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Demian by Hermann Hesse: Rereading This "Bible" of My Youth

themindfulword.org · 1,059 words · saved by 1 readers

Read a review of Demian by Hermann Hesse, a novel that brings to life the spiritual journey of a young man, as aided by his mentor, Demian.

An older edition of Demian whose cover suggests some of the book’s rich symbolism. DEMIAN: The Story of a Youth [Martino Fine Books (reprint), 224 pages] I first read Hermann Hesse’s short novel Demian in my twenties, during a period when events in my own life seemed to actually mirror the miracle—as well as the ordeal—of Awakening that the book so lyrically and powerfully describes. When I say that it became my “bible,” I mean that Hesse manages to convey not a “doctrine” or a creed, but rather, the actual ineffable opening of inner life! This is something way, way beyond words, and…

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