So many thoughts are hurling up in my mind but channeling them towards the line of this Blog , I will talk about the book in my hand and my thoughts as they run while reading it.
Presently , I am reading Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse. New York review had said that its his greatest work. But I wont agree to it until I have read all works written by him , because I believe even a line written by an author in leisure can be great than his greatest of novels. Well , Hesse disturbs me. When I am with him , I am aware of a mirror that shows you your contradictory self. The dichotomy within you is unleashed.
Narcissus is mind : disciplined, logical and therefore dry. Goldmund is heart : passionate, imaginative and therefore beautiful but dangerous. Narcissus believes that a particular road is destined for you to explore your gifts and whatever it is, you must accept and find your way. He helps Goldmund to recognize his exclusive way and himself retires for the cloister life. Goldmund, who for long had been cherishing the life of mind suddenly finds himself out in the world discovering women and love.
I have myself many times experienced this dichotomy within. I have been Narcissus sometimes, unconsciously punishing my soul for some inherent guilt and sometimes I had been too passionate like Goldmund to learn all that is wonderful in the world. Lately , I have been contemplating about the ways of self-destruction and if what seems self-destruction is really something destructive or there can be more beneath it. And this is closely related to my vision of Black Moon.
I am curious to know where Goldmund's path leads him to. And what happens to Narcissus. I will quote some lines from the text which even I had contemplated many times :
Yes, life itself bore something of guilt within it - why else had a man so pure and aware as Narcissus subjected himself to penance like a condemned felon? And why did he himself feel this guilt somewhere deep inside him?
There are many paragraphs and lines which you feel you have thought it yourself before and perhaps this and not so much else that prompts you to read on , that makes a work so familiar and you cant help picking up works by such an author.
Narcissus is mind : disciplined, logical and therefore dry. Goldmund is heart : passionate, imaginative and therefore beautiful but dangerous. Narcissus believes that a particular road is destined for you to explore your gifts and whatever it is, you must accept and find your way. He helps Goldmund to recognize his exclusive way and himself retires for the cloister life. Goldmund, who for long had been cherishing the life of mind suddenly finds himself out in the world discovering women and love.
I have myself many times experienced this dichotomy within. I have been Narcissus sometimes, unconsciously punishing my soul for some inherent guilt and sometimes I had been too passionate like Goldmund to learn all that is wonderful in the world. Lately , I have been contemplating about the ways of self-destruction and if what seems self-destruction is really something destructive or there can be more beneath it. And this is closely related to my vision of Black Moon.
I am curious to know where Goldmund's path leads him to. And what happens to Narcissus. I will quote some lines from the text which even I had contemplated many times :
Yes, life itself bore something of guilt within it - why else had a man so pure and aware as Narcissus subjected himself to penance like a condemned felon? And why did he himself feel this guilt somewhere deep inside him?
There are many paragraphs and lines which you feel you have thought it yourself before and perhaps this and not so much else that prompts you to read on , that makes a work so familiar and you cant help picking up works by such an author.
No comments:
Post a Comment