Hermann Hesse's Narcissus and Goldmund, first published in 1930, is the classic tale of two best friends, a monk and a wanderer, whose lives come together, diverge, and reunite over the years. The novel takes the form of an extended parable, where the settings are generic rather than named and many of the characters represent specific qualities or modes of living. Narcissus is the first of the two title characters to be introduced.
Narcissus and Goldmund