Steppenwolf

This classic is a particular favorite of young adults confronting life's deepest questions. A potent combination of Eastern and Western insights into the human search for meaning, Thomas Wayne presents a contemporary take on Hesse's story in a joltingly fresh translation.

Steppenwolf was first published in German in 1927, but the issues it raises are still relevant today. Perhaps the book is more important in our current cultural climate than ever before. In this story we watch as a solitary individual struggles to break free of the plans and patterns laid out for him by society, the expectations of others, and the soft confines of middle-class life.

The main character, Harry Haller, has all material wealth he needs, yet he finds no satisfaction. Having decided to commit suicide on his fiftieth birthday, he then meets Hermine. She shows him another life and, through her musician/friend Pablo and his Magic Theater, all the endless possible variations of his own life in the long journey to self-discovery.