In the remote Kingdom of Castalia, the scholars of the Twenty Third century play the Glass Bead Game. The elaborately coded game is a fusion of all human knowledge - of maths, music, philosophy, science, and art. Intrigued as a school boy, Joseph Knecht becomes consumed with mastering the game as an adult. As Knecht fulfils his life-long quest he must contend with unexpected dilemmas and the longing for a life beyond the ivory tower.
DNF'd at 10%. This book read like nothing but densely packed intellectual snobbery.
Might one day try it in German, as I always worry about translation. Nuance is very important, especially in Hesse, I've found. Maybe it will seem less pretentious with the literal construction of the German language.