Rating:  Summary: A Special Novel, Outstanding Review: Steppenwolf and Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man are the two books that have had the greatest influence or impact on me. I found Steppenwolf amazingly realistic in some ways, while obviously fantastic in others. The fantasy in the book, however, is captivating and apporpriate, certinaly not pointless. I also doubt that many books contain such wisdom and still remain so fascinating and exciting in plot. Anyone who feels a bit out of place in the modern world, I believe, will relate to Harry Haller and will, moreover, learn from his wonderful story.
Rating:  Summary: Fabulous Review: Maybe not the greatest in structure or scope or theme, but it was the most moving novel I have ever read. While reading it, I became Harry Haller. I fell in love with Hermine. I spoke with Mozart for gosh sakes! I read it and got to know myself better through it. What more can I ask?
Rating:  Summary: If I could give 6 stars I would Review: Wondeful book, I dont see how you could read it and not be moved. As for the comment "This book filled with violent thoughts and are not suitable for children to read, especailly for school reading", I guess we should get rid of the news, that is filled with violent things as well!
Rating:  Summary: Everything a good novel should be Review: If Hesse was put on earth to write Steppenwolf, then I was put on earth to read it.
Rating:  Summary: Steppenwolf is a creative discussion of human pschology. Review: Hesse uses a unique blend of symbolism, realism, and fantasy to create the great story of Harry Haller. Facing the reality of old age, Haller finds that "life" may be more than he thought. Being the stereotypical intellectual, Haller finds joy in life when he didn't think it was possible.
Rating:  Summary: This book confused my innocent thoughts.... Review: This book filled with violent thoughts and are not suitable for children to read. Especailly for school reading.
Rating:  Summary: Integration of the divided self - HH embraces femine side Review: Come on, you perpetual adolescents, of course you love the dark, dreamlike, underground, hippie-like feel of this book, and of course you wallowed in Steppenwolf during your junior or senior year in high school, when you were so desperately trying to complete the process of manufacturing your "identity" (invariably, by walling offs parts of yourself you considered inconsistent with your emerging construct of the higher, better, more socially viable self).Like HH (and Dr. Strangelove), you find the divorced aspects of self resurfacing, jumping out at you like alien beings, occassionally getting a hand on your throat or whatever. Through music (traditional avenue for accessing marginalized aspects of self), HH "kills" the Hermine that exists as a seperate being, and rediscovers/reintegrates his feminine (dark, intuitive) side. Hesse spent a lot of time in Jungian analysis, you know. If you missed all of this when you read the novel, I guess its possible to enjoy it solely for its dark, dreamlike, urbanEuro-between-the-wars-life-is-a-cabarat smoke and mirrors.
Rating:  Summary: Outstanding book, poor translation. Review: "Steppenwolf" seems to have been required reading 30 years ago, during my own coming of age. I read it then, was moved by it, but came away from it with only a vague understanding of Hesse's point, mostly the result of my own lack of maturity. This is a superb book, but poorly translated into English. Read it in the original German if you can (5 stars for original, 4 for translation).
Rating:  Summary: Never mind, I going to state the obvious... Review: I first read this book at 11, when I was going through a phase of reading 'cult books'. At the time I never really understood the book, I was just overwhelmed with the power of Hesse's words and his way of making you think about certain issues and ideas. Now I'm 14 and I think I understand the issues in the book better. What I love about this book is that the more you discover about life, the more you discover in this book. Which means I can open this book 10 or 20 years on and a whole new world of thought and ideas comes into my head. Before we had hippies, we had steppenwolf. And even though Steppenwolf is 'old', he appeals to younger people because he talks about his feelings in a blunt way. And though I am talking about Harry Haller as if he is real, its the only way I can say the way Hesse brings to life a character that lives through change and technology. The shame is, just like "1984" by George Orwell, Herman Hesse brings on a whole range of thought for years to come and people forget the book that caused the reveloution in thought. This book is in my top five, and it'll stay there for years to come.
Rating:  Summary: Tragic, enchanting, a story of both love and life.... Review: This book was so awesomely written. Though it was extremely long ago, it still has much basis today. It's scary how close this book hit home when I read it. The words were very flowing and kept me turning the pages, wanting to know what was going to happen to Harry and Hermine. This has my strong recommendation as a book everyone should read at least once.
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