As a 22 year-old student, I never would have imagined just how relatable Hesse would turn out to be. I started reading his other works (Siddhartha, Demian and The Glass Bead Game, respectively) because my housemate recommended them.
Holy crap! Please, if you are at all anxious about your life and about what to do and where to go, read this book! This is his masterpiece of masterpieces!!
Some lessons, the most important ones, can only be learned through experiences. This novel is a profound explanation of crisis, and redemption! We might not all call ourselves a Steppenwolf, but we all imagine ourselves to be something specific: a definable character with features we come to take for granted.This is an illusion, I have known it, been told it for a long while, but only now do I believe!
This is only part of the journey, that which never ends while I yet breathe, and oh how sweet it is!
by Frog_90
11 Comments
Ive had this book in my drawer for maybe 8 9 months and havent started it yet, keep getting side tracked onto other books
Read Narcissus and Goldmund, also by Hesse.
I enjoyed Steppenwolf, but Narc. is definitely my favorite book of Hesse’s by a long shot. Beneath the Wheel is also great and quite short, although it is beneath Steppenwolf.
Hesse is my all-time favorite author, and I genuinely cried for around 20 minutes after finishing Narcissus and Goldmund, that book just spoke to the core of my being.
Boooooorn to be wiiiiiiiild
>I started reading his other works (Siddhartha, Demian and The Glass Bead Game, respectively) because my housemate recommended them.
That paragraph makes literally 0 sense. If your mate is a fan then he must have read Narcissus and Goldmund and that means he would have given you Narcissus and Goldmund to read. Now let me help you out by saying that you should read Narcissus and Goldmund.
TL;DR Narcissus and Goldmund read it!
Have fun!
I also absolutely love Hesse! But be aware, even though I think Steppenwolf and Beneath the Wheel are his best works, they are heavy hitters and not too optimistic. If you don’t feel ready for that initially, I‘d recommend starting with Siddharta or the Glass Bead Game. Those are still amazing, but give you less of a chance of emotionally wrecking you – at least that was my experience.
I read Steppenwolf at too young a age…13 maybe? It was too much for me then. I should read it again now that I’m an old man. *adds to mental list*
It’s a lovely novel. Hesse sure has a “smooth” manner of nonchalantly addressing humanity’s greatest realities. But, I recognize that his poetic writing may be too much for some, particularly when the tale stalls in favor of a poignant and symbolic anecdote. Siddhartha is in my want-to-read draft!
I read it a while back and really enjoyed it. It was thought provoking about life and existence. I didn’t agree with everything but I loved his vision.
It’s for madmen only.
I hear a lot of young people ready for life recommending Hesse, but does he have anything to say to old people ready for death?
I loved the first part of Steppenwolf, but the latter chapters completely lost me. I felt like I was reading a weird fever dream, and the best I could do was to make vague guesses at the intended significance of the visions. I really wanted to like it more, but felt that large parts of the book went over my head.