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Hermann Hesse
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Demian Paperback – October 8, 2013

by Herman Hesse (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,758 ratings
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A brilliant psychological portrait of a troubled young man's quest for self-awareness, this coming-of-age novel achieved instant critical and popular acclaim upon its 1919 publication. A landmark in the history of 20th-century literature, it reflects the author's preoccupation with the duality of human nature and the pursuit of spiritual fullfillment.
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  1. Print length
    116 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    October 8, 2013
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.27 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1492932671
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1492932673
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (October 8, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 116 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1492932671
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1492932673
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.27 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,758 ratings

About the author

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Hermann Hesse

Hermann Hesse

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Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) was born in Germany and later became a citizen of Switzerland. As a Western man profoundly affected by the mysticism of Eastern thought, he wrote many novels, stories, and essays that bear a vital spiritual force that has captured the imagination and loyalty of many generations of readers. In 1946, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature for The Glass Bead Game.

Photo by unknown [Dutch National Archives, The Hague, Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau (ANEFO), 1945-1989 / Public Domain] [CC BY-SA 3.0 nl (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/nl/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
2,758 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book really good and interesting. They say it's thought-provoking, relatable, and timeless introspective storytelling at its best. Readers praise the writing style as well-written and amazing. They also appreciate the cover design, which looks very interesting.

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ReadabilityThought provokingWriting styleCover design
41 customers mention "Readability"41 positive0 negative

Customers find the book really good, interesting, and a quick read. They mention it's an important book especially if you're going through a hard time. Readers also say the book is relatively cheap, so it's a good buy.

"...Such an important book, especially if you’re going through a hard time and or trying to understand yourself in relation to the world and the people..." Read more

"...The book is relatively cheap, so it's a good buy. The story line of this book keeps you wondering and keeps you wanting to read more...." Read more

"...the ending kinda made up for the beginning but it was overall, a great read. I would re-read again." Read more

"My man absolutely loved the quality of the book, he was so happy to have it" Read more

22 customers mention "Thought provoking"22 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking, relatable, and interesting. They say it's timeless introspective storytelling at its best. Readers also mention the book teaches a good lesson and is life-changing.

"Absolutely beautiful story about religious trauma, breaking out of the shell that is the sheltered world of childhood, finding love and acceptance,..." Read more

"...Crafted like an autobiography , it's an introduction to a new philosophy of life , just like Ayn Rand,s works - quite original whether one agrees..." Read more

"I find Hesse's writing compelling. Profound ideas and intimate moments woven into easily digestible odysseys of the spirit...." Read more

"...It keeps you guessing. I'm usually the person who can figure out the ending of a book/movie before it ends; Not this book...." Read more

13 customers mention "Writing style"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style well-written and amazing. They say the author has a way with words that keeps them mesmerized throughout the book. Readers also mention the ideas Hesse communicates speak directly to them.

"...This was beautifully translated and I personally like the formatting of it. Please read if you haven’t already...." Read more

"I find Hesse's writing compelling. Profound ideas and intimate moments woven into easily digestible odysseys of the spirit...." Read more

"The author has a way with words that it keeps you mesmerized throughout the book. Timeless in nature although it takes place ages ago...." Read more

"...Beautifully written, full of mystery, the story shows a growth that is extraordinarily spiritual and confusing." Read more

7 customers mention "Cover design"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the cover design interesting and beautiful. They appreciate the contrast of purity and chaos, as well as the way death is required to give birth to life.

"This book is an enchanting piece of work ...." Read more

"...It is beautiful and inspiring...." Read more

"...love this novel and thought this new edition and cover illustration was very interesting...." Read more

"...The book is tall, flat, and has a very beautiful cover. I will have a fun time reading this! It looks very interesting." Read more

1 inch margins
3 out of 5 stars
1 inch margins
I can't stand this print out.I inch margins, making the book bigger than it needed to be.
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Top reviews from the United States

Clea
5.0 out of 5 stars A Book Everyone Should Read
Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2023
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Absolutely beautiful story about religious trauma, breaking out of the shell that is the sheltered world of childhood, finding love and acceptance, friendship and sexuality, and overall navigating the road that leads you back to yourself. Such an important book, especially if you’re going through a hard time and or trying to understand yourself in relation to the world and the people around you. This was beautifully translated and I personally like the formatting of it. Please read if you haven’t already. Herman Hesse is a revolutionary of his time
4 people found this helpful
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priti
5.0 out of 5 stars demian by Hermann Hesse
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2014
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This book is an enchanting piece of work . Crafted like an autobiography , it's an introduction to a new philosophy of life , just like Ayn Rand,s works - quite original whether one agrees with it totally or not . This book takes us thru the journey of protagonist Sinclair through his childhood to youth ; led by a compelling desire to identify and live by the calling of his true inner self . He questions existing ethos, ideals, way of life , even Gods - and finds as though by destiny the guides who reaffirm his views and lead him to his destiny . Demian is one of the guides who Sinclair feels irresistible attracted to from the time they first met in school , till the end when they both merge into each other and symbolically become one. Author contests several of the strongly held views of early 19th century society in Europe . Religion is a constant theme throughout and it's dealt with rather beautifully . Christianity is not condemned out rightly nor is any other religion or cult . There is unlimited freedom to choose what one wants to be , what one wants to think and do ; only right thing being true to oneself and ones innermost urges. Morals, guilt, sin, sex all those things that caused conflict have been dealt with single minded belief in the fact that one must question the myths , one must follow what his destiny directs him to without a care if it's right or wrong . Aithor suggests that collective unconscious - all the knowledge that exists in this world is within each one of us . The whole world that we see outside , with it's beauty and ugliness is inside us . The world , mankind , all the living creatures are in constant state of evolution and change and evolution is the only constant . Human beings in their ignorance live in happy pasts and want to preserve the status quo at any cost . They are afraid of change , afraid of looking inwards and finding their true calling . That's because each one of us has a unique destiny to fulfill and if one was to choose that he has to do it alone . That goes against the feeling of security the society and community provides , which lures men to give up their destinies and join the herd . There are a few , those who feel compelled to find the purpose of life . These people do not resist new ideas , change but just submit themselves to the destiny and become the instruments of fate . These are the people through which change is carried forwards , like baby in the wombs of fertile mother . Author has used a lot of symbolism throughout the story . Damien , the lifelong guide of protagonist is ageless , constant and self assured - just like the eternal truth . Young boy Sinclair feels torn between the two world one of which is the all good family and another dark world where all the evils like theft, alcohol , murder , sex took place . He constantly flits back and forth into these symbolic worlds, trying to find his anchoring . At every tough turn when life seems to come crashing down he finds a person , a dream , a symbol that opens a new vista in front of him and leads him . Hero also swings between the extremes of love - desire for flesh vs pure spiritual love . He fall in love with an image that combines his mother and his guide Demian ; man and woman ; good and evil . And then quite symbolically that image turns out to be that of Demian.s mother. No love is forbidden if that's what is one,s innermost feeling dictates . Keeping with the mores of 19th century society everything is made symbolical but it's evident that author delves into bisexuality , incest and Oedipal complex. So why is the book named Demian ? Who is he ? Demian is the inner voice of every man . The inner voice that finds us at every difficult step and guides us to our unique destiny . Sinclair found Demian and they merged into each other symbolically as well - when Sinclaire went inside himself and looked into the dark mirror of his soul and Saw the image of Demian .

The setting of this book precedes world war 1 . As the war starts people submit themselves to their destiny and fight . Author has a very interesting view about war itself . War is symbolised as an instrument of change , something predestined and essential . The recurring symbol of bird hatching from egg and destroying the egg in the process is used to convey the message that for something new to be born the old must be destroyed .

Early 19 century Europe was home to many new ideologies like those of Tolstoy and Neitszke . Herman Hesse had his own and it is quite appealing .
47 people found this helpful
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Ramond Haynes
5.0 out of 5 stars If you enjoyed Siddhartha, you'll probably enjoy Demian
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2024
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I find Hesse's writing compelling. Profound ideas and intimate moments woven into easily digestible odysseys of the spirit. Different in style but similar in substance to Richard Bach.
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Kai
4.0 out of 5 stars Really Good.
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2017
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I ordered this book a few months ago, because of BTS and I am so glad I did, because it is an amazing book. The book isn't too long, so even those who aren't big fans of reading are able to do so. However, there are some big words within the book that you may have to Google the definition of. The book is relatively cheap, so it's a good buy. The story line of this book keeps you wondering and keeps you wanting to read more.

The book takes place in Germany, around the first half of the 1900s. The story follows a boy named Sinclair who starts off as a smart, innocent little kid, and it basically follows him throughout his life. It includes him falling into temptation and falling away from tranquility and sameness. It begins as he is caught in a lie, that's where his life kind of flips upside down.

If you listen to BTS, you will notice a lot of little references within the book that correspond to the WINGS short films. This makes the book that much more interesting because you try to connect each chapter and its details with the little things that some may overlook in the WINGS videos. It's also easier to understand the fan theories if you read this book.

If you have never listened to BTS or don't know who that is, this is still a good book for you. It keeps you guessing. I'm usually the person who can figure out the ending of a book/movie before it ends; Not this book. This is one of those books that gets you thinking about yourself and about life. So I would 10/10 recommend you to read this book.
130 people found this helpful
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Amazoner
5.0 out of 5 stars inspiring
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2024
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After 50+ years since I first “discovered “ this is timeless introspective storytelling at its best. If only there were contemporary authors to continue the tales.
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Alan
5.0 out of 5 stars “Love must not beg”, she said, “nor demand either”
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2024
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I confirm how much we can connect with people from the past and ideas that could give you the understanding life is repetitive and current thoughts are not different from our predecessors. Like It a lot, if you are looking for own meaning.
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Karen Zuniga Gutierrez
5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended multiple times
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2024
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I've seen this book a couple of time and it has been recommended to me as well so I finally decided to buy it.
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Yi
3.0 out of 5 stars 1 inch margins
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2023
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I can't stand this print out.
I inch margins, making the book bigger than it needed to be.
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Yi
3.0 out of 5 stars 1 inch margins
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2023
I can't stand this print out.
I inch margins, making the book bigger than it needed to be.
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2 people found this helpful
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Veronica Ramirez Carrero
5.0 out of 5 stars Llego bien
Reviewed in Mexico on June 27, 2024
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Llego a tiempo y en buenas condiciones.
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Zoe L.
5.0 out of 5 stars What a beautiful book...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 20, 2023
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I read it in just two days as it's not very long. It's beautiful. As soon as I'd finished, I wanted to start reading it again in light what I'd learned. It helps to have some idea of what a daimon is, as that theme is important. HH's prose is always so gentle & easy. I really enjoyed it.
2 people found this helpful
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Cass
5.0 out of 5 stars Approvato
Reviewed in Italy on January 3, 2021
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Arrivato in buone condizioni, un angolo era un pochino pieghettato ma bel libro. Preso per un regalo, e la persona ne è stata davvero felice. Inoltre libro interessante e bello.
One person found this helpful
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Marco_
5.0 out of 5 stars Demian ótimo
Reviewed in Brazil on August 12, 2019
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Adoro Herman Hesse
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Clo from Canada
5.0 out of 5 stars Very very interesting book
Reviewed in Canada on November 1, 2018
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Hermann Hesse's books are subtle and riveting. When you penetrate into this genius' writing world, you will never forget it. Because Hesse's world leaves its prints on your soul. You cannot help to question life and its many different paths offered to each one of us, human being. Great writer. Siddhartha is an unforgettable little jewel. Books that you will cherish forever and read over and over. Thank you Mr Hesse for your imprint of my heart and soul. Clo
3 people found this helpful
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