I remember that this book was very popular in the late 60s and early 70s. When I was in the military in the 70s, one of my friends was very literate and had recommended this to me. Unfortunately, I never did read it until now. It is basically a very philosophical novel showing the different sides of mans' psyche. The protagonist, Harry Haller, is near 50 and considers himself as half man and half wolf or a "Steppenwolf" and he feels that he is ill-suited for frivolous bourgeois society. He considers himself an intellect and associates himself with such greats as Mozart and Goethe. As he wanders the city, he comes upon a person who gives him a small book,
Treatise on the Steppenwolf. This addresses Harry by name and describes himself including his dual personalities (shades of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), but also poses the possibility of multiple facets of every man's soul. It also describes Haller's suicidal tendencies. As Haller wanders the city, he meets Hermine who introduces him to the indulgences of the bourgeois including learning to dance, casual drug use, and finding a lover. He is also introduced to the "magic theater" where he is able to experience some of the fantasies in his mind including going back to meet again all the women he casually met during the previous 35 years. He also has a fantasy about an upcoming war and the death of Hermine.
This was quite a thought-provoking novel with its ideas about multiple souls within us all and its journey to self-discovery. I know I related to a lot of this and I probably would have enjoyed this more if I read it earlier in life (I'm now in my 70s). Hesse felt that this was his most misunderstood novel and felt that "readers focused on the suffering and despair missing the possibility of transcendence and healing." This novel was originally published in Germany in 1927 and was also a critique of Germany's middle class amidst the escalating militarism that preceded Hitler's rise to power but popular interest in it was renewed in the 1960s during the psychedelic movement because it was seen as a counterculture book including its depiction of free love and explicit drug use. And of course the name "
Steppenwolf" was also taken from this novel and used by the very popular rock band from the 60s.
a thoughtful philosophical novel that explores lonliness and one's place in society
Good, thought-provoking book. A quick read.
really, really great book once you get into it!
Steppenwolf is a slightly disturbing story of a killer obsessed by olfactory sensations, particularly scents of women. The main character can be hard to identify with but is pitiful in many regards. I definitely recommend it to mature readers.
