Narrated by Emil Sinclair, Demian recalls his adolescence in a small German town, when a lie to a schoolyard bully leaves him tied to a crueler boy and ashamed in front of his parents. A classmate named Max Demian appears and offers him a different reading of the Bible, in which Cain's mark is a sign of strength. Over the years, Emil follows Demian's example, meets Pistorius the organist, and sees the idea of Abraxas, a god who contains good and evil. Hermann Hesse wrote it just after the First World War, when many readers felt the old order had failed.
This is a good read for those interested in coming-of-age stories with a philosophical core and a lasting appeal to young readers.
Deep, inward-looking, contemplative, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1974
- Publisher
- Suhrkamp Verlag
- ISBN
- 9783518367063
- Language
- DE
