SIGN UP NOW - Every Thursday at 3PM

Join us for Tales From The Library: A new connect book review club in the Virtual Coffee Shop. Every Thursday at 3pm we will explore a new book and tale from various different writers. Read the book in advance or listen to our available audio recordings of the stories and then join us for a chat about the story and its deeper themes and meanings. Book recordings will be made available on the Wednesday before the Connect Group chat. Sign up below in order to take part and access the books.

BOOK LIBRARY: Check our the full library of our other books and Audio books HERE

'Strange News From Another Planet' by Hermann Hesse

This week we will be reading 'Strange News From Another Star (or Planet)' by Hermann Hesse. This week’s book is a short story as featured in two Hermann Hesse Story collections, it can be found in 'The Fairy Tales of Hermann Hesse - Translated by Jack Zipes' as 'Strange News From Another Planet'. The story was originally published however in 'Strange news From Another Star' as the books namesake. 

The google book version of this book can be found HERE and purchased for a couple of pounds should you wish to read the story in text form and enjoy the other short stories paired with it. 

Above is the audio book as read by Edward E. French

We have covered other Hermann Hesse books in previous weeks, these can be found in our library:

The Poet

The Beautiful Dream

Questions:

1. What do you think about the set up for the story? How does Hesse introduce us to the characters and their perspectives? 

2. how does the characters view on suffering change as the book progresses? how does this change our perspectives as readers? 

3. What do you think of journey the boy undertakes? Is this a dream? Time travel? Traveling through space? 

4. What modern day comparisons can be drawn with our world and time and the world of the distant kingdom? 

5. Hesse lived through two world wars, how do you think this has informed his world view and his feelings about morality and God displayed in the story? 

Sign up below to join the book club at 3pm on Thursday