In the aftermath of the Great War, a band of artists embarks on a journey traversing space and time. Each is on a different quest, but all are united in a vow of secrecy. Years later, a writer tries to set down an account of the voyage, thereby breaking his vow - only to find words, memories, and his very sense of self beginning to slip from his grasp.A kaleidoscopic narrative reeling between despair and elation, Hermann Hesse's novel is a profound meditation on creativity and spiritual transcendence.