Six Types of Happiness in Hesse's 'Journey to the East'

Every so often I find myself drawn
to one of the books of my youth. Part nostalgic reflection, part introspective
rediscovery, part discovery anew, rereading a great work of literature after
many years of lived experience can be an interesting endeavor. I first read
Herman Hesse’s The Journey to the East
back in my youth. I’d been introduced to his work when I read Demian for a college humanities class,
and I then went on to read Steppenwolf,
Siddhartha, and “The Journey” in fairly quick succession. For some reason, though, I
subsequently began and then abandoned mid-read The Glass Bead Game (Magister
Ludi). Perhaps it’s fitting that I should wait until later in life to
finish that one given the fact that it was Hesse’s final novel and all. Such a
thought especially resonates with me now that I’ve discovered that I am
presently the same age that Hesse was upon completion of The Journey – a realization that has me wondering whether I finally
have enough life experience in my knapsack …