The final novel of Hermann Hesse, for which he won the Nobel Prize for
Literature in 1946, 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 23rd century, The Glass Bead Game is the story of Joseph
Knecht, who has been raised in Castalia, the remote place 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 scientific arts, such as
mathematics, music, logic, and philosophy, which he achieves in
adulthood, becoming a Magister Ludi (Master of the Game).