In the remote Kingdom of Castalia, the scholars of the Twenty Third century play the Glass Bead Game. The elaborately coded game is a fusion of all human knowledge - of maths, music, philosophy, science, and art. Intrigued as a school boy, Joseph Knecht becomes consumed with mastering the game as an adult. As Knecht fulfils his life-long quest he must contend with unexpected dilemmas and the longing for a life beyond the ivory tower.

Hermann Hesse's magnum opus and a twentieth-century classic

About the Author
Hermann Hesse was born in Calw, Wurttemburg in 1877. In 1919, as a protest against German militarism in the First World War, Hesse moved to Switzerland where he lived in self-imposed exile until his death at the age of eighty-five in 1962. His major works include Steppenwolf, Siddharta and Narcissus and Goldmund. Hesse worked on his magnum opus, The Glass Bead Game, for twelve years. This novel was specifically cited when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946. Hesse died in 1962.

Reviews
One of the truly important books of the century, in any language * The Times *
Sublime -- Thomas Mann
A massive novel set out to explore the positive side of human nature, the fullness of man's capacity as a thinker and as a prober into scared mysteries...Touching and impressive * Observer *



Book Information
ISBN 9780099283621
Author Hermann Hesse
Format Paperback
Page Count 544
Imprint Vintage Classics
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Weight(grams) 373g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 32mm