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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
This was swallowed the same period as Steppenwolf. I recall this one for the inclusion of jazz in its milieu. Not much of a chance for a return.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
favourite of all time! thankfully read it just around the time of my own coming of age
Hermann Hesse's Demian held me spellbound the entire book. I first heard about the book while I was traveling through Portland with some friends. A German accountant (friend of a friend of a friend...) told me about Herman Hesse and recommended Demian as a good way to get my feet wet with his literature. Sinclair's self discovery in the book is an interesting walk through adolescence, spirituality and the bonds with others- always portrayed with a dual nature. From talking about Araxis to the two charcters Damian and Frau Ava, the book has a type of symmetry that was delightful to the mind.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Demian is a beguiling story with a cocktail of interesting qualities. It is at once ugly, selfish and disdainful, yet also luminous and intimate. Resonant.
Vulnerability is the true ingredient, the one that brings the narrative it's particular texture and flavor . It speaks to the lonely, the singular, the anxious. It speaks of spirituals and academics and social outcasts; those marked by God. One cannot help but wonder the path one’s life may have taken, had they found this book earlier. At least, that’s how it was for me. There were moments that felt as if Sinclair had somehow lifted and poured from the contents of my own soul and passed them off as his own. Part of me says, “If only I had understood myself; if only I had understood human nature this way before.”
Then again, as Lady Eve would affirm, it makes little sense to entertain these thoughts. Every moment in life, each moment of motion or stagnancy, of creation or stillness will somehow be one to lure you towards your inner Self. The path to one"s Self may not be linear or even have a true ending, but it is inevitable. It is only your task to realize it.
Vulnerability is the true ingredient, the one that brings the narrative it's particular texture and flavor . It speaks to the lonely, the singular, the anxious. It speaks of spirituals and academics and social outcasts; those marked by God. One cannot help but wonder the path one’s life may have taken, had they found this book earlier. At least, that’s how it was for me. There were moments that felt as if Sinclair had somehow lifted and poured from the contents of my own soul and passed them off as his own. Part of me says, “If only I had understood myself; if only I had understood human nature this way before.”
Then again, as Lady Eve would affirm, it makes little sense to entertain these thoughts. Every moment in life, each moment of motion or stagnancy, of creation or stillness will somehow be one to lure you towards your inner Self. The path to one"s Self may not be linear or even have a true ending, but it is inevitable. It is only your task to realize it.
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
mysterious
reflective
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
A very Hesse book. This is my third Hesse book(I've read Siddhartha 3-4 times and Narcissus and Goldmund), so I've become acquainted with his themes. If nothing else, Hesse makes you THINK.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: War
Women aren't really characters in Hesse, unfortunately. They are very very important, but they are more ideals or plot devices. Just be aware!
Kind of like a coming-of-age story by the love child of Jung and Nietzsche. I enjoyed it but am probably a little too old to get the full effect.
E' indubbio che Hermann Hesse sia uno dei grandi scrittori del XX secolo. Anche questo breve racconto, Demian, e' scritto molto bene e contiene parecchi spunti di riflessione.
E' la storia del giovane Emil Sinclair (narrata da lui stesso) che ripercorre la sua crescita spirituale, partendo dai tempi della scuola elementare e arrivando all'universita'. Lungo questo percorso, Sinclair e' guidato da alcuni amici, tra cui Max Demian. Sinclair impara a valorizzare l'individualita', composta dalla sintesi di due mondi (bene e male, giorno e notte...), che viene contrapposta al dualismo, alla separazione del bene contro il male. Ma si toccano anche altri temi, quali l'importanza di comprendere e compiere il proprio destino, e la contrapposizione tra chi segue "il gregge" (senza domandarsi se sia giusto o sbagliato) e chi invece cerca di comprendere la propria individualita' e di seguire i propri sogni.
Vorrei rileggerlo nuovamente in futuro, per capirlo e approfondirlo meglio.
E' la storia del giovane Emil Sinclair (narrata da lui stesso) che ripercorre la sua crescita spirituale, partendo dai tempi della scuola elementare e arrivando all'universita'. Lungo questo percorso, Sinclair e' guidato da alcuni amici, tra cui Max Demian. Sinclair impara a valorizzare l'individualita', composta dalla sintesi di due mondi (bene e male, giorno e notte...), che viene contrapposta al dualismo, alla separazione del bene contro il male. Ma si toccano anche altri temi, quali l'importanza di comprendere e compiere il proprio destino, e la contrapposizione tra chi segue "il gregge" (senza domandarsi se sia giusto o sbagliato) e chi invece cerca di comprendere la propria individualita' e di seguire i propri sogni.
Vorrei rileggerlo nuovamente in futuro, per capirlo e approfondirlo meglio.
Christelijk en Duits: mijn fav combo... De "vriendschap" van sinclair en demian maakte het nog wel iets beter