I’ve loved the writing of Hermann Hesse ever since I first read Siddhartha in my teens, but until now I had never read any of his short fiction. This collection translated by Jack Zipes includes twenty-two stories dated from 1904 to 1918—before the novels that I associate so fondly with my young adulthood: Demian (1919), Siddhartha (1922), Steppenwolf (1927), and Journey to the East (1932).
Since I enjoyed some of the stories more than others, I’ll rate them separately.
“The Dwarf” (1904) is set in an aristocratic household in Venice. This tale of love and revenge introduces a theme that will be found in several of the stories collected here ~ the persecution of an artistic sensibility. ★★★★★
“Shadow Play” (1906) is a tale of love and murder that also features aristocratic characters. And once again it is a gentle soul who suffers. ★★★★☆
“A Man by the Name of Ziegler” (1908) is a critique of Man. Like a fairy tale, it has magic and talking animals, but the magic is in the form of the pseudoscience of alchemy. (This story also appears in Stories of Five Decades, translated by Ralph Manheim.) ★★★★☆
“The City” (1910) is one of my favorites. It tells of the rise and fall of a city. I like the way Hesse takes a long view of history. (This story also appears in Stories of Five Decades, translated by Ralph Manheim.) ★★★★★
“Dr. Knoegle’s End” (1910) is about a vegetarian. Like in “The Dwarf” and “Shadow Play,” it is the sensitive man who suffers persecution. ★★★☆☆
“The Beautiful Dream” (1912) is another of my favorites. It’s a dream and I’m fascinated by dreams. I love the otherworldly quality of this story. It reminds me a little of some of George MacDonald’s stories. ★★★★★
“The Three Linden Trees” (1912) is a parable-like fairy tale about the loyalty and love between three brothers. ★★★☆☆
“Augustus” (1913) has a magical grandfather who grants wishes. Some of the stories in this book are more like fairy tales than others and “Augustus” is one of the ones that is most like a traditional fairy tale. ★★★★★
“The Poet” (1913) is an otherworldly tale of a poet. This otherworldly quality is what I most enjoy in Hesse’s work. ★★★★★
“Flute Dream” (1914) is likewise an otherworldly tale of a poet. Between this and “The Poet,” I prefer “The Poet,” but “The Flute” is still a five-star story. ★★★★★
“A Dream About the Gods” (1914) is a dream about science and myth. I like Hesse’s dream stories, but this is not among the best. ★★★☆☆
In “Strange News from Another Planet” (1915), a young man magically travels from his utopian planet to planet Earth. Fortunately for him, after his return he forgets it all as if it had been a dream. ★★★★★
“Faldum” (1916) is another story that uses the fairy tale element of wish-granting. Like “The City,” it also takes the long view of history, this time observed by a mountain who was once a man. ★★★★★
“A Dream Sequence” (1916) is a dream. The dreams in this collection are different from the stories. They are not stories presented as dreams. They are dreams presented as stories. This is not to say that Hesse actually dreamed these dreams. Maybe he did and maybe he didn’t. It’s just that they have the surreal and disconnected quality that dreams have. ★★★★☆
“The Forest Dweller” (1917) presents the mythic minds of prehistory. It seems like a counterpoint to “A Dream About the Gods.” ★★★☆☆
“The Difficult Path” (1917) is a cryptic story. Is it a dream or isn’t it? Is this what it’s like to be born? ★★★☆☆
“If the War Continues” (1917) presents a dystopian future. In such a world, it’s good to have the magical ability to transcend reality. ★★★★★
“The European” (1918) is a parable about war and other races. Set on Noah’s ark, it critiques European culture. ★★★★★
“The Empire” (1918) is the story of the rise and fall of a nation. It is not quite as long of a view as “The City,” but it is similar. ★★★★☆
In “The Painter” (1918), an artist discovers his relationship with the world. This is one of many stories about artists, poets, and other creative people. ★★★★☆
“The Fairy Tale About the Wicker Chair” (1918) deserves to be called a fairy tale. After all, the chair does talk. This is the tale of a painter who is unable to become an artist. ★★★☆☆
“Iris” (1918) is my absolute favorite story in this book. If every other story had been a dud, this collection would be worth owning for “Iris” alone. It’s a ‘blue flower’ story, and anyone who loves Novalis will love this too. Five stars are not enough. It deserves a whole galaxy of stars. ★★★★★
The best of Hermann Hesse can be summed up in this passage from “Iris.”
“All children, as long as they still live in the mystery, are continuously occupied in their souls with the only thing that is important, which is themselves and their enigmatic relationship to the world around them. Seekers and wise people return to these preoccupations as they mature. Most people, however, forget and leave forever this inner world of the truly significant very early in their lives. Like lost souls they wander about for their entire lives in the multicolored maze of worries, wishes, and goals, none of which dwells in their innermost being and none of which leads them to their innermost core and home” (248).
Hesse is one of these wise people. As a seeker of wisdom myself, I consider myself blessed to have him as one of my guides and companions on the journey home.