hè 'ěr màn · hēi sài（ HermannHesse） yú 1919 zhì 1922 nián jiān chuàng zuò de、 yǐ yìn dù wéi bèi jǐng de fā zhǎn xiǎo shuō《 xī dá duō zǎo yī shǒu yìn dù shī》（ Siddartha － EineindischeDichtung）。 tōng guò duì zhù rén gōng xī dá duō shēn shàng de liǎng gè “ zì wǒ ” zǎo lǐ xìng de wú xiàn de“ zì wǒ” hé gǎn xìng de yòu xiàn de“ zì wǒ” zǎo zài qí shēng mìng jìn chéng zhōng de miáo xiě， hēi sài tàn tǎo liǎo gè rén rú hé zài yòu xiàn de shēng mìng zhōng zhuī qiú wú xiàn de、 yǒng héng de rén shēng jìng jiè de wèn tí， cóng zhōng dú zhě jì kě yǐ dòng chá chū zuò jiā duì rén xìng de rè 'ài yǔ jìng wèi， duì rén shēng hé yǔ zhòu de chōng mǎn ruì zhì de jué jiě， yòu néng gòu gǎn shòu dào tā zhēn duì dì yī cì shì jiè dà zhàn zhī hòu rén lèi suǒ shòu de jīng shén chuāngshāng duì chuán tǒng de rén dào zhù yì lǐ xiǎng de hū huàn hé xiàng wǎng， tóng shí， hái kě yǐ lǐng lüè dào zuò wéi xī fāng rén de zuò zhě duì dōng fāng yóu qí shì zhōng guó sī xiǎng zhì huì de jiē shòu yǔ jiè jiàn。
The book, Hesse's ninth novel, was written in German, in a simple yet powerful and lyrical style. It was first published in 1922, after Hesse had spent some time in India in the 1910s. It was published in the U.S. in 1951 and became influential during the 1960s. Hesse dedicated Siddhartha to Romain Rolland, "my dear friend".
The word Siddhartha is made up of two words in the Sanskrit language, siddha (achieved) + artha (meaning or wealth). The two words together mean "he who has found meaning (of existence)" or "he who has attained his goals". The Buddha's name, before his renunciation, was Prince Siddhartha Gautama. In this book, the Buddha is referred to as "Gotama".
Plot summary
The story takes place in ancient India around the time of Gautama Buddha (likely between the fourth and seventh centuries BC). It starts as Siddhartha, the son of a Brahmin, leaves his home to join the ascetics with his companion Govinda. The two set out in the search of enlightenment. Siddhartha goes through a series of changes and realizations as he attempts to achieve this goal.
Experience is the aggregate of conscious events experienced by a human in life – it connotes participation, learning and knowledge. Understanding is comprehension and internalization. In Hesse’s novel Siddhartha, experience is shown as the best way to approach understanding of reality and attain enlightenment – Hesse’s crafting of Siddhartha’s journey shows that understanding is attained not through scholastic, mind-dependent methods, nor through immersing oneself in the carnal pleasures of the world and the accompanying pain of samsara; however, it is the totality of these experiences that allow Siddhartha to attain understanding.
Thus, the individual events are meaningless when considered by themselves—Siddhartha’s stay with the samanas and his immersion in the worlds of love and business do not lead to nirvana, yet they cannot be considered distractions, for every action and event that is undertaken and happens to Siddhartha helps him to achieve understanding. The sum of these events is thus experience.
For example, Siddhartha’s passionate and pained love for his son is an experience that teaches him empathy; he is able to understand childlike people after this experience. Previously, though he was immersed in samsara, he could not comprehend childlike people’s motivations and lives. And while samsara clung to him and made him ill and sick of it, he was unable to understand the nature of samsara. Experience of samsara at this point did not lead to understanding; perhaps it even hindered him. In contrast to this, Siddhartha’s experience with his son allows him to love, something he has not managed to do before; once again, the love itself does not lead to understanding.
The novel ends with Siddhartha being a ferryman, learning from a river, and at long last at peace and capturing the essence of his journey:
Slower, he walked along in his thoughts and asked himself: “But what is this, what you have sought to learn from teachings and from teachers, and what they, who have taught you much, were still unable to teach you?” And he found: “It was the self, the purpose and essence of which I sought to learn. It was the self, I wanted to free myself from, which I sought to overcome. But I was not able to overcome it, could only deceive it, could only flee from it, only hide from it. Truly, no thing in this world has kept my thoughts thus busy, as this my very own self, this mystery of me being alive, of me being one and being separated and isolated from all others, of me being Siddhartha! And there is no thing in this world I know less about than about me, about Siddhartha!”
Major themes
A major preoccupation of Hesse in writing Siddhartha was to cure his 'sickness with life' (Lebenskrankheit) by immersing himself in Indian philosophy such as that expounded in the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. The reason the second half of the book took so long to write was that Hesse "had not experienced that transcendental state of unity to which Siddhartha aspires. In an attempt to do so, Hesse lived as a virtual semi-recluse and became totally immersed in the sacred teachings of both Hindu and Buddhist scriptures. His intention was to attain to that 'completeness' which, in the novel, is the Buddha's badge of distinction." The novel is structured on three of the traditional stages of life for Hindu males (student (brahmacarin), householder (grihastha) and recluse/renunciate (vanaprastha)) as well as the Buddha's four noble truths (Part One) and eight-fold path (Part Two) which form twelve chapters, the number in the novel. Ralph Freedman mentions how Hesse commented in a letter "[m]y Siddhartha does not, in the end, learn true wisdom from any teacher, but from a river that roars in a funny way and from a kindly old fool who always smiles and is secretly a saint." In a lecture about Siddhartha, Hesse claimed "Buddha's way to salvation has often been criticized and doubted, because it is thought to be wholly grounded in cognition. True, but it's not just intellectual cognition, not just learning and knowing, but spiritual experience that can be earned only through strict discipline in a selfless life." Freedman also points out how Siddhartha described Hesse's interior dialectic: "All of the contrasting poles of his life were sharply etched: the restless departures and the search for stillness at home; the diversity of experience and the harmony of a unifying spirit; the security of religious dogma and the anxiety of freedom."
Film versions
A film version entitled Siddhartha was released in 1972. It starred Shashi Kapoor and was directed by Conrad Rooks. It is currently available on DVD.
In 1971, a surrealistic adaptation as a musical Western was released as Zachariah. John Rubinstein starred in the title role and George Englund was the director. Don Johnson played Matthew, the equivalent of Govinda.
English translations
In recent years several American publishers have commissioned new translations of the novel, which had previously been impossible because of copyright restrictions. In addition to these newer translations, Hilda Rosner's original 1951 translation is still being sold in a number of reprint editions put out by various publishers. The newest translations include:
* Modern Library, a translation by Susan Bernofsky, foreword by Tom Robbins, translator's preface (2006).
* Penguin, a translation by Joachim Neugroschel, introduction by Ralph Freedman, translator's note (2002).
* Barnes & Noble, a translation by Rika Lesser, introduction by Robert A. Thurman (2007).
* Shambhala Classics, a translation by Sherab Chödzin Kohn, introduction by Paul W. Morris, translator's preface (1998).
The book, Hesse's ninth novel, was written in German, in a simple yet powerful and lyrical style. It was first published in 1922, after Hesse had spent some time in India in the 1910s. It was published in the U.S. in 1951 and became influential during the 1960s. Hesse dedicated Siddhartha to Romain Rolland, "my dear friend".
The word Siddhartha is made up of two words in the Sanskrit language, siddha (achieved) + artha (meaning or wealth). The two words together mean "he who has found meaning (of existence)" or "he who has attained his goals". The Buddha's name, before his renunciation, was Prince Siddhartha Gautama. In this book, the Buddha is referred to as "Gotama".
Plot summary
The story takes place in ancient India around the time of Gautama Buddha (likely between the fourth and seventh centuries BC). It starts as Siddhartha, the son of a Brahmin, leaves his home to join the ascetics with his companion Govinda. The two set out in the search of enlightenment. Siddhartha goes through a series of changes and realizations as he attempts to achieve this goal.
Experience is the aggregate of conscious events experienced by a human in life – it connotes participation, learning and knowledge. Understanding is comprehension and internalization. In Hesse’s novel Siddhartha, experience is shown as the best way to approach understanding of reality and attain enlightenment – Hesse’s crafting of Siddhartha’s journey shows that understanding is attained not through scholastic, mind-dependent methods, nor through immersing oneself in the carnal pleasures of the world and the accompanying pain of samsara; however, it is the totality of these experiences that allow Siddhartha to attain understanding.
Thus, the individual events are meaningless when considered by themselves—Siddhartha’s stay with the samanas and his immersion in the worlds of love and business do not lead to nirvana, yet they cannot be considered distractions, for every action and event that is undertaken and happens to Siddhartha helps him to achieve understanding. The sum of these events is thus experience.
For example, Siddhartha’s passionate and pained love for his son is an experience that teaches him empathy; he is able to understand childlike people after this experience. Previously, though he was immersed in samsara, he could not comprehend childlike people’s motivations and lives. And while samsara clung to him and made him ill and sick of it, he was unable to understand the nature of samsara. Experience of samsara at this point did not lead to understanding; perhaps it even hindered him. In contrast to this, Siddhartha’s experience with his son allows him to love, something he has not managed to do before; once again, the love itself does not lead to understanding.
The novel ends with Siddhartha being a ferryman, learning from a river, and at long last at peace and capturing the essence of his journey:
Slower, he walked along in his thoughts and asked himself: “But what is this, what you have sought to learn from teachings and from teachers, and what they, who have taught you much, were still unable to teach you?” And he found: “It was the self, the purpose and essence of which I sought to learn. It was the self, I wanted to free myself from, which I sought to overcome. But I was not able to overcome it, could only deceive it, could only flee from it, only hide from it. Truly, no thing in this world has kept my thoughts thus busy, as this my very own self, this mystery of me being alive, of me being one and being separated and isolated from all others, of me being Siddhartha! And there is no thing in this world I know less about than about me, about Siddhartha!”
Major themes
A major preoccupation of Hesse in writing Siddhartha was to cure his 'sickness with life' (Lebenskrankheit) by immersing himself in Indian philosophy such as that expounded in the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. The reason the second half of the book took so long to write was that Hesse "had not experienced that transcendental state of unity to which Siddhartha aspires. In an attempt to do so, Hesse lived as a virtual semi-recluse and became totally immersed in the sacred teachings of both Hindu and Buddhist scriptures. His intention was to attain to that 'completeness' which, in the novel, is the Buddha's badge of distinction." The novel is structured on three of the traditional stages of life for Hindu males (student (brahmacarin), householder (grihastha) and recluse/renunciate (vanaprastha)) as well as the Buddha's four noble truths (Part One) and eight-fold path (Part Two) which form twelve chapters, the number in the novel. Ralph Freedman mentions how Hesse commented in a letter "[m]y Siddhartha does not, in the end, learn true wisdom from any teacher, but from a river that roars in a funny way and from a kindly old fool who always smiles and is secretly a saint." In a lecture about Siddhartha, Hesse claimed "Buddha's way to salvation has often been criticized and doubted, because it is thought to be wholly grounded in cognition. True, but it's not just intellectual cognition, not just learning and knowing, but spiritual experience that can be earned only through strict discipline in a selfless life." Freedman also points out how Siddhartha described Hesse's interior dialectic: "All of the contrasting poles of his life were sharply etched: the restless departures and the search for stillness at home; the diversity of experience and the harmony of a unifying spirit; the security of religious dogma and the anxiety of freedom."
Film versions
A film version entitled Siddhartha was released in 1972. It starred Shashi Kapoor and was directed by Conrad Rooks. It is currently available on DVD.
In 1971, a surrealistic adaptation as a musical Western was released as Zachariah. John Rubinstein starred in the title role and George Englund was the director. Don Johnson played Matthew, the equivalent of Govinda.
English translations
In recent years several American publishers have commissioned new translations of the novel, which had previously been impossible because of copyright restrictions. In addition to these newer translations, Hilda Rosner's original 1951 translation is still being sold in a number of reprint editions put out by various publishers. The newest translations include:
* Modern Library, a translation by Susan Bernofsky, foreword by Tom Robbins, translator's preface (2006).
* Penguin, a translation by Joachim Neugroschel, introduction by Ralph Freedman, translator's note (2002).
* Barnes & Noble, a translation by Rika Lesser, introduction by Robert A. Thurman (2007).
* Shambhala Classics, a translation by Sherab Chödzin Kohn, introduction by Paul W. Morris, translator's preface (1998).
huāng yuán láng shì gè nián jìn 50 de rén， míng jiào hā lì · hā lè。 jǐ nián qián， tā zū xià liǎo wǒ gū mā jiā de gé lóu， zài zhè lǐ zhù liǎo bù dào yī nián de shí jiān。 tā chén mò guǎ yán， bù 'ài jiāo jì， què shí xiàng tā zì chēng de nà yàng， shì yī zhǐ láng， yī gè mò shēng de、 yě xìng 'ér yòu dǎn qiè de、 lái zì lìng yī gè shì jiè de dòng wù。 tā de liǎn chōng mǎn zhì huì， biǎo qíng wēn róu， dàn nèi xīn shì jiè dòng dàng bù 'ān。 tā xiǎng de bǐ bié rén duō， zhì lì shàng jù yòu nà zhǒng jìn hū lěng jìng de kè guān xìng。 zhè zhǒng rén méi yòu xū róng xīn， tā men cóng bù xī wàng shǎn guāng， cóng bù gù zhí jǐ jiàn。
wǒ yī kāi shǐ jiù zhù yì dào tā yǔ zhòng bù tóng， wǒ jué dé zhè gè rén yòu mǒu zhǒng jīng shén bìng huò yōu yù zhèng。 yòu yī tiān， tā zài fù qīng yī qiē qiàn kuǎn hòu， qiǎo wú shēng xī dì lí kāi liǎo wǒ men de chéng shì， cóng cǐ yǐ hòu jiù yǎo wú yīn xìn liǎo。 tā bǎ tā de yī fèn shǒu gǎo liú gěi liǎo wǒ。 tōng guò yuè dú tā de shǒu jì wǒ cái rèn shí dào， tā de jīng shén bìng bìng bù shì shénme gè rén de qí sī guài xiǎng， ér shì zhè gè shí dài de tōng bìng。 xià miàn shì tā de shǒu jì：
zhè yī tiān yòu xiàng wǎng cháng nà yàng guò qù liǎo： yī zhǒng jì wú tè shū tòng kǔ yòu wú tè shū yōu lǜ， jì wú zhēn zhèng kǔ nǎo yě wú jué wàng de rì zǐ。 zài dà duō shù rén kàn lái， zhè shì yī jiàn měi shì。 yí hàn de shì wǒ shòu bù liǎo zhè zhǒng píng jìng de shēng huó， wǒ zǒng shì rán qǐ duì qiáng liè gǎn qíng de kě wàng。 yè mù jiàng lín， wǒ lái dào shí fēn 'ān jìng de lǎo chéng qū， tū rán cóng yī tiáo qī hēi de hú tóng lǐ cuàn chū yī gè rén， káng zhe guǎng gào pái， shàng miàn xiě zhe“ wú zhèng fǔ zhù yì de wǎn huì ! mó shù jù héng héng xiàn zhì rù ……”。 wǒ xiǎng mǎi piào jìn rù， dàn shì tā diū gěi wǒ yī běn shū zhī hòu， zhuǎn yǎn zhī jiān jiù bù jiàn liǎo。
huí jiā hòu， wǒ cóng dà yī zhōng tāo chū nà běn shū， shū míng shì《 lùn huāng yuán láng héng héng jǐn gōng kuáng rén yuè dú》。 zhè běn xiǎo cè zǐ háo wú yǎn shì dì gòu huà chū wǒ yù yù guǎ huān de rén shēng， ér qiě shū de zhù rén gōng jìng rán yě jiào hā lì。
yòu yī tiān wǒ zài chéng jiāo yù dào yī gè bìn zàng duì， fā xiàn yòu gè rén hěn miàn shú， hǎo xiàng jiù shì nà gè káng guǎng gào pái de rén。 tā gào sù wǒ， rú guǒ xū yào xiāo qiǎn jiù dào hēi yīng jiǔ diàn qù。 dào liǎo nà 'ér zhī hòu， wǒ yù dào liǎo yī gè hěn piào liàng de gū niàn， wǒ men yǒu hǎo dì tán liǎo qǐ lái。 zhè gè gū niàn hěn liǎo jiě wǒ， quàn wǒ bù yào qīng shēng， hái jiào wǒ tiào wǔ。 wǒ men yuē hǎo xià cì jiàn miàn。
zhè wèi gū niàn míng jiào hè 'ěr mǐ lā， tā shǐ wǒ duì shēng huó chǎn shēng liǎo xīn de xīng qù。 wǒ men zài yī jiā jiǔ diàn jiàn miàn， hè 'ěr mǐ lā gěi wǒ jiè shào liǎo yī wèi jiào mǎ lì yà de gū niàn。 tā shuō yào ràng wǒ xué huì liàn 'ài。 yī zhǒng xīn de、 kě pà de、 wǎ jiě yī qiē de dōng xī zhèng cóng sì miàn bā fāng yǒng lái。 jǐ tiān hòu， wǒ hé tā men yī qǐ cān jiā yī gè huà zhuāng wǔ huì。 wǔ huì zhī hòu， yòu rén gào sù wǒ hè 'ěr mǐ lā zài“ dì yù” lǐ děng wǒ。 wǒ jìn rù dì xià shì， kàn dào hěn duō fáng jiān， měi gè fáng jiān dū dài biǎo zhe rén lèi líng hún gè gè shén mì de cè miàn。 zài zuì hòu yī gè fáng jiān nèi， wǒ kàn dào hè 'ěr mǐ lā hé yī gè nán rén chì shēn luǒ tǐ de tǎng zài yī qǐ。 kuáng nù zhī xià， wǒ cì sǐ liǎo hè 'ěr mǐ lā。
zài yī gè guāng tū tū de yuàn zǐ lǐ， fǎ guān pàn wǒ yǒng shēng， hái fá wǒ bèi chǐ xiào yī cì。 yīn wéi wǒ yòng jìng zǐ lǐ de dāo shā sǐ liǎo jìng zǐ lǐ de gū niàn， qǐ tú bǎ mó shù jù dàngzuò zì shā de gōng jù。 nà gè hé hè 'ěr mǐ lā zài yī qǐ de nán rén， bǎ suō chéng yī gè qí zǐ dà xiǎo de hè 'ěr mǐ lā zhuāng jìn liǎo kǒu dài。
wǒ cāi dào liǎo zhè jiàn shì de yì yì， wǒ huì bǎ yóu xì wán dé gèng hǎo。
huāng yuán láng - xīn shǎng dǎo háng
《 huāng yuán láng》 shì yī bù chōng mǎn liǎo kuáng bào huàn xiǎng、 jù yòu biǎo xiàn zhù yì sè cǎi de xiǎo shuō。 xiǎo shuō xiān shì xū nǐ liǎo yī gè chū bǎn zhě duì hā lè de shǒu jì de dì yī rén chēng xù shù， miáo shù liǎo hā lè zhè gè rén wù de xíng xiàng hé xíng wéi tè zhēng。 rán hòu yòu gēn jù hā lè liú xià de shǒu jì， tōng guò lìng yī gè de dì yī rén chēng xù shù zhǎn kāi hòu miàn de qíng jié。 hēi sài zài xiǎo shuō zhōng dà liàng yùn yòng liǎo mèng huàn xíng shì， bǎ dì yī cì shì jiè dà zhàn zhī hòu de yī gè zhōng nián 'ōu zhōu zhī shí fènzǐ de nèi xīn shì jiè lín lí jìn zhì dì zhǎn shì chū lái， shǐ qí chéng wéi 20 shì jì xī fāng xiǎo shuō de jīng diǎn zhī zuò。
zuò pǐn zhù rén gōng hā lè shì cái zhì zhī shì， yòu zhe fēng fù xì nì de nèi xīn shì jiè。 tā hěn gū dú， hěn shǎo xiàng bié rén chǎng kāi xīn fēi。 tā hǎo xiàng shì lái zì lìng wài yī gè xīng qiú， duì rén shì jiān de xū róng、 zuò zuò、 zhuī míng zhú lì hé zì sī qiǎn bó jí qí yàn 'è。 dàn yǔ cǐ tóng shí tā yòu fā xiàn， zì jǐ de zhè zhǒng yàn 'è gǎn gèng duō de shì zhǐ xiàng zì jǐ。 zhèng yīn wéi rú cǐ， hā lè shí shí kè kè chǔyú yī zhǒng jù dà de fēn liè hé tòng kǔ zhī zhōng， yòng tā de huà lái shuō， jiù shì tā shēn shàng yòu liǎng zhǒng jié rán xiāng fǎn de dōng xī zài dǒu zhēng zhe： láng xìng hé rén xìng。 rén xìng hé láng xìng hù bù xié diào， dāng rén xìng chén shuì 'ér láng xìng sū xǐng de shí hòu， hā lè jiù zǒu xiàng duò luò； dāng rén xìng sū xǐng 'ér láng xìng chén shuì de shí hòu， hā lè jiù huì duì zì jǐ de duò luò hé zuì 'è chōng mǎn yàn 'è。 zhèng shì rén xìng hé láng xìng de yán zhòng dí duì， shǐ hā lè chǎn shēng liǎo gū dú gǎn hé zì shā qīng xiàng。
nà me zhěng jiù zhī lù zài nǎ lǐ ? yī kāi shǐ， hā lè qǐ tú yòng shēn shàng de rén xìng qù yā zhì láng xìng， dàn jiēguǒ què shì bù duàn xiàn rù gèng dà de kǔ mèn zhī zhōng。 rán hòu tā yòng láng xìng lái qǔ dài rén xìng， zé gèng xíng bù tōng。 zhè qí shí shuō míng， hā lè jiāng rén de běn xìng jiǎn dān dì kàn chéng láng xìng hé rén xìng de 'èr yuán duì lì shì cuò wù de， shì yī zhǒng“ háo wú xī wàng de 'ér xì”，“ shì duì xiàn shí de qiáng jiān”。 rèn shí wǔ nǚ hè 'ěr mǐ lā zhī hòu， hā lè zhú jiàn rèn shí dào liǎo zhè gè cuò wù。 jīng hè 'ěr mǐ lā jiè shào， hā lè xiān hòu rèn shí liǎo wǔ nǚ mǎ lì yà hé hè 'ěr mǐ lā de nán yǒu、 yīnyuè shī bā bó luó。 zài tā men de xūn táo zhī xià， hā lè zhú jiàn jiē shòu liǎo xǔ duō zì jǐ yuán xiān gēn běn bù néng jiē shòu de dōng xī。 tā rèn shí dào， rén de běn xìng jí qí fù zá， bù shì yóu liǎng zhǒng 'ér shì yóu shàng bǎi zhǒng、 shàng qiān zhǒng běn zhì gòu chéng， bù shì zài liǎng jí zhī jiān yáo bǎi， ér shì zài wú shù duì jí xìng zhī jiān yáo bǎi。
zài xiǎo shuō zuì hòu de“ mó shù jù” zhōng， hā lè zhōng yú zhǎo dào liǎo zhēn zhèng de jiě jiù zhī dào。 zhèng yīn wéi shì jiè hé zì wǒdōu shì duō yuán de 'ér bù shì 'èr yuán de， suǒ yǐ wú lùn shì huí guī rén xìng hái shì huí guī láng xìng dōushì wǎng rán。“ huí tóu gēn běn méi yòu lù， jì huí bù dào láng nà lǐ， yě huí bù dào 'ér tóng shí dài”。 miàn duì zhè gè shì jiè suǒ yòu de bèi miù hé huāng dàn， zhǐ yòu yòng xiào hé yōu mò lái duì fù。 xiǎo shuō de zuì hòu， hā lè zhōng yú jiāng shēng huó xì jù de suǒ yòu“ shí wàn” gè qí zǐ zhuāng jìn kǒu dài， ér qiě jué dìng fǎn fù qù tǐ huì shēng cún de tòng kǔ， jiāng yóu xì wán dé gèng hǎo xiē，“ zǒng yòu yī tiān huì xué huì xiào”。
Background and publication history
In 1924 Hermann Hesse remarried wedding singer Ruth Wenger. After several weeks however, he left Basel, only returning near the end of the year. Upon his return he rented a separate apartment, adding to his isolation. After a short trip to Germany with Wenger, Hesse stopped seeing her almost completely. The resulting feeling of isolation and inability to make lasting contact with the outside world, led to increasing despair and thoughts of suicide.
Hesse began writing Steppenwolf in Basel, and finished it in Zürich. In 1926, a precursor to the book, a collection of poems titled The Crisis. From Hermann Hesse's Diary was published. The novel was later released in 1927. The first English edition was published in 1929 by Martin Secker in the United Kingdom and by Henry Holt and Company in the United States. This version was translated by Basil Creighton.
Plot summary
The book is presented as a manuscript by its protagonist, a middle-aged man named Harry Haller, who leaves it to a chance acquaintance, the nephew of his landlady. The acquaintance adds a short preface of his own and then has the manuscript published. The title of this "real" book-in-the-book is Harry Haller's Records (For Madmen Only).
As it begins, the hero is beset by reflections on his being ill-suited for the world of everyday regular people, specifically for frivolous bourgeois society. In his aimless wanderings about the city he encounters a person carrying an advertisement for a magic theatre who gives him a small book, Treatise on the Steppenwolf. This treatise, cited in full in the novel's text as Harry reads it, addresses Harry by name and strikes him as describing himself uncannily. It is a discourse of a man who believes himself to be of two natures: one high, the spiritual nature of man; while the other is low, animalistic; a "wolf of the steppes". This man is entangled in an irresolvable struggle, never content with either nature because he cannot see beyond this self-made concept. The pamphlet gives an explanation of the multifaceted and indefinable nature of every man's soul, which Harry is either unable or unwilling to recognize. It also discusses his suicidal intentions, describing him as one of the "suicides"; people who, deep down, knew they would take their own life one day. But to counter this it hails his potential to be great, to be one of the "Immortals".
The next day Harry meets a former academic friend with whom he had often discussed Indian mythology, and who invites Harry to his home. While there, Harry is disgusted by the nationalistic mentality of his friend, who inadvertently criticizes a column written by Harry, and offends the man and his wife by criticizing his wife's picture of Goethe, which Harry feels is too thickly sentimental and insulting to Goethe's true brilliance, reassuring the proposition that Harry is, and will always be a stranger to his society.
Trying to postpone returning home (to where he has planned suicide), Harry walks aimlessly around the town for most of the night, finally stopping to rest at a dance hall where he happens on a young woman, Hermine, who quickly recognizes his desperation. They talk at length; Hermine alternately mocks Harry's self-pity and indulges him in his explanations regarding his view of life, to his astonished relief. Hermine promises a second meeting, and provides Harry with a reason to live (or at least a substantial excuse that justifies his decision to continue living) that he eagerly embraces.
During the next few weeks, Hermine introduces Harry to the indulgences of what he calls the "bourgeois". She teaches Harry to dance, introduces him to the casual use of drugs, finds him a lover (Maria), and more importantly, forces him to accept these as legitimate and worthy aspects of a full life.
The Magic Theatre
Hermine also introduces Harry to a mysterious saxophonist named Pablo, who appears to be the very opposite of what Harry considers a serious, thoughtful man. After attending a lavish masquerade ball, Pablo brings Harry to his metaphorical "magic theatre", where concerns and notions that plagued his soul disintegrate while he participates with the ethereal and phantasmal. The Magic Theatre is a place where he experiences the fantasies that exist in his mind. They are described as a long horseshoe-shaped corridor that is a mirror on one side and a great many doors on the other. Then, Harry enters five of these labeled doors, each of which symbolizes a fraction of his life.
Major characters
* Harry Haller – the protagonist, a middle-aged man
* Pablo – a saxophonist
* Hermine – a young woman Haller meets at a dance
* Maria – Hermine's friend
Character relationship diagram
Critical analysis
In the preface to the novel's 1960 edition, Hesse wrote that Steppenwolf was "more often and more violently misunderstood" than any of his other books. Hesse felt that his readers focused only on the suffering and despair that are depicted in Harry Haller's life, thereby missing the possibility of transcendence and healing. This could be due to the fact that at that time Western readers were not familiar with Buddhist philosophy, and therefore missed the point when reading it, because the notion of a human being consisting of a myriad of fragments of different souls is in complete contradiction of Judeo-Christian theologies. Also in the novel, Pablo instructs Harry Haller to relinquish his personality at one point, or at least for the duration of his journey through the corridors of the Magic Theater. In order to do so Harry must learn to use laughter to overcome the tight grip of his personality, to literally laugh at his personality until it shatters into so many small pieces. This concept also ran counter to the egocentric Western culture.
Hermann Hesse in 1926
Hesse is a master at blurring the distinction between reality and fantasy. In the moment of climax, it's debatable whether Haller actually kills Hermine or whether the "murder" is just another hallucination in the Magic Theater. It is argued that Hesse does not define reality based on what occurs in physical time and space; rather, reality is merely a function of metaphysical cause and effect. What matters is not whether the murder actually occurred, but rather that at that moment it was Haller's intention to kill Hermine. In that sense, Haller's various states of mind are of more significance than his actions.
It is also notable that the very existence of Hermine in the novel is never confirmed; the manuscript left in Harry Haller's room reflects a story that completely revolves around his personal experiences. In fact when Harry asks Hermine what her name is, she turns the question around. When he is challenged to guess her name, he tells her that she reminds him of a childhood friend named Hermann, and therefore he concludes, her name must be Hermine. Metaphorically, Harry creates Hermine as if a fragment of his own soul has broken off to form a female counterpart.
The underlying theme of transcendence is shown within group interaction and dynamics. Throughout the novel Harry concerns himself with being different, with separating himself from those he is around. Harry believes that he is better than his surroundings and fails to understand why he cannot be recognized as such, which raises the idea that in order to rise above a group one must first become one with a part of it.
The multilayered soul of human nature is the major theme in the novel and its two main characters, Harry Haller and Hermine, illustrate this. Harry illustrates through an inner conflict and an outer conflict. Inwardly, he believes two opposing natures battle over possession of him, a man and a wolf, high and low, spirit and animal. While he actually longs to live as a wolf free of social convention, he lives as a bourgeois bachelor, but his opposing wolfish nature isolates him from others until he meets Hermine.
Hermine represents the duality of human nature through an outer conflict. Hermine is a socialite, a foil to the isolated bachelor, and she coerces Harry to agree to subject himself to society, learning from her, in exchange for her murder. As Harry struggles through social interaction his isolation diminishes and he and Hermine grow closer to one another as the moment of her death approaches. The climax of the dualistic struggle culminates in the Magic Theater where Harry, seeing himself as a wolf, murders Hermine the socialite.
Critical reception
Later German Edition
From the very beginning, reception was harsh. American novelist Jack Kerouac dismissed it in Big Sur (1962) and it has had a long history of mixed critical reception and opinion at large. Already upset with Hesse's novel Siddhartha, political activists and patriots railed against him, and against the book, seeing an opportunity to discredit Hesse. Even close friends and longtime readers criticized the novel for its perceived lack of morality in its open depiction of sex and drug use, a criticism that indeed remained the primary rebuff of the novel for many years. However as society changed and formerly taboo topics such as sex and drugs became more openly discussed, critics came to attack the book for other reasons; mainly that it was too pessimistic, and that it was a journey in the footsteps of a psychotic and showed humanity through his warped and unstable viewpoint, a fact that Hesse did not dispute, although he did respond to critics by noting the novel ends on a theme of new hope.
Popular interest in the novel was renewed in the 1960s, primarily because it was seen as a counterculture book and because of its depiction of free love and frank drug usage. It was also introduced in many new colleges for study and interest in the book and in Hermann Hesse was feted in America for more than a decade afterwards.
"Treatise on the Steppenwolf"
The "Treatise on the Steppenwolf" is a booklet given to Harry Haller which describes himself. It is a literary mirror and, from the outset, describes what Harry had not learned, namely "to find contentment in himself and his own life." The cause of his discontent was the perceived dualistic nature of a human and a wolf within Harry. The treatise describes, as earmarks of his life, a threefold manifestation of his discontent: one, isolation from others, two, suicidal tendencies, and three, relation to the bourgeois. Harry isolates himself from others socially and professionally, frequently resists the temptation to take his life, and experiences feelings of benevolence and malevolence for bourgeois notions. The booklet predicts Harry may come to terms with his state in the dawning light of humor.
References in popular culture
Hesse's 1928 short story "Harry, the Steppenwolf" forms a companion piece to the novel. It is about a wolf named Harry who is kept in a zoo, and who entertains crowds by destroying images of German cultural icons like Goethe and Mozart.
The name Steppenwolf has become notable in popular culture for various organizations and establishments. In 1967, the band Steppenwolf, headed by German-born singer John Kay, took their name from the novel. The Belgian band DAAU (die Anarchistische Abendunterhaltung) is named after one of the advertising slogans of the novel's magical theatre. The Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, which was founded in 1974 by actor Gary Sinise, also took its name from the novel. The 'lengthy track "Steppenwolf" appears on English rock band Hawkwind's album Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music and is directly inspired by the novel, including references to the magic theatre and the dual nature of the wolfman-manwolf (lutocost). Robert Calvert had initially written and performed the lyrics on 'Distances Between Us' by Adrian Wagner in 1974. The song also appears on later, live Hawkwind CD's and DVDs.
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Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
The novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 1974. Starring Max Von Sydow and Dominique Sanda, it was directed by Fred Haines.
wǒ yī kāi shǐ jiù zhù yì dào tā yǔ zhòng bù tóng， wǒ jué dé zhè gè rén yòu mǒu zhǒng jīng shén bìng huò yōu yù zhèng。 yòu yī tiān， tā zài fù qīng yī qiē qiàn kuǎn hòu， qiǎo wú shēng xī dì lí kāi liǎo wǒ men de chéng shì， cóng cǐ yǐ hòu jiù yǎo wú yīn xìn liǎo。 tā bǎ tā de yī fèn shǒu gǎo liú gěi liǎo wǒ。 tōng guò yuè dú tā de shǒu jì wǒ cái rèn shí dào， tā de jīng shén bìng bìng bù shì shénme gè rén de qí sī guài xiǎng， ér shì zhè gè shí dài de tōng bìng。 xià miàn shì tā de shǒu jì：
zhè yī tiān yòu xiàng wǎng cháng nà yàng guò qù liǎo： yī zhǒng jì wú tè shū tòng kǔ yòu wú tè shū yōu lǜ， jì wú zhēn zhèng kǔ nǎo yě wú jué wàng de rì zǐ。 zài dà duō shù rén kàn lái， zhè shì yī jiàn měi shì。 yí hàn de shì wǒ shòu bù liǎo zhè zhǒng píng jìng de shēng huó， wǒ zǒng shì rán qǐ duì qiáng liè gǎn qíng de kě wàng。 yè mù jiàng lín， wǒ lái dào shí fēn 'ān jìng de lǎo chéng qū， tū rán cóng yī tiáo qī hēi de hú tóng lǐ cuàn chū yī gè rén， káng zhe guǎng gào pái， shàng miàn xiě zhe“ wú zhèng fǔ zhù yì de wǎn huì ! mó shù jù héng héng xiàn zhì rù ……”。 wǒ xiǎng mǎi piào jìn rù， dàn shì tā diū gěi wǒ yī běn shū zhī hòu， zhuǎn yǎn zhī jiān jiù bù jiàn liǎo。
huí jiā hòu， wǒ cóng dà yī zhōng tāo chū nà běn shū， shū míng shì《 lùn huāng yuán láng héng héng jǐn gōng kuáng rén yuè dú》。 zhè běn xiǎo cè zǐ háo wú yǎn shì dì gòu huà chū wǒ yù yù guǎ huān de rén shēng， ér qiě shū de zhù rén gōng jìng rán yě jiào hā lì。
yòu yī tiān wǒ zài chéng jiāo yù dào yī gè bìn zàng duì， fā xiàn yòu gè rén hěn miàn shú， hǎo xiàng jiù shì nà gè káng guǎng gào pái de rén。 tā gào sù wǒ， rú guǒ xū yào xiāo qiǎn jiù dào hēi yīng jiǔ diàn qù。 dào liǎo nà 'ér zhī hòu， wǒ yù dào liǎo yī gè hěn piào liàng de gū niàn， wǒ men yǒu hǎo dì tán liǎo qǐ lái。 zhè gè gū niàn hěn liǎo jiě wǒ， quàn wǒ bù yào qīng shēng， hái jiào wǒ tiào wǔ。 wǒ men yuē hǎo xià cì jiàn miàn。
zhè wèi gū niàn míng jiào hè 'ěr mǐ lā， tā shǐ wǒ duì shēng huó chǎn shēng liǎo xīn de xīng qù。 wǒ men zài yī jiā jiǔ diàn jiàn miàn， hè 'ěr mǐ lā gěi wǒ jiè shào liǎo yī wèi jiào mǎ lì yà de gū niàn。 tā shuō yào ràng wǒ xué huì liàn 'ài。 yī zhǒng xīn de、 kě pà de、 wǎ jiě yī qiē de dōng xī zhèng cóng sì miàn bā fāng yǒng lái。 jǐ tiān hòu， wǒ hé tā men yī qǐ cān jiā yī gè huà zhuāng wǔ huì。 wǔ huì zhī hòu， yòu rén gào sù wǒ hè 'ěr mǐ lā zài“ dì yù” lǐ děng wǒ。 wǒ jìn rù dì xià shì， kàn dào hěn duō fáng jiān， měi gè fáng jiān dū dài biǎo zhe rén lèi líng hún gè gè shén mì de cè miàn。 zài zuì hòu yī gè fáng jiān nèi， wǒ kàn dào hè 'ěr mǐ lā hé yī gè nán rén chì shēn luǒ tǐ de tǎng zài yī qǐ。 kuáng nù zhī xià， wǒ cì sǐ liǎo hè 'ěr mǐ lā。
zài yī gè guāng tū tū de yuàn zǐ lǐ， fǎ guān pàn wǒ yǒng shēng， hái fá wǒ bèi chǐ xiào yī cì。 yīn wéi wǒ yòng jìng zǐ lǐ de dāo shā sǐ liǎo jìng zǐ lǐ de gū niàn， qǐ tú bǎ mó shù jù dàngzuò zì shā de gōng jù。 nà gè hé hè 'ěr mǐ lā zài yī qǐ de nán rén， bǎ suō chéng yī gè qí zǐ dà xiǎo de hè 'ěr mǐ lā zhuāng jìn liǎo kǒu dài。
wǒ cāi dào liǎo zhè jiàn shì de yì yì， wǒ huì bǎ yóu xì wán dé gèng hǎo。
huāng yuán láng - xīn shǎng dǎo háng
《 huāng yuán láng》 shì yī bù chōng mǎn liǎo kuáng bào huàn xiǎng、 jù yòu biǎo xiàn zhù yì sè cǎi de xiǎo shuō。 xiǎo shuō xiān shì xū nǐ liǎo yī gè chū bǎn zhě duì hā lè de shǒu jì de dì yī rén chēng xù shù， miáo shù liǎo hā lè zhè gè rén wù de xíng xiàng hé xíng wéi tè zhēng。 rán hòu yòu gēn jù hā lè liú xià de shǒu jì， tōng guò lìng yī gè de dì yī rén chēng xù shù zhǎn kāi hòu miàn de qíng jié。 hēi sài zài xiǎo shuō zhōng dà liàng yùn yòng liǎo mèng huàn xíng shì， bǎ dì yī cì shì jiè dà zhàn zhī hòu de yī gè zhōng nián 'ōu zhōu zhī shí fènzǐ de nèi xīn shì jiè lín lí jìn zhì dì zhǎn shì chū lái， shǐ qí chéng wéi 20 shì jì xī fāng xiǎo shuō de jīng diǎn zhī zuò。
zuò pǐn zhù rén gōng hā lè shì cái zhì zhī shì， yòu zhe fēng fù xì nì de nèi xīn shì jiè。 tā hěn gū dú， hěn shǎo xiàng bié rén chǎng kāi xīn fēi。 tā hǎo xiàng shì lái zì lìng wài yī gè xīng qiú， duì rén shì jiān de xū róng、 zuò zuò、 zhuī míng zhú lì hé zì sī qiǎn bó jí qí yàn 'è。 dàn yǔ cǐ tóng shí tā yòu fā xiàn， zì jǐ de zhè zhǒng yàn 'è gǎn gèng duō de shì zhǐ xiàng zì jǐ。 zhèng yīn wéi rú cǐ， hā lè shí shí kè kè chǔyú yī zhǒng jù dà de fēn liè hé tòng kǔ zhī zhōng， yòng tā de huà lái shuō， jiù shì tā shēn shàng yòu liǎng zhǒng jié rán xiāng fǎn de dōng xī zài dǒu zhēng zhe： láng xìng hé rén xìng。 rén xìng hé láng xìng hù bù xié diào， dāng rén xìng chén shuì 'ér láng xìng sū xǐng de shí hòu， hā lè jiù zǒu xiàng duò luò； dāng rén xìng sū xǐng 'ér láng xìng chén shuì de shí hòu， hā lè jiù huì duì zì jǐ de duò luò hé zuì 'è chōng mǎn yàn 'è。 zhèng shì rén xìng hé láng xìng de yán zhòng dí duì， shǐ hā lè chǎn shēng liǎo gū dú gǎn hé zì shā qīng xiàng。
nà me zhěng jiù zhī lù zài nǎ lǐ ? yī kāi shǐ， hā lè qǐ tú yòng shēn shàng de rén xìng qù yā zhì láng xìng， dàn jiēguǒ què shì bù duàn xiàn rù gèng dà de kǔ mèn zhī zhōng。 rán hòu tā yòng láng xìng lái qǔ dài rén xìng， zé gèng xíng bù tōng。 zhè qí shí shuō míng， hā lè jiāng rén de běn xìng jiǎn dān dì kàn chéng láng xìng hé rén xìng de 'èr yuán duì lì shì cuò wù de， shì yī zhǒng“ háo wú xī wàng de 'ér xì”，“ shì duì xiàn shí de qiáng jiān”。 rèn shí wǔ nǚ hè 'ěr mǐ lā zhī hòu， hā lè zhú jiàn rèn shí dào liǎo zhè gè cuò wù。 jīng hè 'ěr mǐ lā jiè shào， hā lè xiān hòu rèn shí liǎo wǔ nǚ mǎ lì yà hé hè 'ěr mǐ lā de nán yǒu、 yīnyuè shī bā bó luó。 zài tā men de xūn táo zhī xià， hā lè zhú jiàn jiē shòu liǎo xǔ duō zì jǐ yuán xiān gēn běn bù néng jiē shòu de dōng xī。 tā rèn shí dào， rén de běn xìng jí qí fù zá， bù shì yóu liǎng zhǒng 'ér shì yóu shàng bǎi zhǒng、 shàng qiān zhǒng běn zhì gòu chéng， bù shì zài liǎng jí zhī jiān yáo bǎi， ér shì zài wú shù duì jí xìng zhī jiān yáo bǎi。
zài xiǎo shuō zuì hòu de“ mó shù jù” zhōng， hā lè zhōng yú zhǎo dào liǎo zhēn zhèng de jiě jiù zhī dào。 zhèng yīn wéi shì jiè hé zì wǒdōu shì duō yuán de 'ér bù shì 'èr yuán de， suǒ yǐ wú lùn shì huí guī rén xìng hái shì huí guī láng xìng dōushì wǎng rán。“ huí tóu gēn běn méi yòu lù， jì huí bù dào láng nà lǐ， yě huí bù dào 'ér tóng shí dài”。 miàn duì zhè gè shì jiè suǒ yòu de bèi miù hé huāng dàn， zhǐ yòu yòng xiào hé yōu mò lái duì fù。 xiǎo shuō de zuì hòu， hā lè zhōng yú jiāng shēng huó xì jù de suǒ yòu“ shí wàn” gè qí zǐ zhuāng jìn kǒu dài， ér qiě jué dìng fǎn fù qù tǐ huì shēng cún de tòng kǔ， jiāng yóu xì wán dé gèng hǎo xiē，“ zǒng yòu yī tiān huì xué huì xiào”。
Background and publication history
In 1924 Hermann Hesse remarried wedding singer Ruth Wenger. After several weeks however, he left Basel, only returning near the end of the year. Upon his return he rented a separate apartment, adding to his isolation. After a short trip to Germany with Wenger, Hesse stopped seeing her almost completely. The resulting feeling of isolation and inability to make lasting contact with the outside world, led to increasing despair and thoughts of suicide.
Hesse began writing Steppenwolf in Basel, and finished it in Zürich. In 1926, a precursor to the book, a collection of poems titled The Crisis. From Hermann Hesse's Diary was published. The novel was later released in 1927. The first English edition was published in 1929 by Martin Secker in the United Kingdom and by Henry Holt and Company in the United States. This version was translated by Basil Creighton.
Plot summary
The book is presented as a manuscript by its protagonist, a middle-aged man named Harry Haller, who leaves it to a chance acquaintance, the nephew of his landlady. The acquaintance adds a short preface of his own and then has the manuscript published. The title of this "real" book-in-the-book is Harry Haller's Records (For Madmen Only).
As it begins, the hero is beset by reflections on his being ill-suited for the world of everyday regular people, specifically for frivolous bourgeois society. In his aimless wanderings about the city he encounters a person carrying an advertisement for a magic theatre who gives him a small book, Treatise on the Steppenwolf. This treatise, cited in full in the novel's text as Harry reads it, addresses Harry by name and strikes him as describing himself uncannily. It is a discourse of a man who believes himself to be of two natures: one high, the spiritual nature of man; while the other is low, animalistic; a "wolf of the steppes". This man is entangled in an irresolvable struggle, never content with either nature because he cannot see beyond this self-made concept. The pamphlet gives an explanation of the multifaceted and indefinable nature of every man's soul, which Harry is either unable or unwilling to recognize. It also discusses his suicidal intentions, describing him as one of the "suicides"; people who, deep down, knew they would take their own life one day. But to counter this it hails his potential to be great, to be one of the "Immortals".
The next day Harry meets a former academic friend with whom he had often discussed Indian mythology, and who invites Harry to his home. While there, Harry is disgusted by the nationalistic mentality of his friend, who inadvertently criticizes a column written by Harry, and offends the man and his wife by criticizing his wife's picture of Goethe, which Harry feels is too thickly sentimental and insulting to Goethe's true brilliance, reassuring the proposition that Harry is, and will always be a stranger to his society.
Trying to postpone returning home (to where he has planned suicide), Harry walks aimlessly around the town for most of the night, finally stopping to rest at a dance hall where he happens on a young woman, Hermine, who quickly recognizes his desperation. They talk at length; Hermine alternately mocks Harry's self-pity and indulges him in his explanations regarding his view of life, to his astonished relief. Hermine promises a second meeting, and provides Harry with a reason to live (or at least a substantial excuse that justifies his decision to continue living) that he eagerly embraces.
During the next few weeks, Hermine introduces Harry to the indulgences of what he calls the "bourgeois". She teaches Harry to dance, introduces him to the casual use of drugs, finds him a lover (Maria), and more importantly, forces him to accept these as legitimate and worthy aspects of a full life.
The Magic Theatre
Hermine also introduces Harry to a mysterious saxophonist named Pablo, who appears to be the very opposite of what Harry considers a serious, thoughtful man. After attending a lavish masquerade ball, Pablo brings Harry to his metaphorical "magic theatre", where concerns and notions that plagued his soul disintegrate while he participates with the ethereal and phantasmal. The Magic Theatre is a place where he experiences the fantasies that exist in his mind. They are described as a long horseshoe-shaped corridor that is a mirror on one side and a great many doors on the other. Then, Harry enters five of these labeled doors, each of which symbolizes a fraction of his life.
Major characters
* Harry Haller – the protagonist, a middle-aged man
* Pablo – a saxophonist
* Hermine – a young woman Haller meets at a dance
* Maria – Hermine's friend
Character relationship diagram
Critical analysis
In the preface to the novel's 1960 edition, Hesse wrote that Steppenwolf was "more often and more violently misunderstood" than any of his other books. Hesse felt that his readers focused only on the suffering and despair that are depicted in Harry Haller's life, thereby missing the possibility of transcendence and healing. This could be due to the fact that at that time Western readers were not familiar with Buddhist philosophy, and therefore missed the point when reading it, because the notion of a human being consisting of a myriad of fragments of different souls is in complete contradiction of Judeo-Christian theologies. Also in the novel, Pablo instructs Harry Haller to relinquish his personality at one point, or at least for the duration of his journey through the corridors of the Magic Theater. In order to do so Harry must learn to use laughter to overcome the tight grip of his personality, to literally laugh at his personality until it shatters into so many small pieces. This concept also ran counter to the egocentric Western culture.
Hermann Hesse in 1926
Hesse is a master at blurring the distinction between reality and fantasy. In the moment of climax, it's debatable whether Haller actually kills Hermine or whether the "murder" is just another hallucination in the Magic Theater. It is argued that Hesse does not define reality based on what occurs in physical time and space; rather, reality is merely a function of metaphysical cause and effect. What matters is not whether the murder actually occurred, but rather that at that moment it was Haller's intention to kill Hermine. In that sense, Haller's various states of mind are of more significance than his actions.
It is also notable that the very existence of Hermine in the novel is never confirmed; the manuscript left in Harry Haller's room reflects a story that completely revolves around his personal experiences. In fact when Harry asks Hermine what her name is, she turns the question around. When he is challenged to guess her name, he tells her that she reminds him of a childhood friend named Hermann, and therefore he concludes, her name must be Hermine. Metaphorically, Harry creates Hermine as if a fragment of his own soul has broken off to form a female counterpart.
The underlying theme of transcendence is shown within group interaction and dynamics. Throughout the novel Harry concerns himself with being different, with separating himself from those he is around. Harry believes that he is better than his surroundings and fails to understand why he cannot be recognized as such, which raises the idea that in order to rise above a group one must first become one with a part of it.
The multilayered soul of human nature is the major theme in the novel and its two main characters, Harry Haller and Hermine, illustrate this. Harry illustrates through an inner conflict and an outer conflict. Inwardly, he believes two opposing natures battle over possession of him, a man and a wolf, high and low, spirit and animal. While he actually longs to live as a wolf free of social convention, he lives as a bourgeois bachelor, but his opposing wolfish nature isolates him from others until he meets Hermine.
Hermine represents the duality of human nature through an outer conflict. Hermine is a socialite, a foil to the isolated bachelor, and she coerces Harry to agree to subject himself to society, learning from her, in exchange for her murder. As Harry struggles through social interaction his isolation diminishes and he and Hermine grow closer to one another as the moment of her death approaches. The climax of the dualistic struggle culminates in the Magic Theater where Harry, seeing himself as a wolf, murders Hermine the socialite.
Critical reception
Later German Edition
From the very beginning, reception was harsh. American novelist Jack Kerouac dismissed it in Big Sur (1962) and it has had a long history of mixed critical reception and opinion at large. Already upset with Hesse's novel Siddhartha, political activists and patriots railed against him, and against the book, seeing an opportunity to discredit Hesse. Even close friends and longtime readers criticized the novel for its perceived lack of morality in its open depiction of sex and drug use, a criticism that indeed remained the primary rebuff of the novel for many years. However as society changed and formerly taboo topics such as sex and drugs became more openly discussed, critics came to attack the book for other reasons; mainly that it was too pessimistic, and that it was a journey in the footsteps of a psychotic and showed humanity through his warped and unstable viewpoint, a fact that Hesse did not dispute, although he did respond to critics by noting the novel ends on a theme of new hope.
Popular interest in the novel was renewed in the 1960s, primarily because it was seen as a counterculture book and because of its depiction of free love and frank drug usage. It was also introduced in many new colleges for study and interest in the book and in Hermann Hesse was feted in America for more than a decade afterwards.
"Treatise on the Steppenwolf"
The "Treatise on the Steppenwolf" is a booklet given to Harry Haller which describes himself. It is a literary mirror and, from the outset, describes what Harry had not learned, namely "to find contentment in himself and his own life." The cause of his discontent was the perceived dualistic nature of a human and a wolf within Harry. The treatise describes, as earmarks of his life, a threefold manifestation of his discontent: one, isolation from others, two, suicidal tendencies, and three, relation to the bourgeois. Harry isolates himself from others socially and professionally, frequently resists the temptation to take his life, and experiences feelings of benevolence and malevolence for bourgeois notions. The booklet predicts Harry may come to terms with his state in the dawning light of humor.
References in popular culture
Hesse's 1928 short story "Harry, the Steppenwolf" forms a companion piece to the novel. It is about a wolf named Harry who is kept in a zoo, and who entertains crowds by destroying images of German cultural icons like Goethe and Mozart.
The name Steppenwolf has become notable in popular culture for various organizations and establishments. In 1967, the band Steppenwolf, headed by German-born singer John Kay, took their name from the novel. The Belgian band DAAU (die Anarchistische Abendunterhaltung) is named after one of the advertising slogans of the novel's magical theatre. The Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, which was founded in 1974 by actor Gary Sinise, also took its name from the novel. The 'lengthy track "Steppenwolf" appears on English rock band Hawkwind's album Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music and is directly inspired by the novel, including references to the magic theatre and the dual nature of the wolfman-manwolf (lutocost). Robert Calvert had initially written and performed the lyrics on 'Distances Between Us' by Adrian Wagner in 1974. The song also appears on later, live Hawkwind CD's and DVDs.
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Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
The novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 1974. Starring Max Von Sydow and Dominique Sanda, it was directed by Fred Haines.