The Glass Bead Game Summary
Hermann Hesse

Biography EssayOnly a few German writers of the twentieth century have enjoyed worldwide acclaim. Undisputably numbered among these are Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka, Bertolt Brecht, and Hermann Hesse. Hes... Read more

Hermann Hesse, the most widely translated German author of the twentieth century, authored what he liked to call "biographies of the soul." Though many of his best-known works were novels, they were l... Read more

Critical Essay by Sidney M. Johnson There is … one aspect of Glasperlenspiel which merits more than the rather cursory treatment it has received and which may contribute to a fuller appreciati... Read more

In the following essay, Gotz explores the similarities between Das Glasperlenspiel and Plato's ideas, especially the Republic. Like all Western literature, Das Glasperlenspiel is in a sense ... Read more

In the following essay, Durrani examines the fictional province of Castalia, which functions as the setting of Das Glasperlenspiel. Even the most vociferous admirers of Hesse's last novel, D... Read more

In the following essay, Fickert discusses the central role of the glass bead game to Das Glasperlenspiel. The fantasy underlying Hermann Hesse's futuristic novel Das Glasperlenspiel is rathe... Read more

In the following essay, Krapp discusses the influence of Hegaelian ideas in most of Hesse's works, specifically in The Glass Bead Game. It is a commonplace in criticism of Hermann Hesse�... Read more