Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse

About three years ago, not long after being treated for depression, I read Hermann Hesse's novel "Siddhartha", and it had a profound effect upon me. The events and philosophies detailed in the book gave me hope and encouragement, and reminded me that the world, and this life, were still beautiful and precious. Just recently I re-read "Siddhartha", as part of a tentative effort to once again "reboot" my life.

 

In brief, the novel follows the eponymous character on a journey of self-discovery and spiritual exploration. He craves enlightenment, but comes to recognise that this cannot be attained via the teachings of others. It has to come from within, and we must find our own path, our own truths, and that the voices come from within - the "bird in the breast".

 

It is not difficult to appreciate why "Siddhartha" so captured the imagination of counter-cultural circles on both sides of the Atlantic in the decades which followed World War Two. Its message of liberation from doctrine, tradition and hierarchy, of arriving "there" by ourselves, was warmly embraced by a ready audience.

 

The renunciation of material possessions was of course also a favoured theme of the Sixties, but Siddhartha's quest does not perhaps follow the totally ascetic and self-denying course which some might expect (and/or hope). It seems he took the view that one needs to be immersed in "real life" to see the emptiness of some parts of it. All part of the process of conquering the "self"?

 

It was noticeable how some aspects of the story assumed greater prominence for me just recently, and which did not loom as large when I first read "Siddhartha".  One is the implication that more knowledge or learning can be imparted in one kiss or physical embrace than by slavishly studying some exalted text or tome. Events in my own personal life since 2011 have made me more receptive and empathetic to such things.

 

Also, Hesse mentions that a "game" can only last so long before it becomes stale and repetitive. We must have a goal, a path, a greater aim. As in all things, we need a balance, between keeping grounded and striving for a higher fulfilment.. This is something that many people, myself included, often overlook to our detriment.

 

Siddhartha's dreams are occasionally enlisted to convey symbolism, often to signpost the next stage in his odyssey. As in many of his stories, Hesse's language is organic, vivid but economical, evoking the vitality and the essence of life. These ingredients all help to make his work so enchanting and inspiring.

 

As with the many Hesse works which draw inspiration from Eastern philosophies, the themes of renewal, rebirth, cycles, the transient nature of things, and the essential harmony or "one-ness" of life and nature feature prominently here, as does a simple but profound love of all things.

 

Towards the end, as Siddhartha renews acquaintance with the ferryman, the river is used as a metaphor for life, being, "the moment", one's path, destiny, however we choose to interpret them. The arrival of Siddhartha's son is symbolic; the father's search coming to an end, and the offspring beginning his.

 

Some other important nuggets which I drew concerned the nature of time, the removal of fear and the limitations of words in expressing and explaining truth and wisdom. In time, Siddhartha came to terms with ordinary people, their preoccupations and their loves. This for me was one of the most important sub-plots, and consistent with the "unexpected" character of the journey.

 

Interestingly, the "lesson" which resonated with me was - don't try too hard, or you may miss something which is right in front of you.  Instead, listen and be receptive....

 

"Siddhartha" did not have quite the same emotional impact on me this time around.  This is not surprising, since it was not new to me, and I am a different person now from the one who was engrossed by it three or four years ago. However, I still found it invigorating and instructive.  Recommended reading for anyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steppenwolf - Hermann Hesse

I am gradually working my way through some of Hermann Hesse's most celebrated works.  Having been inspired by Siddhartha, and immersed in The Glass Bead Game, I next turned my attention to Steppenwolf:

In fairness, Steppenwolf seems to have been subject to a myriad of interpretations down the years, and Hesse himself commented that the book had been very much misunderstood by many people. At the risk of being accused of misunderstanding the many messages myself, I have attempted to dissect some of the themes which are touched on or probed.

Through the main character, Harry Haller, the novel takes a look at to what degree some people have split personalities (in Haller's case between "man" and "wolf"), but also the notion that we have multi-layered personalities.

Within the context of all this, we also delve into the conflicts and tensions between individualism and bourgeois existence, and see how a solitary and single-minded approach to life and culture can often become a blind alley, where resentment and bitterness might fester and thrive.

As Haller continues on his journey, he meets people who introduce him to frivolity and decadence. Touching on the issue of multi-layered personalities once more, it is hinted that we should value some levity as an emollient. Alien worlds are much more welcoming and accommodating than we might have imagined. Other people are fascinated by the strengths of the loner or the thinker, and they themselves may yearn to fill in some of the gaps in their own development.  There is no shame in these "compromises", as greater rewards may lie ahead...

One strand which I picked up, rightly or wrongly, during the period when Haller links up with Hermine and the saxophonist Pablo, is an assertion that the sensual, and the pleasures of the flesh, are just as worthy and valid as the intellectual.  Sensuality is a form of an expression, and a mode of living, just as "conventional" culture is.

This part of the novel was the most fascinating for me, as it began to steer the story discernibly in the direction of transcendence, a much favoured subject of Hesse.  The question began to form in my mind - "well, we've learned to welcome more joviality and hedonism into our lives, but where does this take us?".  There is a recognition that even those individuals who cultivate advanced tastes for both the individual and the sensual will be little appreciated, and that shallowness and mediocrity will still hold sway.  But will there still be some form of escape, or release, for the inquisitive and the curious?

Grandiose though the ending of Steppenwolf is, many matters are left wholly or partly unresolved for me.  There are references to immortality and eternity, and the almost obligatory allusion to a return to a child-like state, which is presumably in part what endeared this work to the post World War 2 "counterculture".

During the Masked Ball scene, intoxication appears to be put forward as a kind of release from the constant striving, suffering, indiscretions and effort of life, but even this is not sufficient for Harry Haller.

The subsequent hallucinatory scenes offer additional clues, and build on the premise of a multi-layered human being. The killing of Hermine by Haller (the Steppenwolf) provides persuasive hints that the animalistic side of him was still lurking, the irony being that she prevailed upon him to end her life in exchange for tutoring him in the ways of her social milieu.

So is life for most of us a never-ending struggle, characterised by our constant shuffling of the various pieces of our multi-faceted personality, and not finalised by even death itself?

Another thought which increasingly weighed on my mind as I progressed through Steppenwolf  was that rather than simply taking life too seriously, some of us fail to take some aspects of life, and our "souls", seriously enough. A balancing is desirable.

Even allowing for the outwardly downbeat ending, some optimistic notes are still struck towards the end of the story. We all have it within our power to change, but our "souls" need to be unlocked, and this may entail the assistance of others.

Not as linear as Siddhartha, or as enriching as The Glass Bead Game, Steppenwolf is nevertheless a work which will continue to provoke much thought and reflection among many people.

The Glass Bead Game - Hermann Hesse

Very recently, I finished reading this remarkable book, considered one of the landmarks in 20th century European literature. It was tough going at times, but rewarding, and these are my immediate thoughts and observations.

Like much of Hesse's work, The Glass Bead Game deals with issues of spiritual exploration and identity. However, it also examines man's relationship with his intellect and how he employs and applies it, and also questions of isolation and alienation. There is little doubt also that the political climate in Europe at the time of its conception, and Hesse's reaction to it, also influenced the work.

Upon finishing the book, my reaction was that I would need to read it again, more than once, in order to fully absorb the messages, metaphors and allusions contained in its pages. The events portrayed could be subjected to myriad interpretations, and I was conscious whilst reading not to derive from it an interpretation which the author perhaps did not intend. A fully coherent and considered understanding of the book is probably not feasible after just one read.

For what it's worth, my impression was that in addition to simply relating a compelling and enjoyable tale, Hesse was posing questions about the acquisition of knowledge purely for its own sake, and to what extent there is a responsibility to share such knowledge with "the real world" for the common good, and for benign motives.

Another strand which I picked up on was the tension between the "aristocracy" of academia, and the more mundane concerns of mainstream society, and to what degree these two factions, and their requirements, could be reconciled.

These questions, and others, formed the backdrop for the journey of the central character Joseph Knecht, and his various changes and "awakenings".  The author's interest in Eastern philosophies, in transcendence, meditation and "rebirth" are a constant throughout these episodes, as well as in the chapters listed as Knecht's own writings.

I would have to say that The Glass Bead Game is denser and more multi-faceted than one of Hesse's other works, Siddhartha, which I enjoyed immensely, but which is also much more straighforward in many respects.

The fact that The Glass Bead Game was Hesse's final full-length novel also I think lends weight to the notion that in it he was pulling together all of the strands contained in his other works, and making the statement he had always been striving for.

When I have read the book again, I will post my further comments.....

Hermann Hesse / Today's Football

Yesterday, I finally got around to reading one of Hermann Hesse's novels, the wonderful "Siddhartha", and my enjoyment of the book is tempered with regret that it has taken this long.

Oddly enough, I first really heard about Hesse through an unlikely source. Brian May of the rock band Queen, of whom I am a major admirer, used to name-check the author in interviews, and I often saw his works in my local library, but never got around to reading them, perhaps fearing that the subject matter would outstrip the capacity of my youthful mind.

In recent months, I have become more interested in Eastern philosophies, and my research led me to discover that Hesse himself was strongly influenced by these teachings. I have therefore purchased three of his novels, the aforementioned "Siddhartha", and also "Steppenwolf" and "The Glass Bead Game".

I can heartily recommend "Siddhartha", examining as it does a man's spiritual journey of discovery. Although the novel is relatively brief, it says much more than most much weightier tomes could ever do.

Once I have completed them, I will post my thoughts on the other two Hesse novels.

Just a quick note about today's football.  A plethora of goals in the Premier League, although many of these appear to have been the result of deficient defending rather than inspired attacking play.

The two most notable results occurred at St. James' Park, where Newcastle United recovered from a 0-4 half-time deficit to salvage a draw against ten-man Arsenal, and at Molineux, where Wolves overcame Manchester United 2-1.

On a slightly more personal note, well done to the mighty Leeds United, whose 1-0 home victory over Coventry City maintains their place in the Championship play-off places.