Hermann Hesse
Pushkin Press
2024 (1919)
176
Paperback
Modern Classics
Birthday Gift
Emil Sinclair is a troubled young outsider. But everything changes when he meets Max Demian, a mysterious and charismatic older student, who reveals the glittering possibilities that lie beyond conventional thinking and ordinary life. Under the intoxicating influence of his new mentor, Emil sets out on a journey of spiritual fulfilment, as he wrestles with the boundaries between illusion and truth, purity and corruption. Teeming with psychological insight, Demian is a profound and enduring exploration of adolescent awakening from Nobel Prize-winner Hermann Hesse.
I have read Siddhartha in the past, but that and Steppenwolf were the only Hermann Hesse titles that were really on my radar. I came to hear about Demian, unusually, through K-drama, as it's a book that was mentioned by K-drama characters in several different series I watched. I therefore decided to check it out. It was a short but interesting read. You could definitely see Jungian influence in the psychological aspects of this coming-of-age tale. In some respects it doesn't quite fit modern perceptions, but it was, nonetheless, an intriguing character study of a boy gradually becoming an adult and coming into himself. I liked the general atmosphere of the book, with dream-like moments contrasting with stark realities, and it did feature a number of moments that made me pause and consider. This is, I believe, a more accessible work than Siddhartha and thus might be a good entry point for those new to Hesse's writing. I am giving it 4.5 stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment