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What Hacker News says
- Yes I came here to post this one as well, together with Narziss and Goldmund and Steppenwolf - I read all of them in a pretty short period. There is a sort of common theme where Hesse explores the trade-offs between a life of thinking vs a life of feeling (most obviously in Narziss and Goldmund) which at that time meant a lot to me. I can't think of another author whose work resonated in the same way, though I'm not sure I would have the same experience rereading the books now.
- In my late teenage years, I was fond of Hesse's novels. Demian was interesting enough to get me started. Narziss und Goldmund was by far my favorite. Siddhartha was also a good read, but at this point it was getting repetitive with its other works, and I didn't share the author's fascination for Indian religion and philosophy. Der Steppenwolf was a disappointment.
A few years later, a friend lent me Das Glasperlenspiel (The Glass Bead Game). I was deeply surprised, because it was so different from his previous works. It's a dystopia, but the focus is elsewhere. The book is much less romantic than usual, more subtle and intriguing. Twenty years later , I remember it fondly, and I can't think of any similar book. If you like Hesse, you really should try his last novel.
- Most books by Hermann Hesse, really... Narziss&Goldmund changed my perspective on life. If you have anything artistic in you, it's a must-read. Steppenwolf, Siddharta and the Glass Bead Game are other must-reads.
Gabriel Garcia Marques, One hundred years of solitude.
Practically all of Jorge Luis Borges' short stories. Mind-bending.
Milan Kundera's Unbearable Lightness of Being.
Michael Ende's Never Ending Story.
Enjoy!
- Make sure you take a peep at Hesse too. Narziss and Goldmund is a must-read - the kind of book that changes your perspective on life. He's Thomas Mann's intellectual equal, I would say.
As for Joseph, a word of encouragement: the further you get into it, the more the story starts to come together and pick up pace. The first 300 pages or so, it feels like you're reading random shreds of a story... but keep faith, it's all packed with mental wealth and well worth it!
- How about some real books?
- Narziss & Goldmund, by Herman Hesse
- One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marques
- Crime and Punishment, by Dostoievsky
- The Trial, by Kafka
- L'étranger, by Albert Camus
If you want to build your character, read the real stuff: fiction.
- EDIT3: If we're going to go with fiction, this looks like a good list to pick from:
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/6.Best_Books_of_the_20th_...
Personally, I've read almost none of these!
1) How can you have read none of these? Get started already! And don't wait for others to tell you which books to read!
2) That list is very suspect... I don't know how they compiled it, but it's a bit strange that it does contain some good books but then simultaneously allocates several positions to enjoyable but trashy books such as Harry Potter. Also gives several position to LotR (one is warranted, no more!), including one for the Silmarillion (wtf? I enjoyed it, but "best book of the 20th century"? no way!) Memoirs of a Geisha is also nice but hardly a thought leader. And it seems to be completely missing immortal masterpieces such as Narziss & Goldmund (Herman Hesse), Joseph and his Brothers (Thomas Mann), The Trial (Kafka), and many others.
An "OK" starting point, but not even the shadow of a definitive list.
