Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My inspiration for reading Demian by Hermann Hesse was BTS. I had discovered Demian had been an inspiration for their WINGS album. So, naturally, I had to read the book myself and see if I could find any parallels between the book and BTS's songs.
I think that BTS definitely drew inspiration from Demian. But I'm not sure if you could say they drew inspiration from the entire thing? For the first half, I could definitely see some similarities or direct lines connecting the book and WINGS. But for the second half of the book, it was less clear to me.
While reading the book, the word ambiguous kept coming to mind. Demian is a wide and strange book. I could grasp what the author/characters were trying to convey but at some points, it all went over my head. But still, at other points, things would make complete sense to me because I had had some of the same thoughts before. It was peculiar. To quote one of the reviews on the back of the book by the New York Review of Books; "rich and strange".
I think that BTS definitely drew inspiration from Demian. But I'm not sure if you could say they drew inspiration from the entire thing? For the first half, I could definitely see some similarities or direct lines connecting the book and WINGS. But for the second half of the book, it was less clear to me.
While reading the book, the word ambiguous kept coming to mind. Demian is a wide and strange book. I could grasp what the author/characters were trying to convey but at some points, it all went over my head. But still, at other points, things would make complete sense to me because I had had some of the same thoughts before. It was peculiar. To quote one of the reviews on the back of the book by the New York Review of Books; "rich and strange".
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
A story recounting the misery that is the end of childhood and the struggle that follows to accept a world that is not perfect but beautiful nonetheless.
"I had forgotten that the world could still be so lovely. I had grown accustomed to living within myself. I was resigned to the knowledge that I had lost all appreciation of the outside world, that the loss of my childhood, and that, in a certain sense, one had to pay for freedom and maturity of the soul with the renunciation of this cherished aura"
"I had forgotten that the world could still be so lovely. I had grown accustomed to living within myself. I was resigned to the knowledge that I had lost all appreciation of the outside world, that the loss of my childhood, and that, in a certain sense, one had to pay for freedom and maturity of the soul with the renunciation of this cherished aura"
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Needed it
A very interesting book, and I really liked the evolution of Sinclair as a character. Deep in its depiction of the world from the perspective of a fervently faithful child who sees his world turn to the darkness, who then learns to embrace this earthly world thanks to Max. Max Demian, in turn, was a extremely interesting character, this mystic guide that aids Sinclair in his spiritual awakening, as well as people like Pistorius who also serve the same goal.
All in all, I think the bits with Eva were the weakest, as it felt rather sudden and underwhelming of a revelation, when the marked are introduced, then the war. The final parts were satisfying, and very narratively conclusive, but overall, it felt a lot more disperse than the rest of the work.
All in all, however, it was an enjoyable read with a very strong character and a very satisfying development.
All in all, I think the bits with Eva were the weakest, as it felt rather sudden and underwhelming of a revelation, when the marked are introduced, then the war. The final parts were satisfying, and very narratively conclusive, but overall, it felt a lot more disperse than the rest of the work.
All in all, however, it was an enjoyable read with a very strong character and a very satisfying development.
I absolutely loved the first half of this book. I thought Hesse perfectly captured the angst of growing up and stomaching that the world (and its patrons) is cruel. As for the second half, maybe it went too over my head and that’s a me problem, but I did not understand the spiritual change in Sinclair. Rather actually, I understood the need for spiritual change but became lost amongst all the silly symbolism, especially with regards to Demian’s mother. Really strange.