Narcissus and Goldmund is not merely a fiction. Its a story in the form of dialectics with finest philosophies between two different personalities. Narcissus, a monk, a saintly person satisfied with the ascetic knowledge of pure form, and Goldmund, a wayfarers, jovial being trying to find the path of salvation and meaning of life through instinctual satisfactions and inquisitive penance at the same time.
The book nicely set up the pedestal for those two characters and gradually delves in describing Goldmund’s character in the form of various subjects, like romantic thrillers, wayfaring adventures and natural debacles. The conversations between two protagonists and their self-realizations are nicely presented in the form of philosophical discourse. The story tries to narrate the commingling of ego and unconscious instincts and simultaneously lead a path to shows the symbol of finest subjective realization in a very practical and human way. The best part of the writing is, all metaphoric instances are given a stark visualization in such a simple and lucid way that the higher philosophical depth of the subject is justly experienced through the words.
The heart of the book depends on the realizations of Goldmund : like how he experiences the joy and sorrow in a fine silhouette of mental vision and reminds that again and again with the progress of life towards end, how the sensual happiness of instincts leads to the inner sorrows with time, how the invisible image speaks more clearly to the soul than the visible present while imagining his mother. If anyone wants to read a literary fiction of higher symbol with philosophical feeling and learning, then this is one of the best books.
Have a nice reading!!