The Glass Bead Game

Hesse's long philosophical novel takes the form of a biography that recounts the coming-of-age and spiritual crisis of the leader of a community devoted to a game combining music, mathematics, philosophy, meditation, and other disciplines. In a way, the pseudo-biographical form fits David Colacci's narration because he sounds like a nonfiction reader. He's an effective one, with a good voice, and fine pacing and expressiveness. But he's no actor, and when the novel is actually novelistic and he must provide voices and dialogue, they're unconvincing--he still sounds like a reader of nonfiction. One misses a certain music that a good actor might have brought to enliven this already-dry book. Still, Colacci is skilled and able, if not inspiring. W.M. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

Starred review from April 1, 2009
Nobel prize winner Hesse's final novel, here available for the first time on audio, is set in a 23rd-century utopia in which the intellectual elite have distilled all available knowledge of math, music, science, and art into an elaborately coded game. Cleanly and precisely describing this complex and dense future is theater actor/director David Colacci, who has previously read titles by Greg Iles and Anne Perry. While the length may seem daunting, Colacci's voice remains fresh through the 17th CD of this captivating novel. For large public and academic libraries. [Audio clip available through www.bbcaudiobooksamerica.com.Ed.]J. Sara Paulk, Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Cty. Lib., GA

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.