The Glass Bead Game

The final novel by Hermann Hesse, The Glass Bead Game, is a fascinating tale of the complexity of modern life as well as a classic of modern literature.

Set in the twenty-third century, The Glass Bead Game is the story of Joseph Knecht, who has been raised in Castalia, the remote place that his society has provided for the intellectual elite to grow and flourish. Since childhood, Knecht has been consumed with mastering the Glass Bead Game, which requires a synthesis of aesthetics and philosophy. He achieves mastery in adulthood, becoming a Magister Ludi (Master of the Game).