Der Steppenwolf: Roman

everything as expected, great service

It is hardly for me to review a literary giant like Herman Hesse. This astonishing book introduced the conandcept of an "alter ego aandclarified it better then the psychiatrists of the day wo did not appreciate the tension caused by the clash between the strict moral principalsof the day and the killing in the battlefields.

Interesting

This book was translated by Basil Creighton and "updated" by Joseph Mileck. I have heard this author mentioned several times but I really had no idea what to expect from this, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it is exactly the kind of story that I like, i.e., a story about an intellectual loner trying to come to grips with himself and the world he lives in. His "heroes" are the same as mine - the artistic geniuses and thinkers of the ages - like Nietzsche, Dostoevsky, Goethe, Mozart, etc., and he is perpetually unhappy and self-critical. So this had all the potential to become one of my favourite books, but unfortunately it ended up falling well short of the mark. There are a couple of significant contradictions in the psychology of the main character that just don't fit, despite and actually because of his supposed dual nature (wolf and man). I didn't like the increasing fantastical element and I thought the ending was disappointing. The book reminded me a lot of The Freethinker by Harald Sortskaeg, but I thought the latter was much more insightful and much better done altogether. Steppenwolf is well-written and interesting, but it is lacking the proper focus and completeness to make it a great book. I have a feeling that I will read other books by this author now that I know what he is interested in, and I hope they will contain what this one is missing.

Wow. I've just finished this novel, and I'm writing my first ever book review as I was amazed by what I've just read. I'm a book fiend - I rip through a few books a week. I picked this up from a second-hand bookshop for a couple of pounds, principally because I liked the band Steppenwolf!I realised quite quickly that I needed to slow down my usual breakneck reading pace and absorb myself totally in this book. It is rich with philosophical ideas and ideals, questions that which should be questioned, and is surprisingly relevant to modern life. The language is not as stilted as I find other `classic' works of fiction but still manages to cram a huge amount of philosophy and critique into it, while still keeping a readable fictional narrative. OK, it's not really a plot-driven book, but I don't really get on with those anyway.I can see myself reading this again in the near future, and am already considering buying a copy for a couple of my more spiritual or questioning friends!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: Worth the effort, July 6, 2007I read this book in 2001 when I first started making an effort to read and still remember the effect in had on me. I would read about 10 pages a night before having to put it down because in a lot of ways the story brought on a feeling of emptiness and depression similar to what the main character experienced in the story. Yet the story and the character Harry Haller made me think, look at myself and life which to me is one of the most valuable things a book, story or experience can provide a person. The story has a chance to stir your soul if you reflect on the main themes and question - what is life.