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Summary: A mystical journey
Review: "The Journey to the East," by Hermann Hesse, has been translated from German into English by Hilda Rosner. The book is narrated in the first person by a musician who, as a member of a secret society known as "the League," undertook a mystical journey. This book chronicles the narrator's quest to write the story of this pilgrimage."Journey" is a very "writerly" text; it's largely about the challenge of representing life experience as a written document. The book also deals with writing as both catharsis and as a burden, and with the larger issue of finding meaning in one's life. The book has touches of fantasy and offers intriguing glimpses at the inner workings of a secret society. Hesse's prose, as translated by Rosner, has an elegant simplicity and subtle power. Recommended as companion texts: "The Guys," by Anne Nelson (also about the catharsis and burden of writing); and "The Sun at Night," by Roger Williamson (also deals with a secret mystical society).
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Summary: 'Journey to the East 'or into Hesse's mind?
Review: 'The Journey to The East' by Hermann Hesse is one of various biblical references disguised in Indian mysticism, which can leave the reader a little confused. Nevertheless their are some statements, poetically written, which leave you pondering and questioning for your own interpretation. These are the true joys of the book. Without a doubt a book that needs a second read in order to understand for it appears to be written in a stream of consciousness at times, leaving us deserted with nothing to cling onto. I had to re-read a page to re-find my track.
Without a doubt DADA comes to mind with his thinking.....However DADA versus religion? If that's even possible?
Worth a read if your into the Fluxus or DADA movements, or have a spare two hours.
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Summary: Same theme as Demian But with less force.
Review: An excellent book, but the same idea is put forth in Hesse's "Demian" with much greater force.
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Summary: Enchanting
Review: Another beautiful book from Hermann Hesse, the experience of travelling, feeling and believing in what is out there, and accepting it with all its differences. The experience with Leo made it a great, unpredictable journey, and when he disappeared one day, everyone around him was affected and it resulted in the breakdown of what is called the "League". "Words do not express thoughts very well; everything immediately becomes a little different, a little distorted, a little foolish. And yet it also pleases me and seems right that what is of value and wisdom to one man seems nonsense to another". It is all about experiencing it all and allowing ourselves to do that...
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Summary: Spiritual Immaturity
Review: Enjoy one of Hesse's terse fables, a tale of spiritual expectation and immaturity. Personal failure gives way to blame rather than growth. A life gets ruined by resentment. The fable teaches obvious lessons about servant leadership and explores deeper themes of life in the face of dissapointment and the layers of initiation. As with much of Hesse's work, no simple explanation of this book will do it justice. Sometimes obtuse, sometimes obvious, its 117 pages speak of longing and frustration, and culminate in an ending Hollywood could never accept. Rather than image-building visual descriptions, Hesse evokes arcane shadows with vague references to the heroic and the mystical. Those who know of kunalini or Golden Dawn, may feel slightly more at home here than the complete neophyte, but this story is accessible to all. Five stars for a tour de force on longing, disappointment and resentment. Five stars for telling a story that flies below the ego's radar. Five stars for essential knowledge of the human condition and unveiling the naked emperor of so many modern spiritual fads. (If you'd like to dialogue further about this review, please click the "about me" link above to get my email address. Thanks!)
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Summary: pre-beat, pre-hippie mysticism
Review: Herman Hesse is one of those authors that hippies and beats always inevitable discover. He has a spiritual overtone to his writing that appeals to that mentality. "The Journey to the East" is no exception. It deals with an expedition that may be real or merely psychological. HH, the narrator joins the League and sets out on a journey to the East. I am not familiar with Hesse's life but I wonder if he was a freemason or a member of some other fraternal order like that. A lot of the mysteries and mysticism of the League seem to evoke imagery of freemasonry. But this tale of initiation is a good one. It does seem a little wishy washy at times and some of the 'morals' of the tale do seem to be cliché. It should be remembered, however, that this book preceded beats, hippies, political correctness and new age. Therefore we can not call it trite. It is the work of ensuing artists that is trite. Hesse wrote a pretty good book about a personal journey to spiritual enlightenment. This book should be read by people who find themselves seeking a similar voyage.
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Summary: A masterpice, a Very Must within your private collection!
Review: Hesse re-takes Dante's "Divine Comedy" and "La Vida es Sueño" of De La Barca. Journey to the East is a trip of rediscovery, a trip to our most inner "Lost Paradise". When we loose our compass and all navegation tools, we are in the vital need to re-connect with our most preaciated values, the values of good will; but that Journey to that "East" (an east which can be our main goal in life)can be somtaimes painful altough necessary. Once you open page one, be prepared, cause you will not stop reading this beautiful book...and in the end who knows, maybe you will phone/mail a good friend from your childhood...and the same book could be a grettings card. All Hesse's material is outstanding, but Journey to the East is compulsory, a must!
Brilliant, total, a little nirvana, brew some coffe or tea and dont waste time start reading this beauty!
Rating:
Summary: A masterpice, a Very Must within your private collection!
Review: Hesse re-takes Dante's "Divine Comedy" and "La Vida es Sueño" of De La Barca. Journey to the East is a trip of rediscovery, a trip to our most inner "Lost Paradise". When we loose our compass and all navegation tools, we are in the vital need to re-connect with our most preaciated values, the values of good will; but that Journey to that "East" (an east which can be our main goal in life)can be somtaimes painful altough necessary. Once you open page one, be prepared, cause you will not stop reading this beautiful book...and in the end who knows, maybe you will phone/mail a good friend from your childhood...and the same book could be a grettings card. All Hesse's material is outstanding, but Journey to the East is compulsory, a must!
Brilliant, total, a little nirvana, brew some coffe or tea and dont waste time start reading this beauty!
Rating:
Summary: Very Interesting Book
Review: I came to this book through Tom Wolfe, who quoted from it at length in his book, "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test". Wolfe drew many parallels between Ken Kesey leading his Merry Pranksters on great adventures throughout America and Hesse's fictional travels in Asia. In both situations the leadership principle was the same: so long as a charismatic individual is leading the travels the time spent together is seen as a wonderful crusade. When the charismatic individual leaves, the travelers begin to quarrel and the fun ends. Both books provide very interesting insights into human nature.
Rating:
Summary: what a great book.
Review: I first read this book on the bus to school yesterday morning. I read it again in chemistry. I read it again when I got home. I couldn't stop. Somehow, Hesse struck a chord in me and I just couldn't stop reading this mesemerizing book. I was simply, completely stunned. I watched as this man remembered into his youth and his journey to the east, his goals, his apparent failure and ultimate victory. I identified with him every step of the way. I cried so much, but the kind of joyous tears like when you realize you're not quite alone in the world. Journey to the East made me unimaginably tired. I wanted to just curl up and dream a million dreams in Hesse's simple, descriptive prose.
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