Hermann Hesse: Life and Art

by Joseph Mileck

"A critical biography far surpassing the previous ones."-- Times Higher Education Supplement  "There are to be sure many writers whose biographies are more interesting than their fiction but Hesse is not one of these. He led a long and sometimes eventful life with marital tensions, traveL controversy, crises, even some thoughts of suicide and a period of time as a student in a home for retarded and unmanageable. In addition, there was his search which led him through the culture and arts of West and East, his views of politics and society, of psychology and philosophy. The difference between Hesse and other writers is that virtually every shred and patch of his life was brought into his writing, his fiction particularly. 'He had to write about himself and there is little of what he wrote that is not confessional in form and therapeutic in function.' Autobiography is the very matter of his work. Mileck's contribution is to extend and fill out the evidence of his life, his psychoanalysis, his drive toward self-realization which was the very engine of his being, to show the raw material and thus to invite readers to see how it was transmuted, transfigured, fantasized, poeticized, symbolized."-- Los Angeles Times  "Hesse was a prolific author for some 60 years, and his mind drew everything it contemplated into his private wars between flesh and spirit. objectivity and subjectivity, the longings for society and isolation. No one is better qualified to disentangle this abundance than Mileck, compiler of the huge two-volume Hesse bibliography. For completeness, then, no biography in English compares." -- Kirkus Reviews  "Mileck provides his own translations of the German quotations from Hesse's works, and the eight interpretive chapters are thoroughly indexed, making the work readily accessible to researchers and students concerned with specific Hesse questions and themes. This very readable book also contains a number of exceptional photographs, which, together with Mileck's fervor and understanding of the author, help create a living image of Hesse the man and the artist."-- Choice  "Professor Mileck . .. brings to his task an acquaintanceship with Hesse's published and unpublished writings .. . which borders on omniscience. This is a literary biography which concentrates on the works and looks at the life of its subject briefly and always in relation to its involvement with the works . . . [This] is true scholarship, which does not make the book less readable and accessible to the general public. . . . a solid and valuable book which should make it easier . . . to bring [Hesse] back into the orbit of serious appreciation in the English-speaking world." -- Books and Bookmen

Genres: Biography, Biography Memoir, Nonfiction

412 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1978

Reviews

[Matthew W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book analyzing the autobiographical nature of Hermann Hesse's novels. I just wish I had waited until I finished reading all of Hesse's novels before I read this. I will no doubt have to reread this book in the future.

Hesse was a very complicated individual taking influences (from Nietzsche to various Eastern religions) from a variety of places (cutting the fat of what he couldn't use) and eventually ridding himself of things when he no longer had a use for them. Hesse was both hated and loved in Germany whether it was a Nationalist or Pacifist. Despite his criticism of Nazism, his books were were never banned during The Third Reich but later banned during the American occupation for a brief period of time. Despite his conflicted love/hate relationship with Germany, he most feared Europe being Americanized and the Soviet Union destroying Kultur throughout Eastern Germany/Eastern Europe. Steppenwolf is probably Hesse's most autobiographical work and also one of his (if not his) greatest novels. For Hesse initiates, Steppenwolf is probably the best book to start with.

[Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been unconsciously searching for this book since I became obsessed with Hermann Hesse. Having come across it quite unexpectedly at my usual second-hand bookstore, I knew I had to buy it and after reading only the first page, I knew I had struck gold. Mileck delved into all extant material written by or about Hesse and managed to give the reader a book that lays bare not only his life but also his art. Showing him in all aspects, from overly dramatic teenager railing at his parent to solitary writer correcting the misinterpretation of his works, Mileck gives the reader a thorough understanding of the person behind the deeply touching novels and poems. With equal devotion, Mileck analyses the style and word choice that give all of Hesse’s work their “Hessean” quality. He scrutinizes each of his major novels to display the evolving understanding that Hesse had of his own life and the purpose of his art. He follows the traumas of Hesse’s life to show the deep impressions left by each one and the philosophy of life that they created. This is, by-far, the best book I’ve read about Hesse and really helps the reader understand this lonely man and the beautiful art he made.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ideal possible as a dream versus the equivocal definite transpires in the life and writing of Hermann Hesse. It is the matrix of the Glass bead Game ending with Magister Ludi drowning, imitated in that public nuisance in his last years.

[Morthen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tämä alkuperäisteoksesta lyhennetty käännös sisältää paljon tietoa Hermann Hessen elämästä, sen käännekohdista ja niiden liittymäkohdista Hermann Hessen teoksiin.

Pidän itselleni vieraana ylianalysoida kirjailijoiden teoksia, enkä yritä löytää rivien välistä piilomerkityksiä. Joskus on kuitenkin mielenkiintoista saada tietää taustatietoa kirjailijan elämästä ja mahdollisista yhtymäkohdista teoksiin, ja sen jälkeen lukea teokset uudelleen.

Joissakin kohdin tämä kirja sisälsi mielestäni ehkä liikaakin eri Hessen teosten vertailua ja tekstin punaisen langan seuraaminen oli välillä vaikeahkoa, johtuen poikkeamista kronologisesta aikajärjestyksestä, varsinkin kirjan loppuosaa kohti mentäessä. Tästä syystä en antanut itse tälle kirjalle täyttä viittä tähteä.

Itse Hermann Hessen teoksista pitävänä ja kirjalijan elämästä kiinnostuneena, pidin paljon tästä Joseph Mileckin teoksesta. Suosittelen sen lukemista Hermann Hessen kirjoista pitäville.

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Browsed my way through it. Pretty dry. Not my kind of bio, lots of data, dates etc. Keeps circling through the novels, comparing and contrasting.

[Someoneyouknow · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’ve read and enjoyed multiple works by Hesse, I’d definitely recommend this book. It’s not really a biography as it offers only a basic outline of Hesse’s life. I would have liked more details about Hesse’s personal life, especially his relationship with his first wife and his children. However, as a work of literary criticism, it’s very good and comprehensive, as Mileck goes over just about every minor and major Hesse’s work. Of course, he includes plenty of spoilers, but Hesse’s books aren’t so much about the plot as about *how* the story is written and how the reader interprets it.
The author has a fairly low opinion of Hesse’s early works, but he actually piqued my interest with the brief summaries of the short stories he mentions. I disagree with his dismissive attitude towards “Peter Camenzind” (I think it’s a pretty good Bildungsroman/first novel) and some of his interpretations of “Steppenwolf”.
I really appreciated his analysis of “Klein and Wagner” and “Klingsor’s Last Summer”, which are often underappreciated and relatively little-known. He provides the sort of details that one can’t find out just from reading Hesse’s books. In particular, I loved that the author outlined the actual route that Klingsor and co take (which mirrors the one taken by Hesse and his friends). Ahh, I hope to walk there myself one day! <3
Sadly, the analysis of “The Glass Bead Game” takes up a disproportionate amount of space in this book. I haven’t read this novel yet, and while Mileck’s work might be a very useful companion book to TGBG, I’m afraid it sounds quite *gasp* boring. He draws a parallel between TGBG’s protagonist and Narcissus from “Narcissus and Goldmund”, but the great advantage of the latter book is that it focusses on Goldmund and his vagabond lifestyle. Narcissus’ ascetic life can’t fail to seem dull in comparison.
Another criticism I have is that the writer sometimes paraphrases the same ideas, especially in the “The Glass Bead Game” section. At times I wanted to tell Mileck: “Mate, your readers aren’t stupid, we got your point the first time around.”
Despite its shortcomings, this “bio” is great at reminding you why Hesse’s writing is so good. Mileck analyzes his prose on the lexical and syntactic level, showcasing Hesse as a brilliant stylist, and writes very eloquently about the chronological development of Hesse’s style and how the themes and protagonists of his books are interconnected. It was a pleasure to revisit H.H.’s works which I’d already read and this book made me want to check out “Rosshalde”, “The Journey to the East” and his poetry collection “Crisis” (which would be particularly interesting to read alongside “Steppenwolf”).

[James Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fascinating thing about reading of Hermann Hesse's life is how much of that life he incorporated into his writings. Mileck discusses the issues and ideas that Hesse considered in his prolific works. Thus you can read about the dichotomies of flesh and spirit, objectivity and subjectivity, isolation and desire for social interaction.
As one who has enjoyed reading most of Hesse's novels, and recently some of his poetry, I found reading about his life illumnating. I was encouraged to read more Hesse and reread some of my favorites of the past.

[Earl Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must read for any fan of his works. This book allows for a much deeper understanding of those classics.