Demian vs Narziss und Goldmund: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Translations from German, German fiction, Germany, Continental european fiction, Fiction
Demian
A young man awakens to selfhood and to a world of possibilities beyond the conventions of his upbringing in Nobel Prize winner Hermann Hesse’s beloved novel Demian. Emil Sinclair is a quiet boy drawn into a forbidden…
vs
Narziss und Goldmund
First published in 1930, Narcissus and Goldmund is the story of two diametrically opposite men: one, an ascetic monk firm in his religious commitment, and the other, a romantic youth hungry for worldly experience. …
1 film adaptation
The verdict
- Readers rate Demian highest: Demian 4.1 · Narziss und Goldmund 3.9.
- Demian is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 5 for Narziss und Goldmund.
- Demian has the widest readership — 144322 ratings behind its score.
- Demian runs the darker storyline; Narziss und Goldmund stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Demian | Narziss und Goldmund | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (144322) | 4.5 (2) |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (313) | — |
| Google Books | 5.0 (1) | 4.0 (3) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (64) | — |
Reception
| Demian | Narziss und Goldmund | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 144322 | 21 |
| Editions | 176 | 41 |
| Citations | — | 5 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 92643 | — |
| Reading it now | 7731 | — |
| Written reviews | 11727 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 21166 | 4300 |
| Pages | 171 | 319 |