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The Journey to the East Paperback – February 16, 2011

by Hermann Hesse (Author)

4.3 808 ratings

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2011 Reprint of 1957 English Translation. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. "Journey to the East" is written from the point of view of a man who becomes a member of "The League", a timeless religious sect whose members include famous fictional and real characters, such as Plato, Mozart, Pythagoras, Paul Klee, Don Quixote, Tristram Shandy, Baudelaire, and the ferryman Vasudeva, a character from one of Hesse's earlier works, Siddhartha. A branch of the group goes on a pilgrimage to "the East" in search of the "ultimate Truth". The conclusion of the short novel is a stroke of Hesse's typical Eastern mysticism at its finest. Hermann Hesse was born in Calw in the Black Forest on July 2, 1877, and from an early age was obsessed with the mystery of existence and humanity's place in the Universe. The Journey to the East is Hesse's tale of inner pilgrimage, an allegory on human desire for enlightenment and the long road that must be traveled to that ultimate goal. Using remarkably clear and accessible language, the book brings together the experience and conclusions of many years of spiritual struggle.

Print length

122 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Martino Fine Books
Publication date

February 16, 2011
Dimensions

5.98 x 0.31 x 8.9 inches
ISBN-10

1891396889
ISBN-13

978-1891396885
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Martino Fine Books (February 16, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 122 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1891396889
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1891396885
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.7 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 0.31 x 8.9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #125,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #216 in New Age Mysticism (Books)
- #292 in Other Eastern Religions & Sacred Texts (Books)

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4.3 808 ratings

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Hermann Hesse

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Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) was born in Germany and later became a citizen of Switzerland. As a Western man profoundly affected by the mysticism of Eastern thought, he wrote many novels, stories, and essays that bear a vital spiritual force that has captured the imagination and loyalty of many generations of readers. In 1946, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature for The Glass Bead Game.

Photo by unknown [Dutch National Archives, The Hague, Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau (ANEFO), 1945-1989 / Public Domain] [CC BY-SA 3.0 nl (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/nl/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons.

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Jesus A. Zuniga Martin

Muy reconfortante lectura

Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2023

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Como todos los libros de Herman Hesse, muy creativo y con muchas ideas dignas de reflexionar. Espera algo diferente de lo que normalmente lees.

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AmazonPhyllis Rustin Customer

The Journey or the Pilgrim?

Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2015

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Herman Hesse's The Journey to the East is a metaphysical journey to realize the purpose of body and spirit. A pilgrim is first faithful then falters in supporting the League's mission. In recalling his departure from the trek, he finds his memory becoming as cloudy as a half-remembered dream. Or is he failing to recall those days as a rationalization of his guilt? Do we? Can we remain committed to any journey when we focus on ourselves rather than the journey's lessons?

3 people found this helpful

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Gary Entsminger

The Tao of Hesse

Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2009

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Hermann Hesse wrote some of the most important novels and essays of the twentieth century. His primary literary work (part materialist protest, part spiritual quest) spanned almost half a century (1899-1943) and culminated in the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1946. He lived through the pain of World Wars I & II and looked outside Europe for alternative philosophies. He became a Swiss citizen in 1923 and lived in exile from his native Germany, in part because of his anti-war views. The problems that troubled Hesse then are still with us, and he is more popular today than he was in his own lifetime.

"Journey to the East," published in 1932 is the 'short version' of his spiritual philosophy ("The Glass Bead Game" is the long version). Both books draw deeply from Hesse's fascination with Indian philosophy. Both are immersed in the search for alternatives. "Journey to the East" is the geographical and spiritual journey taken by one man (League Brother H) with a group of like-minded, journeyers sometime after World War I. H says:

"It was my destiny to join in a great experience. Having had the good fortune to belong to the League, I was permitted to be a participant in a unique journey. What wonder it had at the time!"

The nature of the journey, its purpose, and even its outcome is a mystery -- Hesse's parable of spareness, about how we make choices and how we might live. The servant, Leo, says to H. early in the novel:

"The law of service. He who wishes to live long must serve, but he who wishes to rule does not live long."

"The Journey to the East" - like all of Hesse's work - offers another way to think about our lives and live(!) in a world ever-maddened by wars, greed, and inattention. The journey is the Tao of Hesse, one might say, a novel part parable.

12 people found this helpful

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Jody South

Inspiring

Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2014

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I am always interested to hear from others about books that have either changed their lives or inspired them. I recently read "The Journey To The East" by Herman Hesse. I can see how this short book inspired Robert Greenleaf to write about servant leadership. Throughout the book, H.H. speaks of giving his life meaning (p.62, etc.).

Leo, played an essential role in the development of H.H. To illustrate, on Page 34, Leo reminds H.H. of The League's Law of Service which states, "He who wishes to live long must serve, but he who wishes to rule does not live long." to which H.H. replies, "Then why do so many strive to rule?"...Leo: "Because they do not understand. There are few who are born to be masters; they remain happy and healthy. But all the others who have only become masters through endeavor, end in nothing."

It was interesting so follow the parabola of H.H's life from his adventures with The League through his deep depression derived from Leo leaving the group...to his eventual reconciliation with his order. This self-transcendence allowed him to once again consider himself as an integral part of the universe.

Cited: Hesse, H., & Rosner, H. (2003). The journey to the East. New York: Picador.

6 people found this helpful

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David Marshall

The Little Book That Started the Modern Servant Leadershhip Movement

Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2018

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I bought this book because of my interest in servant leadership. The father of modern servant leadership, Robert K. Greenleaf was raised as a Methodist and became a Quaker in his adult life, but contrary to popular belief, his Aha moment on servant leadership did not come from Jesus, but rather from this obscure book by the German novelist Hermann Hesse, who is best known for Siddhartha and Steppenwolf. Written as a novel but autobiographical in nature, Hesse describes (spoiler alert ahead) a mythical expedition in search of the elusive “League.” On this trek, Hesse met a man named Leo who carried the trekkers’ luggage and did menial chores. Everyone loved the servant Leo, but when he disappeared, the expedition fell into disarray. After decades of anguish searching for Leo, Hesse found him—and discovered Leo was the leader of the League. The Big Idea was that Leo was a great leader all along, but the members of the expedition couldn’t see it. Once the author opened his eyes, the truth of servant leadership stared him in the face. That opened Robert K. Greenleaf’s eyes as well.

18 people found this helpful

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Elvis Lives

Hesse's most fantastical story.

Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2018

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A small but amazing book about a journey across time ... space ... ? Who really knows! I've read this book numerous times. Its maybe not his best novel, while I believe if you only know Hesse via Siddhartha than that's like only knowing Jewel from her dance album or Pat Boone from his heavy metal album, but it might be one of his most overtly spiritual. Maybe its not spiritual. It's hard to say. All his books, particularly the earlier ones, are firmly grounded in reality. That's what makes Siddhartha so good. It's spiritual but also realistic, away from the religious mumble jumble. Steppenwolf takes some liberties but still stays very grounded. Journey To The East just goes all the way with fantasy. If it has any downfall it's the fact that it is Hesse at his most abstract and there's no definitive answer to what it all means.

Having said that I'd like to see Neil Gaiman turn this into a movie script!

16 people found this helpful

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MJL

Your life's work larger than you!

Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2019

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Interesting quick read for the philosophic minded. Some of it was over my head, or references are a little outdated.

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Ronald Kleinsorge Roland

Seminal muda a mente.

Reviewed in Brazil on January 8, 2020

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Adoro ler livros seminais q marcam situações! Mudam nossa cabeça.

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Annivic05

El inicio de un nuevo viaje.

Reviewed in Mexico on December 25, 2018

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Hesse hace una autorvaluación de sus obras y llega a una resolución sobre éstas.

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I. Harris

Stands the test of time

Reviewed in Canada on July 7, 2018

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I read this in the sixties and it made a strong impression then, about Socrates’ dictum, Know Thyself, which the Delphic Oracle commanded.
An allegory, a myth, a symbolic narrative describing the journey of faith, its consolations and its despairs, its dangers and its delights.
A wonderful style that flows through one like a clear stream on a sunny day, reflecting the inevitable storms on others.
A story about things to remember on one’s own journey, important things, valuable things, things one will be sorry to have lost.
I can see why Jung valued HH’s friendship.

One person found this helpful