Our top books

1. Narcissus aNd
GoldmuNd
Author: Herman
Hesse
Title: Narcissus and
Goldmund
Publication date:
1930
Original language:
German

2. PloT
The novel tells the story of the lives and friendship of Narcissus
and Goldmund. Narcissus is a young, well-educated and
contemplative monk in the convent of Mariabronn.
One day Goldmund arrives at the
convent. His father takes him here
because he doesn’t want for Goldmund
to become like his mother, a sinner. A
very deep bond develops between the
two of them. With the help of Narcissus,
Goldmund understands that he does not
have a religious vocation and he leaves
the convent after his meeting with the
young Lisa.

3. He becomes a vagabond and goes on a journey of adventure, joy
and suffering. In his journey, Goldmund also learns the horrors
of life: the plague and death (the novel is set in the middle ages),
cruelty, that lead him to kill the roadster who travelled with him,
after he tries to rob Goldmund.

4. He finds love in the figures of Lisa, a
gypsy, Lydia, the daughter of a
knight that hosted him in his castle,
his sister Julia, Lena, who died of
plague, and Agnese. But the most
important figure is the eternal
Mother, a mix of his mother and all
the girls he knew. She is the ideal
whom he tries to represent and
whom he reaches just before his
death. She is the symbol of love and
the realization of all his artistic
wishes. During his wanderings,
Goldmund discovers his nature with
the help of Nicola, a teacher
sculptor.

5. Tired to be a vagabond, he returns to the convent
after he has escaped death with the help of
Narcissus, who recognized him. Goldmund dies in
the arms of his friend Narcissus, after finally
recalling the image of the mother..

6. CHARACTERS
NARCISSUS
He is a monk of Mariabronn convent. He is a good and educated
boy so he becomes a teacher, althought he’s young. He has a real
religious vocation and he decides to devote his life to religion.
GOLDMUND
He is forced by his dad to start convent life. He is a curious and
young boy who wants to discover the world. He tries to
remember his mother’s face during all his adventures. He
becomes an artist at the end of his life.

7. COMMENT
This is a beautiful book because it tells about important
themes like friendship, love and religion.
It makes you think about the importance of life and about
what the real meaning of freedom is.
In fact the main concept is that freedom means looking for
one’s true essence and for what makes you feel happy and
calm.
Elisa Di Piazza
Daniele Orani
Sara Verrecchia
2B