The Seasons of the Soul

The Poetic Guidance and Spiritual Wisdom of Hermann Hesse

By: Hermann Hesse

Narrated by: Ludwig Max Fischer, Andrew Harvey

Vowing at an early age "to be a poet or nothing at all", Hermann Hesse rebelled against formal education, focusing on a rigorous program of independent study that included literature, philosophy, art, and history. One result of these efforts was a series of novels that became counterculture bibles that remain widely influential today. Another was a body of evocative spiritual poetry. Published for the first time in English, these vivid, probing short works reflect deeply on the challenges of life and provide a spiritual solace that transcends specific denominational hymns, prayers, and rituals.

The Seasons of the Soul offers valuable guidance in poetic form for those longing for a more meaningful life, seeking a sense of homecoming in nature, in each stage of life, in a renewed relationship with the divine. Extensive quotations from his prose introduce each theme addressed in the book: love, imagination, nature, the divine, and the passage of time. A foreword by Andrew Harvey reintroduces us to a figure about whom some may have believed everything had already been said. Thoughtful commentary throughout from translator Ludwig Max Fischer helps readers understand the poems within the context of Hesse's life.

©2011 North Atlantic Books (P)2012 Ludwig Max Fischer

Words of a master...

Rich and profoundly human, these poems breathe a wisdom teeming with life and maturity. Highly recommended!

es un buen libro para entender al autor

la narración fue buena clara, con muy buen contenido con este libro se puede entender un poco mejor al autor

Best advise from the one and only, el maestro!

Beautiful work! One should have this book by our side in all our lifetime. Gracious, poetic, truthful, meaningful and frank words!

good Hesse background perspective

When I was in my early 20's 1970-1976, while attending the University of Iowa and spending three years in the US Army while also giving Transcendental Meditation a try I came across author Hermann Hesse. I was trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life while also trying to come to terms with my father's suicide. What is the meaning of life and how do I deal with it? Hesse seemed to strike a cord with me facing the future. I was especially drawn to 'Demian', 'Steppenwolf', and 'Siddharta'. I thought about Hesse's books over the years, not a lot but occasionally, and in the last couple of years I started revisiting Hesse via Audible.

This book is an easy listen, only 1 hour and 15 minutes. But it does give you a good background on Hesse's life, poems, and books. Hesse apparently considered himself first a poet. He put his thoughts into his books. Hesse's writings are about what he would call the journey to the self and that life is for living. Love is the most important thing in life and being of service to others is what really enriches one. And, we are all in this life together. He also admitted that he never really fully understood the meaning of life.

My next book is Siddharta again, after all these years. I thought this book might help me put some perspective on the book. We'll see.

A hidden Jem

Few authors achieve the combination of love and maturity as well as Hesse. Freud writes of the evolution of sexual feelings but they miss the intense poetry of this book. Although having reached the level of maturity necessary to fully realize this state of mind it helps.