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Steppenwolf (Essential Penguin)Snagging.org In association with Amazon.co.ukOnline Shop | Property Guides | Kitchen & Home | Garden Tools | Power Tools | Consumer Electronics Get the Snagging Checklist Here!  List Price: £8.99 Amazon.co.uk's Price: £6.99 You Save: £2.00 (22%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 813 EAN: 9780140282580 Edition: New edition ISBN: 0140282580 Label: Penguin Manufacturer: Penguin Number Of Pages: 256 Publication Date: February 25, 1999 Publisher: Penguin Studio: Penguin Related Items:
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 Rating:  - One of the greatest books I have ever read - Hesse's poetic writing is without parallelThis was the first of Hesse's books that I ever read, and at a very young age. Perhaps because I still had the imagination of a child the poetry of his writing completely took me over - without his special way of expressing ideas and emotions and just putting words together it would have been just a fairly strange story. I was hooked, and even though some of his other writings did not 'hit' me quite as much (how could they, after this masterpiece!), I eventually found my way through most of his writing, with gems such as Narziss and Goldmund and The Glass Bead game also making their own special mark on my 'mindset', changing me for ever. Having said that, Steppenwolf was the first and for me therefore best piece of poetic writing I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. I have read and owned it several times, only to lose it to another 'convert' once they had 'borrowed' and read it.... I'm keeping hold of my current copy for ever!!! Rating: - A great psychological explorationI love this book. The "magic theatre" of the mind in which Harry Haller, Hesse's protagonist, explores different aspects of himself via strange narcotic potions created for him by the dream-like drug dealer Pablo, is a hymn to altered states of consciousness and modes of self-exploration. This extraordinary novel was far ahead of its time (it was first published in 1927) and has stood the test of time incredibly well. The only recent novel that gets anywhere close to this, for me, is Sebastian Beaumont's Thirteen which achieves internal exploration via sleep deprivation rather than drugs. Rating: - a psychedelic classicIt's certainly no coincidence that Timothy Leary thought highly about this book and actually used it as manual for some of his public performances, where he tried to transmit the psychedelic experience to a wider audience. And it's more than probable that Hesse himself experimented with mescaline, in a small group of likeminded people amongst them the famous painter Paul Klee. So the last third of the book, the intriguing scenes in Pablo's Magical Theatre is undoubtedly based on the author's authentic experiences with altered states of consciousness. Another main feature in the book is the importance of eastern philosophy. Demonstrating that the faustian concept of 'two souls living in my breast' is far too simplistic. That in fact the human being doesn't have a fixed personality, and what we consider our 'personality' really is just an illusion. And that the only way out of our dilemmas is to transcend the level of everyday reality and join what Hesse calls "the immortals", the mystics, artists (like Goethe and Mozart), saints in their sphere of the timeless and 'cool' Beyond. I find this a very moving book, in it's essence absolutely relevant for people of today. In a culture where materialism is all prevalent and where people who seems to embody an extra dimension, as the beautiful Hermine puts it, is completely marginalized by the dominant medias. Although we perhaps can find comfort in the fact that there are more thriving spiritual milieus to day than at Hesse's time. All in all a deeply fascinating and intriguing novel. I loved it when I first read it as a 19-year old, and I loved it even more when I re-read it a month ago (for god know which time). A true classic and in my eyes by far Hesse's greatest work of art. Rating: - SublimeMagic theatre. Entrance not for everyone. For madmen only. Steppenwolf is surely one of the pinnacles of so-called "modern" fiction. It draws the reader into the murky consciousness of its troubled protagonist to offer a moving and enthralling story of a man losing his reason and discovering his passions. Hesse shows us the impossibility of separating out our "intellectual" life from our "animal" passions, but puts across an upbeat message: celebrate the diversity; celebrate life as it really is. It's easy to slap the label existentialist on this, easy but dubious: it is something subtler; a lush, hazy journey of the mind in which the reality of human experience has only a supporting role. It's not philosophy. It's just a wonderful novel. The Glass Bead Game, Hesse's masterpiece, makes a similar case in a very different and even more powerful way. Read Steppenwolf first. Rating:  - This novel makes you thinkThis is a great novel. The first third of Steppenwolf's narrative was a little heavy going, but once you get past this bit it turns into the most wonderful dream-like narrative. The atmosphere of this book is just perfect, and the mysterious encounters of Steppenwolf and the changing shapes of his own personality are magically portrayed. As Steppenwolf explores his sense of self, the reader gets more and more drawn into his increasingly bizarre and captivating world. Steppenwolf takes the reader with him on his journey, and this is what Hesse does so well. Although Hesse was concerned that the book might not have wide appeal, in my opinion there is something here for everyone. This is a philosophical novel and as such it doesn't have a traditional storyline. Nevertheless it is extremely engaging and really makes you think. The only thing missing from this edition (Penguin classics) was an Editor's introduction. I wish there had been one to help explain some of the philosophical issues the novel explores, the wider historical context (as I believe this is an important part of the novel), and some background to Hesse's work. This could only have enhanced my enjoyment of this excellent novel.  Try searching the Internet for "Steppenwolf (Essential Penguin)" or Ebay for "Steppenwolf (Essential Penguin)". 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