The Journey to the East

By: Hermann Hesse

Narrated by: Diane Sintich

Hermann Hesse's Journey to the East (1932) is an account of a geographic and spiritual journey to the East. The narrator, H.H. accompanies the members of a secret society on a journey through both time and space in search of the “ultimate truth”.

Fun and entertaining at first, the company falls apart in a deep mountain gorge called Morbio Inferiore when the servant Leo disappears, triggering anxiety and strife. The members each go their own way, and many years later when the narrator tries to write his story of the ill-fated trip, he is unable to put together a coherent account. Then, on the advice of a friend, he tracks down the servant Leo....

Public Domain (P)2020 Museum Audiobooks

Great Book, Strange Performance

Journey to the East is Hermann Hesse's great symbolic autobiography. The performance in this audiobook is fine until the all-important chapter V. The key character, Leo, is repeatedly described by Hesse as having a cool, bright, clear voice, “...like the voice of the commandant when he appears before Don Giovanni’s door in the last Act.” Weirdly, the voice adopted by the reader, Diane Sintich, for this character is almost opposite that description. Suddenly the performance is distracting, annoying, and even has the effect of undermining the power of the story's climax.

Multiple errors in pronunciation.

Multiple errors in pronunciation. Including mispronunciation of the well known author’s name. There are also strange variations in volume throughout. That being said, the narration of this Audible version of “The Journey to the East” is superior to the other version available on Audible which is unbearable.
I don’t understand why it so difficult to employ narrators with at least a passing interest or understanding of the material they are reading. Correct pronunciation should be mandatory. Audible is apparently unconcerned with issues of quality control.

I love hesse. This was the weakest so far.

Love demien and siddhartha. Female narrator for male character ok but truly a “reader.” Not someone who brings the character to life.