[@Stogdad1]

@@charlesstepp2083 That's the persusive power of art!

[@rgTORO_grOSO]

​@charlesstepp2083 Spirituality and Self-improvement are fantasy to you, not me or many others. Its the message behind the fictional story duh lol

[@markwrede8878]

Hesse doesn't clarify the most important question for his future world: How assets are owned and managed. Apart from that, the synthesis of music, math, and intellect is ... music. Writing music is playing the Glass Bead Game.

[@zorkestar]

Figure out your own problems. Artistes want to save our souls through art. Don't let them. Most "Great Artists" are the most screwed up people you'd ever want to meet. Great art provides respite from this veil of tears.

[@dixonpinfold2582]

Came down here to make a -brilliant- weak pun on "Knecht." Beaten to it, ithough.😕Two others already made the, uh, nexus.

[@NolaCaffey]

It seems to me that the fallacy of hierarchy was a major theme in this work. Hesse's Knecht eventually realized that devotion to climbing any ladder detracts from presence on each step, the true tasks at hand. Knecht's death shortly after choosing to be whole was actually his triumph. He died whole. It is the opposite of tragedy.

[@vcab6875]

Germans are the greatest modern explorers of Consciousness and meaning of life.

[@OliverJunger]

This is AI generated and has errors in it.

[@mikehume]

For example, it states that another name for the game is Magister Ludi, which is actually a title for a master of the game.

[@SK-gc7xv]

this channel might be good if a real person narrated

[@LoveOneAnotherHeSaid]

You murder German surnames. It's not "Hessa" or "Ka-nect".