Narcissus and Goldmund (Peter Owen Modern Classic) [Paperback]

Hermann Hesse (Author), Graham Coxon (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2006 | Series: Peter Owen Modern Classic

Also published as Death and the Lover, this new edition features a foreword from the musician and artist Graham Coxon

 

Narcissus is a teacher at Mariabronn, a monastery in medieval Germany, and Goldmund his favorite pupil. While Narcissus remains detached from the world in prayer and meditation, Goldmund runs away from the monastery in pursuit of love. Thereafter he lives a picaresque wanderer’s life, his amatory adventures resulting in pain as well as ecstasy. His eventual reunion with Narcissus brings into focus the diversity between artist and thinker, Dionysian and Apollonian.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"What makes this short book so limitlessly vast is the body-and-soul-shaking debate that runs through it, which it has the honesty and courage not to resolve: between the flesh and spirit, art and scientific or religious speculation, action and contemplation, between the wayfaring and the sedentary in us.”  —New York Times Book Review

“One of the most profound and magical novels published in our age.”  —Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Hermann Hesse (1877–1962) was a poet, novelist, and painter whose best-known works include Siddhartha, Steppenwolf, and The Glass Bead Game, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Product Details

• Paperback: 254 pages
• Publisher: Peter Owen Publishers; New edition (July 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0720612918
• ISBN-13: 978-0720612912
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #493,263 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) was born in Germany and later became a citizen of Switzerland. As a Western man profoundly affected by the mysticism of Eastern thought, he wrote many novels, stories, and essays that bear a vital spiritual force that has captured the imagination and loyalty of many generations of readers. In 1946, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature for The Glass Bead Game.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable alternative translation of my favorite Hesse book, August 3, 2011

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David (MASON, OH, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Narziss and Goldmund (Paperback)

I have read most of the novels of Hesse, and Narcissis and Goldmund is my favorite, I had read the Molinaro translation 5-6 times and assumed it was an unquestionably good translation because of it's wide distribution and predominance in the English version. I have loved Narcissis and Goldmund, but have always noticed a certain tone in the dialogues that I considered somewhat condescending (though that may not quite be the right word.)

I read German, and recently began reading it in the native language (slowly, been a while since I used German) and found the tone of the writing was quite different than I experienced in the English reading.

I just found this translation by Geoffrey Dunlop (originally printed as Death and the Lover (transl. by Geoffrey Dunlop, 1932)). I am about half-way though the reading, and it has been a total joy, like reading it for the first time, and now the slightly annoying "tone" is not present it this translation. Curious, I went back and began a word-for-work comparison of the translations, and I find they are not even close enough to compare. The Molinaro actually follows the German text much more closely, Dunlop's approach is freer, he seems to read the passage (paragraphs) and then writes the equivalent in English as translations. It is much freer, he is not so constrainted to have a sentences match sentence per sentence, he even moves parts of a sentence to the next paragraph, but he organized the thought/descriptions in a much more convincing way.

It has been like hearing a famous symphony performed at a new tempo, or seeing art that has been restored.... I find it a much superior work when compared to the other translations... when it come to the impact and the self-consciousness of the writing style. I may read Molinaro's translation again, but this will be my favorite, and has deepened my love for this great masterpiece.

Why it has been so overlooked is a puzzlement to me. It at least equals Molinaro's and at least should be read as a complement.