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Augustus
Augustus is a short fairy tale by Hermann Hesse that deals philosophically with “The Dorian Gray syndrome”, a cultural and societal phenomenon characterized by a man's extreme pride in his personal appearance accompanied by difficulties in coping with the requirements of psychological maturation, with relationships, with growing up and with aging.
"Dorian Gray syndrome" refers to the protagonist of Oscar Wilde's novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” where an exceptionally handsome man discovers that hedonism and excessive self-love can be detrimental to his personal, social, and emotional growth.
In Hermann Hesse's Augustus, Elisabeth, a poor but lovely young woman is faced with her young husband's death shortly after discovering that she is pregnant. After giving birth to her fatherless child, an old neighbor of hers offers to grant her one single wish that she can make with regards to her child's future. Elisabeth makes the wish that everyone who meets her child should love him.
Augustus, Elisabeth's son, develops symptoms of Dorian Gray syndrome and becomes narcissistic in his character and emotionally immature. He later falls into depression and attempts to commit suicide. Luckily for Augustus, his godfather, who granted his mother her wish, saves him and offer to grant him another wish to correct his life path.
In this 1913 short philosophical fiction, Hermann Hesse is clearly influenced by Oscar Wilde's 1890's classic “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, however Hesse treats the evolution of the story, its progress and its ending in a somehow spiritual light.
The short fairy tale, which appeared in Hesse's 1919 Fairy Tales collection “Märchen” has acquired a cult following in the German speaking world over the years, similar to that of Oscar Wilde's classic inspiration.
This work is a new translation of the original short fairy tale classic.
"Dorian Gray syndrome" refers to the protagonist of Oscar Wilde's novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” where an exceptionally handsome man discovers that hedonism and excessive self-love can be detrimental to his personal, social, and emotional growth.
In Hermann Hesse's Augustus, Elisabeth, a poor but lovely young woman is faced with her young husband's death shortly after discovering that she is pregnant. After giving birth to her fatherless child, an old neighbor of hers offers to grant her one single wish that she can make with regards to her child's future. Elisabeth makes the wish that everyone who meets her child should love him.
Augustus, Elisabeth's son, develops symptoms of Dorian Gray syndrome and becomes narcissistic in his character and emotionally immature. He later falls into depression and attempts to commit suicide. Luckily for Augustus, his godfather, who granted his mother her wish, saves him and offer to grant him another wish to correct his life path.
In this 1913 short philosophical fiction, Hermann Hesse is clearly influenced by Oscar Wilde's 1890's classic “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, however Hesse treats the evolution of the story, its progress and its ending in a somehow spiritual light.
The short fairy tale, which appeared in Hesse's 1919 Fairy Tales collection “Märchen” has acquired a cult following in the German speaking world over the years, similar to that of Oscar Wilde's classic inspiration.
This work is a new translation of the original short fairy tale classic.
24 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1913
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92 people want to read
About the author
Hermann Hesse
1,821 books19.8k followersMany 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 19, 2022
یادم اومد اگه اشتباه نکنم، پارسال همین موقع ها بود که کتاب صوتی "آگوستوس" از هرمان هسه رو از اَپ ایران صدا گوش دادم. (اولین کتاب صوتی ای که با این اَپ شروع کردم)
این نویسنده از سالها پیش منو با کتاب "دمیان" مجذوب خودش کرده.
در مورد "آگوستوس" هم می تونم بگم، هم صدای گوینده ها جذاب بود و هم داستان جادویی.
طوری که هنوز به یاد آواز فرشته ها میوفتم..
این نویسنده از سالها پیش منو با کتاب "دمیان" مجذوب خودش کرده.
در مورد "آگوستوس" هم می تونم بگم، هم صدای گوینده ها جذاب بود و هم داستان جادویی.
طوری که هنوز به یاد آواز فرشته ها میوفتم..
November 19, 2024
ناراحتم که کمتر از این شاهکار ساده ی هرمان هسه صحبت میشه.
اول فکر میکردک اگه فرزندی داشتم براش ارزو میکردم که خیلی زود بفهمه که معنای وجود این دنیا چیه. اما در پایان فهمیدم هیچ ارزوی خوبی وجود نداره و نکته کل داستان برای من تنها همینه و بس.
اول فکر میکردک اگه فرزندی داشتم براش ارزو میکردم که خیلی زود بفهمه که معنای وجود این دنیا چیه. اما در پایان فهمیدم هیچ ارزوی خوبی وجود نداره و نکته کل داستان برای من تنها همینه و بس.
November 6, 2020
هل تدرك معنى الحياه !
March 28, 2020
یه داستانِ نه چندان شناخته شده از هرمان هسه.
داستان پسر بچه ای که به شبِ به دنیا آمدنش پدرخوانده اش به مادرش میگه در فلان زمان که موسیقی از اتاق من پخش میشه برای فرزندت آرزویی بکن. مادر هم بعد از کلی فکر کردن تصمیم میگیره که آرزو کنه پسرش محبوبِ همه بشه. این آرزو همانا و شروع داستانهای زندگی این پسرک همانا...
در کل کتاب جالبیه. من اولین کتابی بود که از هرمان هسه میخواندم و شروع خوبی بود برای آشنایی با سبک و نثر نویسنده.
داستان پسر بچه ای که به شبِ به دنیا آمدنش پدرخوانده اش به مادرش میگه در فلان زمان که موسیقی از اتاق من پخش میشه برای فرزندت آرزویی بکن. مادر هم بعد از کلی فکر کردن تصمیم میگیره که آرزو کنه پسرش محبوبِ همه بشه. این آرزو همانا و شروع داستانهای زندگی این پسرک همانا...
در کل کتاب جالبیه. من اولین کتابی بود که از هرمان هسه میخواندم و شروع خوبی بود برای آشنایی با سبک و نثر نویسنده.
October 6, 2018
The miracle of love!
A simple story however quite deep. Reading it takes a little time but thinking about it needs a lot of time.
A simple story however quite deep. Reading it takes a little time but thinking about it needs a lot of time.
June 22, 2025
چه نفرینیه همه دوستت داشته باشند.
اولش فکر کردم اگه فرزندی داشتم و میتونستم براش آرزویی کنم من چی رو انتخاب میکردم به خودم وقت دادم تا آخر داستان بهش فکر کنم و خب به این نتیجه رسیدم کمال هرچیزی رو خواستن در واقع واسش نفرین میشد.
هسه نشون میده که «دوستداشتنی بودن از طرف همه»، بهجای اینکه خوشبختی بیاره، باعث گم شدن آدم میشه.
چون وقتی برای همه خوبی، کمکم هیچی برای خودت نمیمونه.
تو میشی یه آینه؛ فقط بازتابِ خواستههای بقیه.
و هیچ آینهای نمیتونه خودش رو ببینه.
اولش فکر کردم اگه فرزندی داشتم و میتونستم براش آرزویی کنم من چی رو انتخاب میکردم به خودم وقت دادم تا آخر داستان بهش فکر کنم و خب به این نتیجه رسیدم کمال هرچیزی رو خواستن در واقع واسش نفرین میشد.
هسه نشون میده که «دوستداشتنی بودن از طرف همه»، بهجای اینکه خوشبختی بیاره، باعث گم شدن آدم میشه.
چون وقتی برای همه خوبی، کمکم هیچی برای خودت نمیمونه.
تو میشی یه آینه؛ فقط بازتابِ خواستههای بقیه.
و هیچ آینهای نمیتونه خودش رو ببینه.
September 29, 2024
perfect
Simple,effective prose.beautifully translated. A meaningful story conveying most of what is importantly in life - that takes half an hour to read. No wonder he got a Nobel prize
Simple,effective prose.beautifully translated. A meaningful story conveying most of what is importantly in life - that takes half an hour to read. No wonder he got a Nobel prize
April 12, 2022
3.5 ★
“But don’t you want to see the angels dance once more?”
“But don’t you want to see the angels dance once more?”
December 11, 2022
Love can be known only through its absence.
Beauty can be known only through its absence.
Only when we love the absence of love and beauty, do we recognize the real beauty of love.
Beauty can be known only through its absence.
Only when we love the absence of love and beauty, do we recognize the real beauty of love.
June 11, 2024
**still a good wish to have
February 10, 2026
هیچ ارزوی کاملا درستی برای یه انسان وجود نداره
مادرها گاهی بخاطر علاقه ی زیادشون به بچها میتونن باعث نابودی زندگیشون بشن
واقعا بی نظیر بود🤝🏻⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
مادرها گاهی بخاطر علاقه ی زیادشون به بچها میتونن باعث نابودی زندگیشون بشن
واقعا بی نظیر بود🤝🏻⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 8, 2012
საყვარელი ზღაპარია <3
February 1, 2017
it was amazing book. i like it
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews