Just finished this and feel kinda confused. What is Hesse trying

>>8764215
No idea haven't read it but it sounds like you have a valid thesis. Have more confidence in your deductive abilities.

>>8764223
Thanks for the complement, but I think anyone would get that from reading it. I feel like I'm missing more of his message

>>8764215
I don't think he was suggesting drug use. I don't really understand the book either, but I thought the Mozart, Goethe, "Greats", etc were the main characters idea of people who were really in touch with something real and were able to express it.

The entire time he desperately seeks their approval and I think to achieve their status. He fails in it, or at least believes he is failing at it, maybe by believing there is a way to fail it showed up as his execution in this strange world that is these representations of his mind.

I dunno, my two cents. Was a strange book, I liked it.

>>8765903
I'm about two thirds of the way through the book but my understanding of the "immortals" is that they completely gave themselves to being one way, or devoted towards one goal, rather than being mixed (man/wolf). They disregarded what normal people cared about in order to achieve greatness in whatever area they were practicing, such as composing or painting.

I interpreted it as Harry failing to understand how to become an Immortal but, importantly, realizing he has hope and should continue striving to join them rather than an hero. It seemed to me that Hesse was advocating searching for meaning in your life and holding out hope that you'll find it, while not nailing down exactly what you'll find or even what Harry found.
The Immortals found their own meaning with great success but probably in different ways. From what I remember it was implied that the Immortals all had to sacrifice themselves for their art, though, which is also touched upon by Hesse in Journey to the East.

>>8766364
Its kinda ironic the term immortal is used though since just like the jazz songs that Pablo mentions, eventually it will all drift away into obscurity. Once your work becomes obscure then you are no longer immortal and inevitably that will happen to almost anyone including Goethe I think. (Or maybe I'm just too much of a pleb to realize Goethe's greatness)

>>8764215
it was boring me so I dropped it. its not well known enough for me to make effort beyond usual

>>8767058
Why did you think it was boring?

>>8766410
Very idea of becoming immortal is ridiculous,
its a result of modernity thar man builds himself the tower of babel and goes towards his doom instead of being humble and satisfied with simple things

File: 1471111073305.jpg (758KB, 963x963px) Image search: [Google]

758KB, 963x963px

>>8767847
If you learned how to articulate that you might have something approaching a point, but we're discussing a book you haven't read, anon.

I think Hesse is very much informed by eastern thought, which is a necessary background to understanding the concept of the immortals. They are immortal not because they shed the duality of self by choosing either man or wolf, but because they embrace the infinite facets of the self. The protagonist is distressed because he attempts to reconcile man and wolf into one whole, but by dispelling the harmful notion of the singular and egoistic self, the timeless state of the immortals can be reached.