Narcissus and Goldmund
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| Author | Hermann Hesse |
|---|---|
| Original title | Narziß und Goldmund |
| Translator | 1932 Geoffrey Dunlop; 1968 Ursule Molinaro |
| Country | Germany |
| Language | German |
| Genre | historical fiction, philosophical fiction |
| Publisher | Fischer Verlag |
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Publication date
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1930 |
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Published in English
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1932 (Dunlop translation as Death and the Lover); 1968 (Molinaro translation as Narcissus and Goldmund) |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 320 |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 51118419 |
| 833/.912 21 | |
| LC Class | PT2617.E85 N413 2003 |
| Preceded by | Steppenwolf |
| Followed by | Journey to the East |
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.
Narcissus and Goldmund is the story of a young man, Goldmund (pronounced [ˈɡɔlt.mʊnt]), who wanders aimlessly throughout Medieval Germany after leaving a Catholic monastery school in search of what could be described as "the meaning of life," or rather, the meaning of his life.
Narcissus (German: Narziß [ˈnaʁ.ʦɪs]), a gifted young teacher at the cloister school, quickly makes friends with Goldmund, as they are only a few years apart, and Goldmund is naturally bright. Goldmund looks up to Narcissus, and Narcissus has much fondness for him in return. After straying too far in the fields one day, on an errand gathering herbs, Goldmund comes across a beautiful Gypsy woman, who kisses him and invites him to make love. This encounter becomes his epiphany; he now knows he was never meant to be a monk. With Narcissus' help, he leaves the monastery and embarks on a wandering existence.
Goldmund finds he is very attractive to women, and has numerous love affairs. After seeing a particularly beautiful carved Madonna in a church, he feels his own artistic talent awakening and seeks out the master carver, with whom he studies for several years. However, in the end Goldmund refuses an offer of guild membership, preferring the freedom of the road. When the Black Death devastates the region, Goldmund encounters human existence at its ugliest. Finally he is reunited with his friend Narcissus, now an abbot, and the two reflect upon the different paths their lives have taken, contrasting the artist with the thinker.
The timeline and geography of the narrative is left somewhat vague, as the tale is largely metaphorical and makes little attempt at historical accuracy. For example, some of Narcissus and Goldmund's discussions of philosophy and science sound too modern to have taken place during medieval times.
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