Hermann Hesse

[bugmenоt]

I've managed to avoid Hermann Hesse for a long time. Not sure why I avoided him, maybe because of the "mainstream is bad" meme I have acquired during my teenage years. Many pals told me that his books are must-read, that he was so insightful, that he was so ahead of his time, etc...
So, in the last few days, in order to fill some educational gaps, I've read "Demian" and "Der Steppenwolf". I didn't like them. At all. I had the impression that all he does is provide readers (who, of course, identity with the protagonist) with the following thought process: "You're so smart and unique, your smarter than most people, but you suffer because you're stuck between two worlds, you're a herd animal and an individual, this is very bad but can't be evaded because that's how you are, however you can find other people who are like you, in fact, everyone is like this."
My reaction: "Duh!". Do his thought processes seem so worn out to me because my culture has been dealing with them for a long time now? These thoughts have been reiterated over and over again at least since Goethe. Why did my parent's generation seem to love Hesse that much? What did I miss? Am I simply getting to old for enjoying Hesse? Is Siddharta still worth reading?

[Faust]

I liked Steppenwolf but only because I took a completely different message from it. I got the feeling that the main character thought he was a lot smarter than he was, placed way too much importance on who he was and only started to enjoy himself when he realised he was coming from a place of emotional and intellectual snobbery and that his animal idea of the steppenwolf really didn't make a difference to anyone in the end, least of all him.

I tried reading Siddhartha but lost interest about twenty pages in.

[bugmenоt]

Steppenwolf's conclusion, i.e. "I'm not daddy's special little snowflake", sure is the least boring part of the book to me. Still, meh.

I tried reading Siddhartha but lost interest about twenty pages in.

Here goes my motivation ... I'll tell you if make it further.

[Cain]

Do his thought processes seem so worn out to me because my culture has been dealing with them for a long time now? These thoughts have been reiterated over and over again at least since Goethe. Why did my parent's generation seem to love Hesse that much? What did I miss?

Probably.  Hesse was at first influential in the extremely conformist Second Reich, and was then popularised by Leary and Colin Wilson (probably because they incorrectly interpreted certain pieces of writing as psychedically influenced) and spread through the hippie counterculture. 

So in each case he was popular as a reaction to extremely conformist times.

[bugmenоt]

Probably.  Hesse was at first influential in the extremely conformist Second Reich, and was then popularised by Leary and Colin Wilson (probably because they incorrectly interpreted certain pieces of writing as psychedically influenced) and spread through the hippie counterculture.

So in each case he was popular as a reaction to extremely conformist times.

Twice is enough. Can we please choose something more juicy as the reaction to today's conformism?

[Cain]

[bugmenоt]

suck it, Hermann

[The Good Reverend Roger]

suck it, Hermann

Hoo boy. 

Take a fucking hike, Weltburger.

[Cramulus]

I really really liked Siddhartha. That's the only Hesse I've read. Didn't read it until I was an adult.  Definitely impacted me nevertheless.

Though I'll say, if you're categorically not into "thoughts have been reiterated over and over again at least since Goethe" you probably won't like it. The book's about the Buddha and Enlightenment, partly in Siddhartha, but partly in all of us. You already know whether that's your cup of tea or not.

[LMNO]

-5 points for using the buzzword "impacted".

[Cain]

What if Cram meant it impacted on him....like a wrecking ball?

[The Good Reverend Roger]

-5 points for using the buzzword "impacted".

I shall have to craft an angry response.

[Cramulus]

sorry, missing something - is that a bad word now?

[Nephew Twiddleton]

I read Siddhartha twice- once for summer reading in high school, once for a class in college. I liked it both times. Good thing about it is that even if you don't really like it, it's a pretty quick read, so you won't have wasted much time.

[Cain]

sorry, missing something - is that a bad word now?

When applied to your bowels, it is.

I think, and these are the words of someone who had three hours of sleep last night, that LMNO is objecting to the incorrect grammar as much as anything.  "It had an impact on me nonetheless" would be a better way to put it.  "Impacted" has unfortunate asteroid/bowels/Miley Cyrus wrecking ball connotations.