Reviews

Demian by Hermann Hesse

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_dafni's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

I won't try to review this book but to anyone who plans to read this, I will say that knowledge of Jung's ideas of 'shadow' and 'anima' might add a new dimension to your reading. I was inclined to believe that Hesse wrote novel without knowing Jungian archetypes but apparently he had been treated by one of Jung's students.

rachbreads's review against another edition

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2.0

I have no right to call myself one who knows. I was one who seeks, and I still am, but I no longer seek in the stars or in books; I’m beginning to hear the teachings of my blood pulsing within me.

This book was....very German. So in truth I really disliked it while reading and immediately after reading it. After talking it over with my husband, it seems like Hesse really did capture a somewhat universal experience of adolescent men. I found the protagonist insufferable and impossible to relate to, but that would make sense because he was a teenage boy...I think coming-of-age novels of young men are really not my genre at all. HOWEVER, I read this because of BTS, because one of their albums is based around the storyline and concept of this book. Once I did some more in-depth reading (shout out to fans who do PhD level analysis of pop albums) about how they drew from this book to make the album, I didn't necessarily like the book any more than I previously had but I did understand how it could really have meant a lot to young men trying to grow up in a tough world. So, all things considered, I guess I'm glad I read it, but I think I'll lay off the early 20th-century German classics for a while...

starry_n8ght's review against another edition

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4.0

4.5

“The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born must destroy a world. The bird flies to god. The god is called Abraxas.”

uma grande apreciação pelo meu eu do 8.º ano que andava a acompanhar os BTS e uma storyline com bases tão interessantes

jasmineandsweetbriar's review against another edition

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challenging inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

isthisalice's review against another edition

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4.0

Very striking descriptions of Max Demian. I loved all the biblical, literary and gnostic references (esp Demian’s interpretation of the mark of Cain and Abraxas). The overall atmosphere of the book is mysterious and almost cultish. It kinda got chaotic towards the end, but the ending makes up for it. They’re gay as shit btw