Steppenwolf: A Novel - Softcover

Hermann Hesse

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0805012478 ISBN 13: 9780805012477

Publisher: Holt Paperbacks, 1990

Synopsis

Harry Haller is a sad and lonely figure, a reclusive intellectual for whom life holds no joy. He struggles to reconcile the wild primeval wolf and the rational man within himself without surrendering to the bourgeois values he despises. His life changes dramatically when he meerts a woman who is his opposite, the carefree and elusive Hermine. The tale of the Steppenwolf culminates in the surreal Magic Theater—for mad men only.

Steppenwolf is Hesse’s best-known and most autobiographical work. With its blend of Eastern mysticism and Western culture, it is one of literature’s most poetic evocations of the soul’s journey to liberation. Originally published in English in 1929, the novel’s wisdom continues to speak to our souls and marks it as a classic of modern literature.

About this title

About the Author:

Hermann Hesse was born in Germany in 1877 and later became a citizen of Switzerland. As a Western man profoundly affected by the mysticism of Eastern thought, he wrote many novels, stories, and essays that bear a vital spiritual force that has captured the imagination and loyalty of many generations of readers. His works include Beneath the Wheel, Narcissus and Goldmund, and The Glass Bead Game. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1946. Hermann Hesse died in 1962.

From AudioFile:

Hesse's philosophical novel about a loner who feels divided in his soul and alienated from life was a cult classic of the 1960s' counterculture. Peter Weller's voice is dry, deep, almost harsh, and through much of the book, his tone is cutting, sardonic, even angry. That's a fitting take on the protagonist, Haller, but it's too much, and the tone would be better with some variation. Weller's voice softens when Haller interacts with others, and in some of the dialogue he brings out a rhythmic lilt that is quite engaging. While a bit uneven, by and large, Weller does this dreamlike yet dour book justice. W.M. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0805012478
• ISBN 13: 9780805012477
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224