Customer Reviews

Steppenwolf: A Novel

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

More philosophy than fiction - as a story it trudged along very slowly, and finished with a fizzle. The book kept me interested enough to finish, but just barely. No doubt I missed something, but I certainly won't be re-reading Steppenwolf to figure out what.

This is one of Hesse's most well-known works that differs stylistically from his other works like Siddartha, Narcissus and Goldmund, etc. Steppenwolf is written in a more complex manner, sometimes requiring the reader to reread passages or read very closely throughout the whole book. The story and the themes are typical of Hesse; human exploration, psychology, self-discovery are all important ideas. A wonderful book, well written. Great for fans of Hesse, not necessarily the best book of Hesse's to read, if you have not read any of his other works.

I've read reviews where the reviewer has castigated this novel as "the perfect specimen of the Nietzschean overman who renounces the world." Others have said this book is blatantly anti-bourgeoisie as well. Such comments only reveal the misunderstanding of what Hesse was attempting to convey in this novel.

First I should point out that Nietzsche did not renounce the world at all. In some sense Hesse was heavily influenced by Nietzsche and so in order to understand something of this book it might be helpful to have read a little bit of Nietzsche himself. Unlike his predecessor Schopenhauer (another great philosopher), Nietzsche did not condemn the world. What Nietzsche really condemned was the current state of things (rampant nationalism, anti-semitism, Bolshevism, and materialism etc.) and the mentalities that produced them (racism, narrow-mindedness, complacency, and absolute religious convictions) when he scathingly criticized the 'majority', insofar as the majority embraced these doctrines. Hesse, like Nietzsche, is a 'Yes-Saying' man (Yes-saying to the world that is) and that is manifested in this novel. Obviously Hesse believed in progress and had much hope for humanity. Perhaps those who have charged the author with such nihilistic sentiments have not read further than the first half of the book and have only read the despair that Harry later transcends. This book isn't going to root out and remove suffering altogether but enough so that it isn't so overwelming that one gives up on life. As Hesse wrote, "But I would be happy if many of them were to realize that the story of the Steppenwolf pictures a disease and crisis-but not one leading to death and destruction, on the contrary: to healing."

This book is neither anti-bourgeois as Harry's deep seated contempt for the bourgeois life and its complacency climaxes in his realization that he has for so long denied and hated the bourgeois tendencies in himself and that for his entire life he has made the mistake (this is where eastern mysticism comes in and the effects of western Christianity are hung up- eg. the idea of duality and of an enduring self) of devising and contrasting two sides of himself (The sensible and reasonable man contrased with the wild and passionate wolf) when in reality he was made up of many 'selfs' that formed who he was as a man and the realization that his own false conception of such dualities only caused him more angst than was necessary. In the end Harry learns the greatest lesson; that life is both tragic and comedic and one must learn not only how to be serious but to laugh at oneself. In this respect one can see how Harry is symbolic for many things beyond himself as a man.

I will not summarize this book as that has been done numerous times already by reviewers, but after reading Siddarthra and Narcissus and Goldmund, I must say this is my favorite novel from Hesse thus far. In my book he's up there with other literary geniuses such as Goethe, Camus, Kafka, Huxley, and Orwell.

Certainly this book will attract the angst filled seekers of happiness, those who are attracted to the religions of Hindiusm and Buddhism (consider this book the nourishment that will help unfold your petal of wisdom), and free-thinkers by virtue of their conviction to always challenge reality. Even if you disagree with Hesse's sentiments you can't deny the power of his prose.

Harry Haller is a medium for Hesse to address some of the rather extremely intense issues. This is a story of a middle aged man who over the years becomes disillusioned with life. He cannot relate with the norm (bourgeois) yet continues to live within their system. Buried in his books and writings he confines himself to his own personal hell. Unable to find a way out he decides upon taking the "emergency exit" if life continues to disagree with him. On the decided night he comes across Hermine, a complete opposite of Harry who does not allow her intellect to limit her. She teaches Harry to look at life from different perspectives besides his own among many other life's lessons.

The ending of the book is like an answer key to all the questions that inflict Haller throughout. He makes some wrong choices only to end up with the right lessons in life.

Hesse maintains the level of intensity throughout as he continues to bring forth his opinions on war (keeping with the times it was first written), commentary on suicide ("it must be said that to call suicides only those who actually destroy themselves is false."), his attitude towards the bourgeois, music, poetry, etc.

Hesse stated in his note written in 1961 (many years after this book's first publication in 1927) that he found readers either completely misunderstanding it or partially understanding it. One must go beyond the main character's personal problems and study it in totality to understand what the author really intended to do with this story.

Herman Hesse was always an author I had heard about rather than experienced first hand. After reading Steppenwolf I am a fan. The journey this man goes through is an anyman journey or at least I relate directly. It's thought provoking, philisophical and touching all at the same time. If you like this I'd also recommend Naked Lunch and subUrbia.

It is quite a common (normal, frequent) experience to struggle to find out our own identity. The complex, multiple personalities that exists within an individual triggers a great spiritual battle to unify it all into a understandable personality. HH's beautifully depicts his painful struggle in this book with a touch of fantasy. Very touchy and makes a good reading. But, people with no prior experience with HH or eastern philosophies or C.G. Jung will find it little difficult to follow.

I moved on to 'Steppenwolf' after having read Herman Hesse's 'Siddhartha'.

In both novels is an interesting recurrance of Indian philosophical strands and Hesse's thematic analysis of the conquest of suffering and fear. Steppenwolf is however a tougher text and the story-line is expanded in greater detail. The first half of the book is slightly slow-moving yet is necessary for the final revelation (or enlightenment - to use an Oriental term) at the end of the novel.

This book seems to have a slightly auto-biographical tone to it making the text vivid and extremely heart-felt. It's worth a read.

This is one of my favorite books by a German writer, it is my first by Hesse, but certainly not be my last. The book is about healing, and is extremely important for everyone to read... This book is one of the most beautiful books (and underrated) books of the twentieth century, but what this book is about is healing our problems, and it is very beautiful, please take my advice and read it, don't stop until your done with the book!!!

Hesse is a genius -- go read his stuff! His writing is by no means light reading. Very deep and mysterious. This book, in particular -- magical and supernatural and profound. It was slow getting through the first third of the book, but after that I flew right threw it. The first part is a little boring -- but that's because the protagonist is boring at the beginning, and that's part of the point. (Don't give up!) The book then blossoms into a beautiful, vivid exploration of the senses and a visit to the strange and mysterious "magical theater" -- which contains some of the most beautiful and poignant scenes i've read in all of literature. Hesse has incredible insight into the complexity of mankind and has an amazing, profound wisdom of life and truth.

The book is basically about a man who is trapped in the personality he has created for himself, in the small, confined, grey world he has created, and how he learns to break free from those, to free himself from the restriction of the illusion of a singular soul, as each person is comprised of many souls. ("Man is an onion made up of a hundred integuments, a texture made up of many threads").

Harry experiences many strange encounters, including his visit to the "magial theater" in which he relives all the possibilities of love, engages in war, and meets Mozart, who, laughing ridiculously (I wouldn't have him depicted any other way), shares with Harry some of his Immortal wisdom, teaches him to laugh instead of taking himself so seriously.

Anyhow... go read this. You will never see the life the same way again.

I read this book on my friend's recommendations.. it is the first book I read for Hermann Hesse!
At first I found it repetitive and over-detailed, and many times I had to reread some lines to get a better picture.. but there was something about it that kept me going. The horrible feeling that this man was going through gives you the fuel to keep on reading. The simple truths about our souls, personalities and the life we are living. You can connect with a lot of those sufferings and heartaches, and just think of what is to be!

Hermann Hesse takes you to the extremes, of vice and virtue. He pushes you to the edge and makes you explore this fantasy world .. he draws a poetic picture and then gives you the facts!

I enjoyed it and couldn't stop thinking about those simple solutions to everyday life!