The Glass Bead Game

By: Hermann Hesse

Narrated by: David Colacci

Set in the 23rd century, The Glass Bead Game is the story of Joseph Knecht, who has been raised in Castalia, which has provided for the intellectual elite to grow and flourish.

Since childhood, Knecht has been consumed with mastering the Glass Bead Game, which requires a synthesis of aesthetics and scientific arts, such as mathematics, music, logic, and philosophy, which he achieves in adulthood, becoming a Magister Ludi (Master of the Game).

©1990 Hermann Hesse (P)2008 BBC Audiobooks America

Brilliant

What did you love best about The Glass Bead Game?

The elusiveness of comprehension. The moment one thought one understood the Glass Bead Game another perspective was thrown in. Is it a game or an allegory regarding our pedestrian life?

What did you like best about this story?

The use of language is like a beautiful song. The setting - Castalia a utopia for the intellectually gifted. The allusion to homosexuality. For instance, the desirability that some of the boys/men had to knecht and Knecht's strong attractions to some of his acquaintances all presented as asexual encounters.

Have you listened to any of David Colacci’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I have not, but would like to. I love his voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I listened several chapters at a time.

Any additional comments?

Very well done.

fabulous!

another amazing book by Hesse. It took more than half the book before I was really into but he nails it by the end.

Long and boring

I appreciate what was trying to be conveyed, and maybe over time this story will resonate with me and I'll have to come back and rate it higher. If I couldn't have listened to it at 1.5 or 2x speed, I don't think I would have gotten through it.

Written beautifully but deceptive

This book was chosen in my book club as a difficult piece of literature to read, and it certainly was that. Reading in the historical context of the time written helped to add depth as well as understanding the philosophical bent of the author but still hard to digest. Enjoy the reading brought to life nicely by a combination of the oral presentation and the foreword.

A complicated book to over simplify life

My humble opinion regarding the situations depicted in this book is: Life is actually complicated