A young man, blessed with loving parents and a safe home in a world where want and neglect abound, leaves his family in search of himself. He joins the Samanas, a band of wandering ascetics without possessions or earthly ties. His quest unfulfilled, he descends into a life of unbounded luxury and indulgence. Where is truth? Where will his soul find true ease, in denial, in decadence, or in some truth far greater than himself, so simple, so close to...

A brilliant psychological portrait of a troubled young man₂s 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 fulfillment. Excellent new English translation. Introduction.

Set in India, a young Brahmin quests for ultimate reality.

"Herman Hesse's spiritual biography, 'Beneath the Wheel,' is a touchstone in the Nobel Prize-winning author's lifelong examination of the conflict between self-affirmation and self-destruction. Based on his own experience, his second novel attacks an educational system that fosters intelledt and ambition at the expense of emotion, soul and instinct. 'Beneath the Wheel' tells with compassion and tenderness a sstory that is true for our own age, with...

Twenty-two fairy tales for adults by a German writer (1877-1962). In A Man by the Name of Ziegler, the protagonist can talk to animals and finds them just as wicked as humans, Augustus is on a man who loses a fortune but gains happiness, and A Dream of the Gods contrasts the hopes and the reality of World War I. By the author of Steppenwolf.

Set in India, 'Siddhartha' is the story of a Brahmin's search for ultimate reality after meeting with the Buddha. His quest takes him from a life of decadence to asceticism, from the joys of sensual love with a beautiful courtesan, and of wealth and fame, to the struggles with his son and the ultimate wisdom of renunciation.