Steppenwolf is hermann hesses story of a fiftyyearold man named harry haller, who goes by the name steppenwolf. First edition, in original dust jacket hesse, hermann. Hermann hesse was born in germany in 1877 and later became a citizen of switzerland. Harry haller, a solitary intellectual, has all his life feared his dual nature of being human and being a beast. He dreads living, and just prior to losing all desire to live, he enters a bardance hall. The nephew of the landlady, who finds it after haller has gone, begins with a cursory introduction by way of his impressions of the strange lodger. Originally published in germany in 1927, it was first translated into english in 1929. Jan 21, 2009 hermann hesses steppenwolf is presented in the form of a manuscript left by protagonist, harry haller, in a house in which he lodged for a short time. May, 2019 i am well read in mythologies from around the globe and, to my knowledge there is no mention of steppenwolf in any. Hermann hesse unterm rad horbuch komplett duration. Sparknotes is here for you weve got everything you need to ace or teach.
The story in large part reflects a profound crisis in hesse s spiritual world during the 1920s. This was part of a lecture series on key modernist novels from german literature, organized by the university of. Steppenwolf experiences two turning points within the text his discovery of the treatise on the steppenwolf and his visit to the magic theater. Jan 31, 2019 hermann hesse was a germanswiss poet, novelist, and painter. The story in large part reflects a profound crisis in hesse s spiritual world during the 1920s while memorably portraying the protagonists split. Distrusting western values and despising middleclass. Hermann hesses steppenwolf is presented in the form of a manuscript left by protagonist, harry haller, in a house in which he lodged for a short time. He was a writer, known for the hours 2002, siddhartha 1972 and steppenwolf 1974. He wrote the strongly autobiographical steppenwolf in 1927, and it was first translated into english in 1929. Hesse concentrated on writing poetry as a young man, but his first successful book was a novel, peter camenzind 1904.
Jan 19, 2018 but, for millennia, hesse is suggesting, this unconscious had been denied, suppressed, repressed, and explained away, so that what we have in steppenwolf, what we have in harry haller, what europe had witnessed in the first world war, and rewitnessed again in the second, was the volcanic eruption of this unconscious in all its fury, wreaking. However, in the 1960s, hermann hesse said that steppenwolf was more often and more violently misunderstood than any of his other books. The most complete collection of the books by hermann hesse. He was married to ninon auslander, ruth wenger and maria bernoulli. Steppenwolf novel project gutenberg selfpublishing. Steppenwolf, hermann hesse also developed many concerns of modernism, depicting the ordeals of a divided psyche torn between the conventional and the artistic worlds, the feminine and the masculine, reason and hallucination. Depression, criticism for his pacifist views, and a series of personal crises led hesse to undergo. Both experiences lead to selfdiscovery and enlightenment.
Steppenwolf is a poetical selfportrait of a man who felt himself to be halfhuman and halfwolf. His bestknown works include steppenwolf, siddhartha, and the glass bead game also known as magister ludi, each of which explores an individuals search for authenticity, selfknowledge and spirituality. Haller is a writer, a loner and an outsider who thinks of himself as a wolf of the steppes. In the bourgeois circles of europe after the great war, can anything save the modern man. Steppenwolf by hermann hesse, 9780241951521, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Hermann hesses novel steppenwolf addresses division within the self and society, and the effects such divisions can have on an individual, such as loneliness, selfmutilation, and possible suicide. I dont read a lot of fictional works, but i really like one writer in particular. Cheyenne petzold herr scheithe, deutsch biografie des. But as he is drawn into a series of dreamlike and sometimes savage encounters accompanied by, among. It is a title of the main character, harry haller, who feels like a wolf, isolated within a human world. This faustlike and magical story is evidence of hesse s searching philosophy and extraordinary sense of humanity as he tells of the humanization of a middleaged misanthrope.
He died on august 9, 1962 in montagnola, switzerland. It contains the complete text of the original hardcover edition. Mar 28, 2016 recently, i decided to read more fiction, so i returned to hesse, but this time, steppenwolf. The writer was interested not only in the external world of a sensitive person, but also in the internal conflict, socalled confrontation between the spiritual and the sensual. Hermann hesse s steppenwolf accepting the shadow 06032017 03. Steppenwolf hermann hesse was born in southern germany in 1877. Steppenwolf starts out all mysteriouslike, with a preface that explains where the manuscript comes from. Steppenwolf a novel that was aimed at depicting the german reality of the 1920s. At first sight harry haller seems a respectable, educated man. The popularity of the book soared in the 1960s and has remained high. Pdf steppenwolf book by hermann hesse free download 256 pages. One finds the hero harry haller trying to cope up with the many sides of his personality.
These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of steppenwolf by hermann hesse. Oh, it smells good here, he said, and at that he smiled and my aunt smiled too. Despairing and melancholy, harry feels himself to be a wolf of the steppes, or steppenwolf, adrift and alone in a world that is incomprehensible to him and offers him no joy. Steppenwolf by hermann hesse is a psychological novel as it contains a lot of freudian and jungian undercurrents in its theme. The name steppenwolf has often attributed to the germanic people and has been used as a surname in works of fiction, such as herman. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of steppenwolf. The title refers to a style adopted by harry haller, hesse s protagonist. His bestknown works include demian, steppenwolf, siddhartha, and the glass bead game, each of which explores an individuals search for authenticity, selfknowledge and spirituality. This was part of a lecture series on key modernist novels from german literature, organized by the university of freiburgs department of german. Up until the moment steppenwolf reads the treatise, he.
Up until this point in the text, he has had many encounters and experiences that have revealed aspects of his true nature and prepared him for his participation in the theater. In it hermann hesse searched for ways of forming a human personality. Hermann hesse the borderline steppenwolf with the help of carl jung and the magic theatre, swissgerman noble prize winning author, hermann hesse may just be the first novelist to describe. Steppenwolf s visit to the magic theater is the culminating moment of his life. Hermann hesse s novel steppenwolf addresses division within the self and society, and the effects such divisions can have on an individual, such as loneliness, selfmutilation, and possible suicide. The title refers to a style adopted by harry haller, hesses protagonist. Hermann hesse the borderline steppenwolf kevinredmayne. Steppenwolf essays are academic essays for citation. A modernist work of profound wisdom that continues to enthral readers with its subtle blend of eastern mysticism and western culture, the penguin modern classics edition of hermann hesses steppenwolf is revised by walter sorell from the original translation by basil creighton. Handelt es sich bei harry haller um ein alter ego hermann hesses. The first edition of the novel was published in 1927, and was written by hermann hesse. In 1946, he received the nobel prize in literature.
Steppenwolf is a book with few answers and fewer certainties. Suppose, then, that the gardener of this garden knew no other distinction than between edible and inedible, ninetenths of. Indeed, hesses reputation as a sage rests mainly on the books he wrote after the warstarting with demian, in 1919, and continuing through siddhartha and steppenwolf, in the. Feb 23, 20 hermann hesse s 1927 classic is about far more than just suicide, despite its reputation chris cox sat 23 feb 20 19. Steppenwolf by hermann hesse the 240th greatest fiction.
Steppenwolf, however, first threw up his sharp, closely cropped head and sniffed around nervously before he either made any answer or announced his name. The story in large part reflects a profound crisis in hesses. Hermann hesses novel steppenwolf is a work of a completely different cast. Hermann hesse was born on july 2, 1877 in calw, germany. The novel was named after the german name for the steppe wolf. Combining autobiographical and psychoanalytic elements, the novel was named after the lonesome wolf of the steppes. I am well read in mythologies from around the globe and, to my knowledge there is no mention of steppenwolf in any. Pdf steppenwolf book by hermann hesse free download 256. Hermann hesse wrote this in his late 40s and i can see parts of myselfnow and in my recent pastin his fictional alter ego, harry haller, a selfisolated intellectual who thinks of himself as a steppenwolf or a wolf from the steppes, experiencing an ongoing existential crisis, bouts of acute loneliness, fleeting thoughts of death, and a. Hermann hesses steppenwolf accepting the shadow epoche. Hermann hesses arrested development the new yorker.
Hermann hesses 1927 classic is about far more than just suicide, despite its reputation chris cox sat 23 feb 20 19. As a western man profoundly affected by the mysticism of eastern thought, he wrote novels, stories, and essays bearing a vital spiritual force that has captured the imagination and loyalty of many generations of readers. The mesmeric power that hesses novels and short stories exercised over american youth at that time can be largely explained, after all, by. Steppenwolf is hermann hesse s story of a fiftyyearold man named harry haller, who goes by the name steppenwolf.
The novel is constructed from a manuscript that the principal character, harry haller, or steppenwolf, leaves behind at a boarding house. During the war, hesse was actively involved in relief efforts. See more ideas about hermann hesse, steppenwolf book and nobel prize in literature. The novel ends with a grotesque surrealistic episode set in a magic theatre. Hesse 1877 1962 was born in germany but became a swiss citizen in 1923. At first sight harry haller seems like a respectable, educated man.
Steppenwolf literally means wolf of the steppes and is a type of wolf. Summary plot overview harry haller, a middleaged intellectual, moves into a lodging house in a mediumsized, generic town, which is never named. Hermann hesse was a germanswiss poet, novelist, and painter. He felt many readers latched on to harrys rebellion and. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read steppenwolf. Free download or read online steppenwolf pdf epub book. Steppenwolf definition, a novel 1927 by hermann hesse.
Combining autobiographical and fantastic elements, the novel was named after the lonesome wolf of the steppes. Hermann hesses steppenwolf accepting the shadow huffpost. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 256 pages and is available in paperback format. The main characters of this fiction, classics story are mariecke, harry haller. Steppenwolf by hermann hesse translated by basil creighton updated by joseph mileck this lowpriced bantam book has been completely reset in a type face designed for easy reading, and was printed from new plates.
184 1124 376 1049 1408 103 409 1036 35 710 631 301 150 1479 1292 1028 1447 772 409 781 442 287 736 128 1324 97 747 1430 1425 545 1260 1088 586 645 577 1276 387 463