Hermann Hesse - Steppenwolf & Siddhartha (epub)

HERMANN HESSE (1877-1962) was a German poet and novelist who received the 1946 Nobel Prize in Literature. His work explores an individual's search for authenticity, self-knowledge and spirituality.

SIDDHARTHA (1922) is a classic novel of self-discovery that has inspired generations of seekers. With parallels to the enlightenment of the Buddha, the novel is the story of a young Brahmn's quest for the ultimate reality which takes him from the extremes of indulgent sensuality to the rigors of ascetism and self-denial. Steeped in the tenets of both psychoanalysis and Eastern mysticism, Siddhartha presents a strikingly original view of man and culture, and the arduous process of self-discovery that leads to reconciliation, harmony and peace.

STEPPENWOLF (1927), combining autobiographical and psychoanalytic elements, reflects a profound crisis in Hesse's spiritual world during the 1920s while memorably portraying the protagonist's split between his humanity and his wolf-like aggression and homelessness. The novel became an international success, although Hesse would later assert that the book was largely misunderstood.


* SIDDHARTHA: An Indian Poem (Modern Library, 2006). Translation by Susan Bernofsky with an Introduction by Tom Robbins. -- EPUB

* STEPPENWOLF (Bantam, 1969). Translated by Basil Creighton, updated by Joseph Mileck with some suggestions by Horst Frenz. -- EPUB + PDF