(01-23-2026, 12:15 PM)sahgwa Wrote: Glasperlenspiel at it's main theme is a very fascinating question to the tune of:
At what point is a monastic and spiritual class or society, draining it's host society uselessly?
At what point is spiritual pursuit selfish, egotistical, or pointless in not just relation to the person but to their society they live in?

Or those in society that become enlightened and spiritual enough to see behind the curtain, the bread and circus mirage, and anything else which is pointless to those who look upon themselves as others' would-be rulers in a God-like fashion then deem those people to be useless eaters and take away all means for their survival? But I digress, or do I?

Right now I finished chicken Kabbalah by Lon Milo Duquette. I have read 2 other books by the same author (excellent and entertaining) which by the way saghwa you recommended him on a thread about something related. Thanks for that man 

(01-23-2026, 12:34 PM)chivo Wrote: Right now I finished chicken Kabbalah by Lon Milo Duquette. I have read 2 other books by the same author (excellent and entertaining) which by the way saghwa you recommended him on a thread about something related. Thanks for that man 

Lon is the Man! :D
My favourite as far as use is his Enochian Vision Magick!  He connected all the dots, and corrected all the errors from the 15-16-and 1900s copies, and explains things in a concise rational manner. 

I haven't read the Chicken Kabbalah but I am sure it's great.

I was just chatting with Porkchop and he started the Dark Tower series. It's been a couple years since I last read them. Thinking about a fresh readthrough starting Monday.

(01-23-2026, 02:26 PM)Moon68 Wrote: I was just chatting with Porkchop and he started the Dark Tower series. It's been a couple years since I last read them. Thinking about a fresh readthrough starting Monday.

I like King's short stories but I was never much into his long form. I did recently buy THE STAND so I will give that a go as my first all the way through King-dom. ha.

Currently trying to work my way through David Foster Wallace’s (RIP you mad genius) Infinite Jest. Not halfway through since last year. It’s a beast of a novel. Hard to follow. So I’m taking up Station 11 and The Vulnerables to satiate my reading appetite in this new year.

Always a fan of Tom Robbins and Christopher Moore.

I could go on and on about books and writing. So thank you for this thread and all that have supplied some postscripts and replies. Not even sure if I’m already in this or not. But here I is.

Honorable mention and one of my personal favorites, Cormac McCarthy (RIP too). His style of terse American Gothic is formidable. Didn’t know you could write the same word over and over (gray) like he did in The Road and have it not become tedious.

ETA: Great Circle is an awesome read and superbly written.

Stephen R. Lawheads "The Pendragon Cycle".

Which comprises six books with a seventh on the way, is quite a good read. 

Pretty much a pseudo-historical retelling of the Arthurian legends.

(01-23-2026, 12:15 PM)sahgwa Wrote: Glasperlenspiel at it's main theme is a very fascinating question to the tune of:
At what point is a monastic and spiritual class or society, draining it's host society uselessly?
At what point is spiritual pursuit selfish, egotistical, or pointless in not just relation to the person but to their society they live in?

About Hermann Hesse;

"His writing often reflects themes of inner conflict, the search for meaning, and the tension between the individual and society, drawing from Jungian psychology, Eastern philosophies, and German Romanticism.  Hesse’s early life was marked by personal struggles, including a mental breakdown and time in psychiatric care, experiences he later channeled into his fiction—most notably in Beneath the Wheel. He became a Swiss citizen in 1923 and lived in Montagnola, Switzerland, where he died on 9 August 1962. " (Brittanica)

(01-25-2026, 08:38 AM)quintessentone Wrote: About Hermann Hesse;

I've been considering reading Steppenwolf. Anyone have any opinion on it?

(01-25-2026, 08:56 AM)UltraBudgie Wrote: I've been considering reading Steppenwolf. Anyone have any opinion on it?

"Steppenwolf is the tenth novel by German-Swiss author Hermann Hesse, originally published in German as Der Steppenwolf in 1927.  The story centers on Harry Haller, a middle-aged intellectual who feels deeply alienated from society and identifies with the "steppenwolf"—a creature symbolizing his dual nature: half civilized man, half wild beast.  The novel explores themes of identity crisis, existential despair, spiritual transformation, and the struggle between intellect and primal instinct. "

Ah, the never-ending struggle to find meaning in the human condition.