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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Steppenwolf dissects the nuances of the human soul, life as a purgatory between nature and spirit, and the yearning of the individual to be part of something greater. The titular protagonist serves as a vessel through which the luridness of post-modern life passes. His experience is relatable only to himself and a select group of outcasts: his self-inflicted removal from society derives from his constant critique of modernity and his inability to embrace it. The Magic Theater, a highly irrational place, turns his concerns on their head, reflecting the condition of life in its unexplainable, unusual, and laughable entirety. We dance to beautiful music distorted through a gramophone; immortal greats persist in our janky modern lives.
Take some Indian metaphysical philosophy, blend with popular Nietzchean thought, tone it down with bitter sprinklings of Schopenhauer-lite rumination and serve chilly.
This is a weird little book, but it has a simple central message: that of the multiplicity of the self. Our main protagonist, Harry Haller, is the self-described Steppenwolf - a man who struggles to reconcile the two sides of his self, the Man (who is civilised, appreciative of fine arts) and the Wolf (animalistic, short-tempered, carnal). He believes himself to be an outsider, unsuited to the frivolities of contemporary jazz music, friendly small-talk and other bourgeois pursuits. He's basically a neckbeard, but one driven to suicidal urges in order to escape his chronic ennui.
With the help of a mysterious pamphlet, a playfully condescending flapper called Hermine and a magical circus, Harry finds redemption: his ultimate realisation being that the self is not merely cleaved into two natures, Wolf and Man, but multiple dozens, hundreds, thousands of selves.
I like this idea: it is a critique of the aesthetically bourgeois lifestyle, in which happiness is sought in Aristotelian middle-of-the-road life choices; avoid extremes, just aim to be comfortable. The message of Steppenwolf is that we should come to recognise the limitations we set for ourselves, examine and express our unfulfilled desires. Harry manages this by smashing his self-made Steppenwolf dichotomy and giving in to his multiple selves. He becomes someone who embraces sex, drugs, dancing and jazz, while still retaining his love for Goethe and Mozart. He is allowed to express himself as a lover and a killer and in doing so he is reborn.
(As an aside, I have to remark on the book's historical context, and what Hesse observes about inter-war German society: he ridicules the complacency, prejudices and bitter patriotism of the German middle classes, and makes some interesting remarks that seem to predict the war that was to come. It's remarkable how prescient some German novels of the time were; see also Hans Fallada's [b:A Small Circus|17470793|A Small Circus|Hans Fallada|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1368097080s/17470793.jpg|17356034].)
Anyway, though I liked the philosophy, I thought it was too derivative and I was not taken in by the novel's style as a whole. Maybe this packaging of misanthropy and licentiousness was a bold and revolutionary statement at the time, but reading it now, it all seems a bit jejune. However, all books have their place, and this one belongs in the hands of a bearded English undergrad in an independent coffee shop while he surreptitiously scans the room to see if anybody has noticed how dark and edgy he is.
This is a weird little book, but it has a simple central message: that of the multiplicity of the self. Our main protagonist, Harry Haller, is the self-described Steppenwolf - a man who struggles to reconcile the two sides of his self, the Man (who is civilised, appreciative of fine arts) and the Wolf (animalistic, short-tempered, carnal). He believes himself to be an outsider, unsuited to the frivolities of contemporary jazz music, friendly small-talk and other bourgeois pursuits. He's basically a neckbeard, but one driven to suicidal urges in order to escape his chronic ennui.
With the help of a mysterious pamphlet, a playfully condescending flapper called Hermine and a magical circus, Harry finds redemption: his ultimate realisation being that the self is not merely cleaved into two natures, Wolf and Man, but multiple dozens, hundreds, thousands of selves.
I like this idea: it is a critique of the aesthetically bourgeois lifestyle, in which happiness is sought in Aristotelian middle-of-the-road life choices; avoid extremes, just aim to be comfortable. The message of Steppenwolf is that we should come to recognise the limitations we set for ourselves, examine and express our unfulfilled desires. Harry manages this by smashing his self-made Steppenwolf dichotomy and giving in to his multiple selves. He becomes someone who embraces sex, drugs, dancing and jazz, while still retaining his love for Goethe and Mozart. He is allowed to express himself as a lover and a killer and in doing so he is reborn.
(As an aside, I have to remark on the book's historical context, and what Hesse observes about inter-war German society: he ridicules the complacency, prejudices and bitter patriotism of the German middle classes, and makes some interesting remarks that seem to predict the war that was to come. It's remarkable how prescient some German novels of the time were; see also Hans Fallada's [b:A Small Circus|17470793|A Small Circus|Hans Fallada|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1368097080s/17470793.jpg|17356034].)
Anyway, though I liked the philosophy, I thought it was too derivative and I was not taken in by the novel's style as a whole. Maybe this packaging of misanthropy and licentiousness was a bold and revolutionary statement at the time, but reading it now, it all seems a bit jejune. However, all books have their place, and this one belongs in the hands of a bearded English undergrad in an independent coffee shop while he surreptitiously scans the room to see if anybody has noticed how dark and edgy he is.
There was a point at which I found the story far too heavy and I was no longer enjoying it.
My sister told me that I am like the Steppenwolf, which was what prompted me to read this book, having never read Hesse before.
a remarkable book by a fantastic writer & thinker
there's a portion of preamble that at first I found hard to gain entrance, and so put the book down for a time, but upon returning and getting to the heart of the tale, it really took off.
Steppenwolf is an existential and metaphysical journey, when a despairing 50-year old intellectual learns to dance, love, and enjoy the little things of life, he begins to discover his manifold nature
lyrical, poetic, and rich, Hesse's writing is lucid and at times ethereal -- a really beautiful book that affirms, inspires, and continues to resonate
there's a portion of preamble that at first I found hard to gain entrance, and so put the book down for a time, but upon returning and getting to the heart of the tale, it really took off.
Steppenwolf is an existential and metaphysical journey, when a despairing 50-year old intellectual learns to dance, love, and enjoy the little things of life, he begins to discover his manifold nature
lyrical, poetic, and rich, Hesse's writing is lucid and at times ethereal -- a really beautiful book that affirms, inspires, and continues to resonate
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
¡Qué manera de mezclar realidad y ficción! Desde el realismo exacerbado de los bares nocturnos y las pensiones de aire familiar hasta figuras cambiantes a cada minuto. Y comparar la personalidad con la combinación de las piezas en un juego de ajedrez. El macabro asesinato con tintes de romántico de Armanda y un Mozart radioyente que se convierte en uno de los mejores amigos del protagonista.
Justo mientras Harry asesinaba a Armanda con un puñal, escuchaba de fondo Bohemian Rhapsody de Queen y casi se me han escapado las lágrimas. Pero no sé si eran por Armanda o por el muchacho de la canción.
Creo que he entendido más o menos el libro: se trata de una alegoría del ser antisocial por naturaleza, llegando al final de su vida y dándose cuenta de que nunca ha amado ni aprendido a bailar. Cuando le enseñan todo esto descubre que puede ser tan agradable como su preciado mundo interior. Aunque Armanda le comprende. Muchas veces estas personas no están solas pero metidas en su mente en un fastuoso mundo de fantasía (representado por el teatro) no miran a su alrededor y no pueden verlas.
La realidad y la ficción están mezcladas y barajadas con maestría. Sólo le encuentro, quizá, demasiado lirismo.
Justo mientras Harry asesinaba a Armanda con un puñal, escuchaba de fondo Bohemian Rhapsody de Queen y casi se me han escapado las lágrimas. Pero no sé si eran por Armanda o por el muchacho de la canción.
Creo que he entendido más o menos el libro: se trata de una alegoría del ser antisocial por naturaleza, llegando al final de su vida y dándose cuenta de que nunca ha amado ni aprendido a bailar. Cuando le enseñan todo esto descubre que puede ser tan agradable como su preciado mundo interior. Aunque Armanda le comprende. Muchas veces estas personas no están solas pero metidas en su mente en un fastuoso mundo de fantasía (representado por el teatro) no miran a su alrededor y no pueden verlas.
La realidad y la ficción están mezcladas y barajadas con maestría. Sólo le encuentro, quizá, demasiado lirismo.
dark
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced