One of Hermann Hesse's greatest novels, "Narcissus and Goldmund," is an extraordinary recreation of the Middle Ages that contrasts the life paths of two friends. One avoids life in the monastery and ventures out into the world, entangled in the extremes of life in a world dominated by sin, plague, and war. The other remains in the monastery and struggles with equally great difficulties to lead a life of spiritual deprivation. An outstanding masterpiece of imagination, "Narcissus and Goldmund" can only be compared to films set in medieval Europe, such as Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" and Tarkovsky's "Andrei Rublev." It is a captivating, profound reading experience—surprising in its own way, just like Hesse's "Siddhartha" and "Steppenwolf.".