View Poll Results: "Steppenwolf": Final Verdict

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  • * Waste of time. Wouldn't recommend it.

    0 0%
  • ** Didn't like it much.

    1 14.29%
  • *** Average.

    0 0%
  • **** It is a good book.

    1 14.29%
  • ***** Liked it very much. Would strongly recommend it.

    5 71.43%
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Thread: March '10 Reading: Steppenwolf by Hesse

  1. #1
    Pièce de Résistance Scheherazade's Avatar
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    March '10 Reading: Steppenwolf by Hesse

    In March we will be reading Steppenwolf by Hesse.

    Please post your comments and questions in this thr
    ead.
    ~
    "It is not that I am mad; it is only that my head is different from yours.”
    ~


  2. #2
    Vincit Qui Se Vincit Virgil's Avatar
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    Yay! I will try to pick up the book sometime this week and start on the weekend.
    LET THERE BE LIGHT

    "Love follows knowledge." – St. Catherine of Siena

    My literature blog: http://ashesfromburntroses.blogspot.com/

  3. #3
    The Poetic Warrior Dark Muse's Avatar
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    Yay, I am glad this one won. I look forward to reading it.

    Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe

  4. #4
    Internal nebulae TheFifthElement's Avatar
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    Excellent! Ive just started reading Kokoro by Natsume Soseki which is on loan from the library so I need to finish that first, but I'll certainly be picking up Steppenwolf next. Yippee!
    Want to know what I think about books? Check out https://biisbooks.wordpress.com/

  5. #5
    TobeFrank Paulclem's Avatar
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    I'm halfway through and really enjoying it. I'm glad it won.

  6. #6
    The Poetic Warrior Dark Muse's Avatar
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    I just started reading, and already of course I am in love with the narrator and I just love Hesse's prose work. It always sucks me right from the start. I was immediately engaged in the book as soon as I started and cannot wait to read more.

    Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe

  7. #7
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    I'm going to work on getting a copy. The lirary or the book store, I'm not too sure which

  8. #8
    TobeFrank Paulclem's Avatar
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    Shall I talk all on my lonesome about the book whilst you're all trying to catch up?

    Nah.. I wouldn't do that.

  9. #9
    The Poetic Warrior Dark Muse's Avatar
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    I have to say I thought the whole concept of the Steppenwolf as presented within the Treatise On The Steppenwolf, was quite brilliant, and of course just the sort of thing that would be right up my alley.

    It is almost a sort of psychology lycanthropy, and it reminds me of the idea of certain shamanistic cultures who believed that we all have two souls, one human and one animal. And some believed in a literally, physical transformation, as in shape-changing, there were others who did believe in a much more spiritual transformation.

    Also though I do not consider myself to be a suicide of any definition or type, with my own macabre romanticism regarding death, I found that discussion about the Steppenwolf's nearness to death, and the idea of seeing death as an escape and release to be quite fascinating.

    Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe

  10. #10
    TobeFrank Paulclem's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dark Muse View Post
    I have to say I thought the whole concept of the Steppenwolf as presented within the Treatise On The Steppenwolf, was quite brilliant, and of course just the sort of thing that would be right up my alley.

    It is almost a sort of psychology lycanthropy, and it reminds me of the idea of certain shamanistic cultures who believed that we all have two souls, one human and one animal. And some believed in a literally, physical transformation, as in shape-changing, there were others who did believe in a much more spiritual transformation.

    Also though I do not consider myself to be a suicide of any definition or type, with my own macabre romanticism regarding death, I found that discussion about the Steppenwolf's nearness to death, and the idea of seeing death as an escape and release to be quite fascinating.
    He returns to the idea of suicide later on too.

    On the idea of the steppenwolf dichotomy, the treatise does say that it is a simplification, and that in reality an individual has many minds. I think this refers to Hesse's contact with Asian religions, especially Buddhism, which abides by such concepts. Haller himself later refers to discussions he had with an academic of Asian studies who discussed Hinduism and Krishna. Haller says that he has done with Hinduism, as Hesse did in real life with Hinduism and Buddhism, but I think the ideas and methods still affected Hesse.

    I started The glass Bead game before this oportunity came up, and in it Hesse describes an academic elite who form a kind of monastic caste dedicated to learning. In this book he seemed to have combined Asian religious concepts and methods - such as meditation - with the academic strigency of the West.

    I was fascinated by the Steppenwolf treatise too, and I'll be looking it over again.

  11. #11
    The Poetic Warrior Dark Muse's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Paulclem View Post
    He returns to the idea of suicide later on too.

    On the idea of the steppenwolf dichotomy, the treatise does say that it is a simplification, and that in reality an individual has many minds. I think this refers to Hesse's contact with Asian religions, especially Buddhism, which abides by such concepts. Haller himself later refers to discussions he had with an academic of Asian studies who discussed Hinduism and Krishna. Haller says that he has done with Hinduism, as Hesse did in real life with Hinduism and Buddhism, but I think the ideas and methods still affected Hesse.
    I was fascinated by the Steppenwolf treatise too, and I'll be looking it over again.
    The Asian influence is an interesting one, and perhaps very likely given Hesse's study of Asian culture and spirituality, I know he was quite interested in that subject, and years ago I read Siddhartha, which was a brilliant book.

    But I thought perhaps there may have been some Shamnistic influence in the Stepphenwolf idea because Steppenwolf is a German word that literally means "wolf of the steppes" and Shamanism does have origins in Germany.

    I have always had a morbid fascination with suicide, I always find it an interesting subject within literature, perhaps because of my own views relating to death, though I don't have any actual desire for immediate death or notions of taking my own life.

    Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe

  12. #12
    TobeFrank Paulclem's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dark Muse View Post
    The Asian influence is an interesting one, and perhaps very likely given Hesse's study of Asian culture and spirituality, I know he was quite interested in that subject, and years ago I read Siddhartha, which was a brilliant book.

    But I thought perhaps there may have been some Shamnistic influence in the Stepphenwolf idea because Steppenwolf is a German word that literally means "wolf of the steppes" and Shamanism does have origins in Germany.

    I have always had a morbid fascination with suicide, I always find it an interesting subject within literature, perhaps because of my own views relating to death, though I don't have any actual desire for immediate death or notions of taking my own life.
    Yes, I know the wolf is a powerful cultural image for Germany/ the Germanic region. They used it a lot in WW2 with the Wolf pack U-Boats etc. I suppose the question is, how is the idea of the wolf implicit on Haller's place in society and his actions. He is certainly a loner, in a social and intellectual sense.

  13. #13
    The Poetic Warrior Dark Muse's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Paulclem View Post
    Yes, I know the wolf is a powerful cultural image for Germany/ the Germanic region. They used it a lot in WW2 with the Wolf pack U-Boats etc. I suppose the question is, how is the idea of the wolf implicit on Haller's place in society and his actions. He is certainly a loner, in a social and intellectual sense.
    Yes, though curiously enough being a loner is actually contradictory to the wolf association, who are highly socialized animals. I will have to wait until I read further to better come up with an answer as to the significance of the wolf imagery in particular, as within the Treatise it does suggest that it doesn't have to be wolf, as it speaks of those whom have fish, or foxes and such within them, though the wolf idea is the one being focused upon.

    It is one of the reasons why the idea of lyanthrophy cannot help but come into mind, because this portrayal of the Steppenwolf, does seem to more closely reflect ideas of werewolf lore, than natural wolves.

    Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe

  14. #14
    TobeFrank Paulclem's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dark Muse View Post
    Yes, though curiously enough being a loner is actually contradictory to the wolf association, who are highly socialized animals. I will have to wait until I read further to better come up with an answer as to the significance of the wolf imagery in particular, as within the Treatise it does suggest that it doesn't have to be wolf, as it speaks of those whom have fish, or foxes and such within them, though the wolf idea is the one being focused upon.

    It is one of the reasons why the idea of lyanthrophy cannot help but come into mind, because this portrayal of the Steppenwolf, does seem to more closely reflect ideas of werewolf lore, than natural wolves.
    You may be right. I'm at a place where Haller's Steppenwolf-ness is being broken down by Hermine, an acquaintance he meets. She too declares this nature within herself, though it is less obvious than Haller's.

  15. #15
    Vincit Qui Se Vincit Virgil's Avatar
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    I just bought the book today!! Hopefully I'll start reading this weekend.
    LET THERE BE LIGHT

    "Love follows knowledge." – St. Catherine of Siena

    My literature blog: http://ashesfromburntroses.blogspot.com/

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