"Hesse is a writer whose peculiar vision is worth inspecting. His
world is shadowy and close to areas of the heart that will probably
never see light. But his vision is a rare one, as commendable for its
humane solicitude as for its strangeness and unearthly color." --
National Review
An acclaimed, influential, and visionary novel from Hermann Hesse, one
of the greatest writers of the twentieth century and winner of the Nobel
Prize in Literature.
Demian tells the dramatic story of Emil Sinclair. Docile and
unquestioning, Emil follows a precious schoolmate--the charismatic Max
Demian--on a shocking decent into a secret and dangerous world of petty
crime and revolt against convention. And it is there in the shadows that
a formerly complacent and uncomplicated young man achieves a miraculous
awakening to adulthood.
The novel includes an introduction by Thomas Mann.