Understanding Hermann Hesse: The Man, His Myth, His Metaphor

Understanding Modern European and Latin American Literature

by Lewis W. Tusken

Written for the new generation of students and general readers now discovering the novelist, Understanding Hermann Hesse unravels the stylistic mysteries that traditionally have complicated interpretation of the noted German writer. Tusken clarifies the web of structural patterns that distinguish the Hesse canon; he also reveals the timelessness of the writer's thematic concerns and the timeliness - given the religious experimentation of the current age - of his spiritual quest. Making the case that Hesse deserves renewed, more thoughtful attention from critics and scholars, Tusken identifies the themes that tie seemingly disparate novels together. He sheds light on often overlooked nuances of duality motifs and image-metaphor variations that characterize Hesse's progressive thematic continuum. In addition, Tusken focuses on the importance of a biographical approach in understanding this self-proclaimed confessional writer. Recounting major events in Hesse's life, Tusken appraises their effect on the novelist's search for self and for the meaning of human existence.

253 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1998

Reviews

[Carlos · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading Kathleen McNerney’s “Understanding Gabriel Garcia Marquez” I was impressed by her analysis of the structure and language of GGM’s novels I had hoped to find a similar analysis of Hesse’s novels in this volume. While Tusken’s thematic analysis was not at all bad, it wasn’t what I had hoped for this volume. His work falls in line with Kurt J Fickert’s “Hermann Hesse's Quest: The Evolution Of The Dichter Figure In His Work” and Joseph Mileck’s “Hermann Hesse: Life and Art”, as such it didn’t present any new ideas to me. Nonetheless, I have no doubts that any reader who hasn’t read other works of Hessian analysis will be well served by this volume. Tusken has really done his homework and his analysis digs deep into Hesse’s personal life as well as the comments Hesse made about the erroneous analysis he had read of his work, especially as they obviate Hesse’s use of humor and his fundamental optimism.