The Glass Bead Game

The new book by Alexander Genis, author of the bestsellers “Dovlatov and the Surroundings”, “The Booklover's Kama Sutra”, “Return Address”, is as always written in an original genre, perfectly suited for intellectual adventures. “In the dark hours of history, there is a strong need for a refuge to catch one's breath and honor the Spirit. Hermann Hesse served as an example to me, who during World War II wrote the great book 'The Glass Bead Game'. It teaches the subtle art of threading – the ability to read the world through eras and cultures, to see behind the author his school, enemies, and neighbors. Thus, I wrote two dozen games. They are a kind of tennis with a library, which ricochets back in response to the author's challenge. The success of each Game depends on how long we can prolong it without stepping out of bounds and without diminishing the strength of our hit” (Alexander Genis).