What book are you currently reading?

[kristina]

"The Glass Bead Game" by Herman Hess

I have been wondering about the “Glass Bead Game”,
because it seems so very untypical.
Hermann Hesse's other books (Siddhartha, Steppenwolf etc) indicate a
search to “find a place in the world”,
a“search to find understanding & contentment” etc,
but the “Glass Bead Game” appears,
as if it was written by someone else:
The writer of the “Glass Bead Game” seems to welcome “elitism”.
This I find difficult to understand,
because Hermann Hesse apppears to have been
fighting against this “elitism” all his life...
What do you think?

[fc2821]

"The Glass Bead Game" by Herman Hess

I have been wondering about the “Glass Bead Game”,
because it seems so very untypical.
Hermann Hesse's other books (Siddhartha, Steppenwolf etc) indicate a
search to “find a place in the world”,
a“search to find understanding & contentment” etc,
but the “Glass Bead Game” appears,
as if it was written by someone else:
The writer of the “Glass Bead Game” seems to welcome “elitism”.
This I find difficult to understand,
because Hermann Hesse apppears to have been
fighting against this “elitism” all his life...
What do you think?

  It is not what one would expect of Herman Hess on the surface. Yet, Hess uses the eleite society to show that devotion to study is not in and of itself  a way to understanding the meaning of life.   In this regard it remains true to Hess.

[willowtreewren]

I'm reading Blink, by Malcolm Gladdwell. It is about how we make snap judgments based on what we already know. 

[fc2821]

One final thing about the Glass Bead Game or  Das Glasperlenspiel. The orginal title on german.  Lesen Sie es auf Deutsch in der Schule. Wie alle Hess arbeitet, fügt er mit der Suche nach Erleuchtung. (orginally read it in german in college.  Like all Hess works, it deals with finding enlightenment.)

[kristina]

I think that in all his earlier books (especially in Siddhartha and Steppenwolf)
Hesse explains a philosophical thought:
that we are all equal,
despite our different background, different individual thoughts, different talents etc.

But in the "Glass Bead Game" an isolated intellectual "Elite" seem to set themselves
above the rest of the world & I feel Hesse's welcoming attitude toward this "Elitism"
contradicts all his earlier thoughts and works.

[fc2821]

 

I think that in all his earlier books (especially in Siddhartha and Steppenwolf)
Hesse explains a philosophical thought:
that we are all equal,
despite our different background, different individual thoughts, different talents etc.

But in the "Glass Bead Game" an isolated intellectual "Elite" seem to set themselves
above the rest of the world & I feel Hesse's welcoming attitude toward this "Elitism"
contradicts all his earlier thoughts and works.

To me, Hess is saying the elite, though they think they are sayting to other "Hey we are superior because we know something you don't", don't.   

[kristina]

Sorry, I did not want to upset you,
I  always hoped I would one day communicate with someone about Hesse,
so I might solve the puzzle:
if books like “Siddhartha” and “Steppenwolf” were written by Hesse,
& also the “Glass Pearl Game” is supposed to be written by Hesse
... but I am not convinced....
...because when I read it, it sounded to me as if it was written by someone like Hess...

[kitkatz]

The Law of Nines by Terry Goodkind

The Loch by Steve Alten

[fc2821]

Sorry, I did not want to upset you,
I  always hoped I would one day communicate with someone about Hesse,
so I might solve the puzzle:
if books like “Siddhartha” and “Steppenwolf” were written by Hesse,
& also the “Glass Pearl Game” is supposed to be written by Hesse
... but I am not convinced....
...because when I read it, it sounded to me as if it was written by someone like Hess...

    You didn't upset me.  You raise a very valid point. 

[kristina]

Thank you for your kind words, fc2821.

As I've grown older I have become more keenly aware
of anomalies in several authors works.
I feel these anomalies need an explanation
and I cannot find an explanation
but my senses and my instinct strongly tell me
there is something that is not quite right...

[Chris]

I started reading Craig Ferguson's American On Purpose. It has some funny stories so far, but only have read one chapter. Wish I had it in large print.

[thegrammalady]

i just finished "the memory keeper's daughter" by kim edwards. very interesting.

[Ladystardust24]

Right now I am reading The almost moon By Alice Sebold, my favorite author! amazing so far.. but I didn't expect any less.

And I would suggest anyone and everyone to read "A thousand splendid suns" amazing amazing book, forget the Twilight bullshit, this is raw, tragedy,power,passion,human connections, and most of all. love. true passionate never forgotten love. MUST READ.

[kitkatz]

Blasphemy by Douglas Preston

[fc2821]

"This Is It"  by Alan Watts.

[willowtreewren]

I'm working on 4 right now:

*Blink* by Malcolm Gladwell
*The Brain that Changed Itself* by Norman Doidge
*Montessori Madness* by Trevor Eislor

and in the fiction category

*The Burglar who Studied Spinoza* by Lawrence Block (Thank you to my Secret Santa, Kitkatz)

[jbeany]

The English Patient.  Odd, but good.

[Chris]

For Christmas, I got 2 books and ordered another one since it was so much cheaper post Christmas. I haven't restarted reading Craig Furgusons book, but switched to a classic book. For Christmas I recieved a H.G. Wells compilation of 4 stories that I have only seen the movies for and never read. The book includes The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, The Island of Dr. Moreau, and War of The Worlds. Just wish I had these books in larger print!

[cariad]

I'm reading Buried Child, the Sam Shepard play. I read it in school, but obviously not very well, because I don't remember any of it.

[YLGuy]

I am reading Genesis of the Artificial Kidney by Patrick T. McBride.  It is very interesting.  I read it during dialysis but the techs keep borrowing it to show each other. 

This is the book that Nurse Wratchet included with my SS gift to pass on to other IHD members when I was done with it.

[Falkenbach]

The Ice Man - can't recall the author's name. It's about serial killer/mafia contract killer Richard Kuklinski. Nasty!!

[jbeany]

I just dropped off "Can't Wait to Get to Heaven" by Fannie Flagg for my Gram to read.  It's fabulous and funny!

[mcjane]

Last Words......George Carlin

[boogreenwood]

Just finished Under the Dome by Stephen King-Great Book-got it for $9 at Amazon. I have looked at the Robert Jordan books but don't know where to start, there are so many of them, does anyone have a suggestion?

[monrein]

The Giver by Lois Lowry.   This was a recommendation by my 11 year old niece and I'm really enjoying it.