Erroneously described as a “poetic” work, Steppenwolf would sit more aptly in the genre of fantasy writing. It is a kind of Bildungsroman for the middle-aged, detailing one man’s journey from suicidal despair to existential enlightenment via a series of unbelievable relationships and events.

First published in Germany in 1927, it is intriguing that in much later editions the author felt compelled to include an explanatory note, penned in 1961, apparently in an attempt to address the “misunderstandings” about his work. Yet Hesse’s note is little more explicit in meaning than the text of the novel. Its greatest asset is for the exhortation, “May everyone find in it what strikes a chord in him and is of some use to him!”, a suggestion that could easily be inserted below the copyright statement of any novel.

Be that as it may, there is plenty in Steppenwolf to strike a chord with the reader, particularly the early stages of the narrator (and self-styled “Steppenwolf”) Harry Haller’s own account and his discovery of a “Treatise on the Steppenwolf”. It intimately examines themes of alienation, suicide, intellectualism and the nature of the personality.

Harry sets himself, and all other intellectuals, apart from the “bourgeoisie”, even suggesting that intellectuals are “a superfluous, irresponsible lot of talented chatterboxes for whom reality had no meaning”. Moments like these and the mode of Harry’s later redemption carry the appearance of the anti-intellectualism prevalent in 21st century politics. Yet paradoxically, Steppenwolf is littered with intellectual conceit, relying heavily on an assumed familiarity with the works of Goethe and Mozart.

The latter half of the book chronicles Harry’s escape from ennui through a carnival of bars, belles and balls, and concludes with a sequence of experiences in a kind of theatre of the mind, in which he relives and improves upon his youthful fantasies. This final stage was irritating and distracting. If it was the author’s intention to offer an alternative to existential despair, he would have done better to inject it with a little more realism.

Also irritating was the method of Harry’s rescue from despair by the temptress Hermine and her associates, aided by Harry’s mindless compliance. Harry’s redemption would have been far more satisfying if he had found the means and motivation within himself.

In spite of these irritations and Hesse’s bouts of self-indulgence, this is a book rich with ideas and a fascinating vehicle for self-reflection. While the text itself is largely humorless, the author’s suggestion that humour is the key to coming to terms with the world is tantalising, although finding humour on the brink of despair is likely to be difficult. Ultimately, Steppenwolf is a parable that it is never too late to turn your life around and, through personal growth and learning, find hope and new meaning in the world. ( )

Peter Weller's narration of this audiobook version of the novel of misery and magic is generally fine, but sometimes tends a little too much toward a disinterested nonchalance. I disagreed with the pronunciation of a few words here and there as well, but I think he did a good job with quite a few of the more difficult non-English words in the novel. ( )

Steppenwolf is a novel about an aging man who is mired in regret and self-loathing because he has spent his life in pursuit of scholarly and artistic refinement only to realize when he is around 50 years of age that he has been wasting his life. Written in 1927, it is of historical interest to me because of the snapshot it provides of Germany between the world wars. The rise of the nationalism that eventually produced Hitler is just beginning, and the protagonist realizes its dangers but cannot motivate himself to do anything more than write letters of protest to the editors of the local newspapers. He laments the feeble state of intellectuals in Germany at the time who are so focused on the aesthetic rather than the politic. The novel does end on a note of hope, but I got the feeling it was somewhat tacked on in an effort to save the story from spiraling into futility. In fact, the feeling of hope at the end is somewhat hallucinogenic and may be the result of the use of narcotics. It's a strange story, but I think readers are intended to reconsider their lives of serious study or focus on aesthetics in order to enjoy the journey that life provides. ( )

Der Steppenwolf was first published in Germany in 1927 and in the foreword to this edition, Hesse writes that of all his books, this one was "more often and more violently misunderstood than any other". The protagonist Harry Haller is a 48 year-old career intellectual, who flits from one boarding room to another without ever being gainfully employed, and Hesse does indicate that the book deals with the problems of a man that age.

Harry Haller's problems are mainly depression and suicidal thoughts - or, self pity and self absorption, depending on your outlook. He has decided to kill himself on his 50th birthday. He spends his days reading, listening to classical music, writing letters to the paper about the war, and visiting local bars to drink wine. He rather smugly considers himself to be a part of the bourgeoisie and is completely wrapped up in aesthetic and intellectual pursuits at the price of any possible interpersonal relationship. He enjoys the anonymity of being the eternal boarder, rarely striking up friendships with those he rents rooms from. Suffice to say, as someone who is not a 48 year-old man, I found it quite difficult to empathise with Harry Haller.

Harry seizes on his internal Steppenwolf as the cause of his ennui, and identifies this as the negative and self-destructive part of his personality, and of course, the reason for his unhappiness. One night, while out at one of his favoured taverns, a stranger gives him a pamphlet called The Treatise of the Steppenwolf, which seems to him to explain everything. It discusses how the concept of the ego is a fiction, and proposes that individuals are composites of many personalities. The Treatise claims that Haller's perception of a dual personality is ludicrous and causes violence to his soul.

I found the first hundred pages or so of this book pretty hard work. There's a lot of philosophising and precious little plot movement. It brightens up though, when Harry meets an outgoing lady named Hermine, who makes it her goal in life to show Harry how to enjoy himself. This involves him letting go of his snobbery about dancing and music and falling in lust with much younger women (icky, and such a total middle-aged man fantasy).

Harry Haller is basically having a mid-life crisis. My own feeling is that he'd have had much less time to feel sorry for himself if he'd done some honest hard work every now and then. Definitely not a book for everyone. ( )

Il lupo della Steppa è il libro che mi ha fatto innamorare di Hesse quando avevo 15 anni.
È un viaggio che porta il lettore ad approfondire lo spirito umano del lupo della steppa, un’autoanalisi con la voce del personaggio; forse una degli aspetti più interessanti di questo libro è che in alcune pagine sembra quasi che il lupo tenti di superare la dicotomia spirito-mondo; altre volte c’è una ricerca del piacere del frivolo e mondano, riflessioni filosofiche, tentativi di distacco dal mondo, autovalutazioni … un testo che mentre si legge pone domande a chiunque voglia ascoltarle, ma non è detto che sappia fornire una risposta.
Libro che senz’altro è da leggere e rileggere ( )