Hilda Rosner Book order (chronological)

In simple, mesmerizing prose, Hermann Hesse's Journey to the East tells of a journey both geographic and spiritual. H.H., a German choirmaster, is invited on an expedition with the League, a secret society whose members include Paul Klee, Mozart, and Albertus Magnus. The participants traverse both space and time, encountering Noah's Ark in Zurich and Don Quixote at Bremgarten. The pilgrims' ultimate destination is the East, the "Home of the Light," where they expect to find spiritual renewal. Yet the harmony that ruled at the outset of the trip soon degenerates into an opening conflict. Each traveler finds the rest of the group intolerable and heads off in his own direction, with H.H. bitterly blaming the others for the failure of the journey. It is only long after the trip, while poring over records in the League archives, that H.H. discovers his own role in the dissolution of the group, and the ominous significance of the journey itself.

The narrative explores themes of music, love, and the struggle for creative expression through the experiences of Kuhn, a once-disabled composer. His deep passion for the enigmatic singer Gertrude leads to a complex love triangle, resulting in his emotional turmoil as he loses her to his friend Muoth. As their marriage unravels, Kuhn's involvement intensifies, threatening his well-being. Ultimately, he discovers redemption and healing through his art, culminating in the completion of his opera, which reflects his journey of loss and recovery.

Hermann Hesse's moving and inspirational chronicle of spiritual enlightenment, with an introduction by Paulo Coehlo Siddhartha is perhaps the most important and compelling moral allegory our troubled century has produced. Integrating Eastern and Western spiritual traditions with psychoanalysis and philosophy, this strangely simple tale, written with a deep and moving empathy for humanity, has touched the lives of millions since its original publication in 1922. Set in India, Siddhartha is the story of a young Brahmin's search for ultimate reality after meeting with the Buddha. His quest takes him from a life of decadence to asceticism, from the illusory joys of sensual love with a beautiful courtesan, and of wealth and fame, to the painful struggles with his son and the ultimate wisdom of renunciation. If you enjoyed Siddhartha, you might like Hesse's Steppenwolf, also available in Penguin Classics.