Wie alle Hauptwerke Hermann Hesses hat auch der Demian, den der damals 40jährige Autor mitten im Ersten Weltkrieg schrieb, eine ebenso ungewöhnliche wie spannende Entstehungs- und Wirkungsgeschichte. Daß dieses im Herbst 1917 vollendete Buch erst im Juni 1919, ein halbes Jahr nach Kriegsende, veröffentlicht wurde, lag an der Unbekanntheit des Verfassers. Denn Hesse hatte das Manuskript dem Verlag als das Erstlingswerk eines kranken jungen Dichters empfohlen, des zeitkritischen Poeten Emil Sinclair, der bisher nur in Zeitungen und Zeitschriften durch pazifistische Mahnrufe und Erzählungen aufgefallen war (die gleichfalls von Hesse stammten). Doch trotz des Inkognitos erlebte das Buch eine geradezu stürmische Aufnahme und wurde noch im Erscheinungsjahr mit dem Fontane-Preis für das beste Erstlingswerk eines Nachwuchsautors ausgezeichnet. Thomas Mann verglich die elektrisierende Wirkung des Buches mit der von Goethes Werther, da es »mit unheimlicher Genauigkeit den Nerv der Zeit traf und eine ganze Jugend, die wähnte aus ihrer Mitte sei ihr …
Wie alle Hauptwerke Hermann Hesses hat auch der Demian, den der damals 40jährige Autor mitten im Ersten Weltkrieg schrieb, eine ebenso ungewöhnliche wie spannende Entstehungs- und Wirkungsgeschichte. Daß dieses im Herbst 1917 vollendete Buch erst im Juni 1919, ein halbes Jahr nach Kriegsende, veröffentlicht wurde, lag an der Unbekanntheit des Verfassers. Denn Hesse hatte das Manuskript dem Verlag als das Erstlingswerk eines kranken jungen Dichters empfohlen, des zeitkritischen Poeten Emil Sinclair, der bisher nur in Zeitungen und Zeitschriften durch pazifistische Mahnrufe und Erzählungen aufgefallen war (die gleichfalls von Hesse stammten). Doch trotz des Inkognitos erlebte das Buch eine geradezu stürmische Aufnahme und wurde noch im Erscheinungsjahr mit dem Fontane-Preis für das beste Erstlingswerk eines Nachwuchsautors ausgezeichnet. Thomas Mann verglich die elektrisierende Wirkung des Buches mit der von Goethes Werther, da es »mit unheimlicher Genauigkeit den Nerv der Zeit traf und eine ganze Jugend, die wähnte aus ihrer Mitte sei ihr ein Künder ihres tiefsten Lebens entstanden, zu dankbarem Entzücken hinriß«. Bis zur Entdeckung des Pseudonyms im Mai 1920 erschienen drei Auflagen, denen dann unter Hesses eigenem Namen zu seinen Lebzeiten noch 93 weitere folgten.
*Tú sólo no puedes. Con amigos si*. Que dicía isto? Os teleñecos?
4 stars
Aínda que por veces me perdía nesa viaxe de descubrimento persoal, de coñecemento de si mesmo, creo que o libro ten unha resolución moi bonita e poética que paga a pena por si soa.
O relato apela a seguir a forza interior que nos move, a coñecela e a diferenciala sen prexuizos alonxándose da comodidade de pertencer á masa, de diluírnos (espiritualmente) nela. O protagonista, con moitas vicisitudes e a guía de sensibilidades afíns logra percorrer o camiño.
It's been two and a half years since my first Hesse book (Rosshalde in September 2016) and I've been meaning to read more of his works since. Now I've finally got around to it thanks to featuring Demian as one of my Books From The Backlog. Unfortunately I felt this one was nowhere near as good as Rosshalde. It's a fairly standard coming of age story where young Emil Sinclair first discovers lying to his parents, then getting drunk at boarding school, then has a massive crush on an older boy, the eponymous Demian, before realising it's actually Demian's mother who is the real target of his affections. As you do!
Emil's personal disasters and consequent emotional growth do make for a pretty interesting story, but this is hidden in pages and pages of religious philosophy, plus our Emil is possibly the most pompous precocious egotistical little oik I have …
It's been two and a half years since my first Hesse book (Rosshalde in September 2016) and I've been meaning to read more of his works since. Now I've finally got around to it thanks to featuring Demian as one of my Books From The Backlog. Unfortunately I felt this one was nowhere near as good as Rosshalde. It's a fairly standard coming of age story where young Emil Sinclair first discovers lying to his parents, then getting drunk at boarding school, then has a massive crush on an older boy, the eponymous Demian, before realising it's actually Demian's mother who is the real target of his affections. As you do!
Emil's personal disasters and consequent emotional growth do make for a pretty interesting story, but this is hidden in pages and pages of religious philosophy, plus our Emil is possibly the most pompous precocious egotistical little oik I have ever 'met'! Now, I don't mind an unlikeable protagonist (Fatboy Fall Down being a recent example), but Emil is, frankly, insufferable and I spent most of his story cheering his misfortunes. Oh, and his view of women is decidedly bizarre too. At times I wondered if Hesse had ever actually spoken to a real woman. However you probably shouldn't take my complaints too seriously if you're deciding whether to read Demian for yourself. I saw a lot of Goodreads reviewers raving about this being a life-changing philosophical novel for them so I'm wondering if this is a book which should be read at a certain age in order to truly appreciate it?
I’m not doing to rate or review this work for now… I adored it but I feel like I must reread since the edition I read was a Portuguese translation (I despise Portuguese translations).
A Spiritual Journey with Hesse — Timeless, Transformative, and Profound - Read it many times
Reading Demian was more than just reading a novel—it was stepping onto a spiritual path. Hesse takes us on an unforgettable inner journey through Demian’s childhood, youth, and adolescence, guiding us gently but powerfully toward the mysteries of the self and the soul.
Hesse’s wisdom feels endless. His prose is both beautiful and profound, and every sentence carries layers of meaning that unfold the more you reflect on them. I first discovered Hesse when I was 16, and it was a turning point in my life. His books cracked something open in me—a curiosity about the spiritual, a longing for deeper truth, and a hunger to understand God in a personal and honest way.
Demian wasn’t just a book — it was a divine discovery. Hesse became my first Guru, and his words my earliest …
A Spiritual Journey with Hesse — Timeless, Transformative, and Profound - Read it many times
Reading Demian was more than just reading a novel—it was stepping onto a spiritual path. Hesse takes us on an unforgettable inner journey through Demian’s childhood, youth, and adolescence, guiding us gently but powerfully toward the mysteries of the self and the soul.
Hesse’s wisdom feels endless. His prose is both beautiful and profound, and every sentence carries layers of meaning that unfold the more you reflect on them. I first discovered Hesse when I was 16, and it was a turning point in my life. His books cracked something open in me—a curiosity about the spiritual, a longing for deeper truth, and a hunger to understand God in a personal and honest way.
Demian wasn’t just a book — it was a divine discovery. Hesse became my first Guru, and his words my earliest teachings on the sacredness of the inner world. I’ve continued on my spiritual path ever since, and I always trace it back to those first pages.
This book, like many of Hesse’s, is a light in the darkness. A guide. A friend. A treasure.
