Siddhartha, Demian and Other Writings

by Hermann Hesse

An anthology of the writings of the celebrated German novelist and Nobel laureate.

Genres: Literature, Fiction, Philosophy

223 pages, Hardcover

Published November 1, 1992

About the author

Many works, including Siddhartha (1922) and Steppenwolf (1927), of German-born Swiss writer Hermann Hesse concern the struggle of the individual to find wholeness and meaning in life; he won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1946.

Other best-known works of this poet, novelist, and painter include The Glass Bead Game , which, also known as Magister Ludi, explore a search of an individual for spirituality outside society.

In his time, Hesse was a popular and influential author in the German-speaking world; worldwide fame only came later. Young Germans desiring a different and more "natural" way of life at the time of great economic and technological progress in the country, received enthusiastically Peter Camenzind , first great novel of Hesse.

Throughout Germany, people named many schools. In 1964, people founded the Calwer Hermann-Hesse-Preis, awarded biennially, alternately to a German-language literary journal or to the translator of work of Hesse to a foreign language. The city of Karlsruhe, Germany, also associates a Hermann Hesse prize.

Reviews

[Mourning_elf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cinta tidak seharusnya membuat permintaan- permintaan. Tapi tidak seharusnya membuat tuntutan- tuntutan pula. Cinta harus memiliki kekuatan untuk menjangkau kepastian untuk diri sendiri.

[Adam Chandler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collecting Hesse's "Siddhartha", "Demian", and "Life Story, Briefly Told". All three have varying levels of autobiography insofar as Hesse pursues his personal formation of ideas with respect to an individual's development. "Life Story" is the most autobiographical with the obvious deviance of the narrator going living beyond the date of writing and stepping into a magical reality, simultaneously stepping out of our reality. "Siddhartha" features the development of an Eastern mystic leaving sensual desire to find purpose in simple work--yet removing himself from meaningful interpersonal relationships, in my opinion, by denying genuine desire to love others. "Demian" also touches on mysticism where the contemporary understanding of reality is abandoned for an ungrounded theosophical cosmology according to personal whims. This last work sorely lacks Hesse's maturity brought about in his later novel "Steppenwolf".

[ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of Herman Hesse’s writings. I enjoyed the thought behind Siddhartha and Demian, in regard to the ways it talks about wisdom, the need to experience, happiness - as well as self discovery within Demian. I do wish the writing felt a bit less crude to read at times (as I started to drag my feet at the end), but the book was a wonderful read within itself!

[Liliana Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un ensayo filosófico sobre las transformaciones y el carácter de la raza humana escrito de manera clara y amena.

[Will Flowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an interesting narrative. It’s incredible how Hesse manages to insert philosophical revelations into the human experience. There is really nothing quite like it.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars for Siddhartha -- an excellent philosophical narrative, full of redemption and the interconnectedness of everything. I was, however, somewhat unconvinced by the narrator's abrupt transformations. Anything's possible, though. The mystical elements of the book were artfully done.

3 stars for Demian -- I most enjoyed the beginning, where Sinclair struggles with the concepts of right and wrong, joy and guilt. But Sinclair's ideation seemed to reflect what psychologists would call "intrusive thoughts," which affect some people more than others. Rather than resolving his inner unrest upon realizing the interconnectedness of things, as did Siddhartha, Sinclair seems to have a adopted a philosophy of amorality that borders on nihilism. I kept hoping for something to happen that never transpired. I think I would have enjoyed the novel much more had Demian and his mother not been in it. If I reread this one in a decade or so, I might get a different impression.

[Geraldine Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pesar de que lo tuve que volver a leer (hablo sobre Demian) por la escuela, todavía me sigue maravillando tanto como la primera vez que lo leí. No puedo negar que tenia una pereza enorme por volverlo a leer (puesto que lo leí a finales de Noviembre) pero ya que me puse a ello, me absorbió por completo.
Sin duda SinClair, Eva y por supuesto Demian van a estar en mi mente durante un laaaargo tiempo.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My go to book for those moments in life that I can't figure out what to do. I learn something new every time I read either of these stories. Hermann Hesse is a fabulous author.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siddhartha is one of my favorite books, and is one of the books that I give people that generally don't like to read since it is short and interesting and enlightening.