Demian
by Hermann Hesse · first published 1919
69% recommend31% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Coming-of-age novel about a young man's inner struggle and search for self beyond rational thinking; readers say it stresses intuition and the unconscious, and it suits introspective teenagers and young adults.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A young man awakens to selfhood and to a world of possibilities beyond the conventions of his upbringing in Nobel Prize winner Hermann Hesse’s beloved novel Demian. Emil Sinclair is a quiet boy drawn into a forbidden yet seductive realm of petty crime and defiance. His guide is his precocious, mysterious classmate Max Demian, who provokes in Emil a search for self-discovery and spiritual fulfillment. A brilliant psychological portrait, Demian is given new life in this translation, which together with James Franco’s personal and inspiring foreword will bring a new generation to Hesse’s widely i
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Demian - Hesse Narcissus and Goldmund - Hesse Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor Frankl
on “What is the book that has completely changed your way of thinking?” ↗…perspectives and deeper understanding of the world and place of mankind in it. Some other nice reads: "The Way of Zen" - Alan Watts "The Book" (On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are) - Alan Watts "Demian" - Hermann Hesse; but I wouldn't want to read it earlier. I think I read at the exact best time for me (in my late 20s).
on “Ask HN: Books you wish you had read earlier?” ↗Demian by Herman Hesse. Taught me to not rely on logic/rationality alone. Sometimes you have to trust in intuition and the unconscious to guide your decisions.
on “Ask HN: Great fiction books that have had a positive impact on your life?” ↗…Maintenance (Pirsig) - Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid (Hofstadter) - Shadows of the Mind: A Search for the Missing Science of Consciousness (Penrose) - Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (Suzuki) - Demian (Hesse) - The Stranger (Camus) - Slaughterhouse-Five (Vonnegut) - Another Roadside Attraction (Robbins) I have read many books that have had an impact on me for a time, but these are the books that…
on “Ask HN: What are the best books you've ever read?” ↗If you're feeling really introspective, His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman and Demian by Hermann Hesse.
on “Ask HN: Interesting (Non software) books?” ↗…Skip everything to do with I Ching and Timewave. - Illuminatus! trilogy was only mentioned once for some reason (but then horrible to read) - Toffler - Third Wave - Gibson - Neuromancer - Hesse - Demian - P K Dick - Electric Sheep - J A West - Serpent in the sky - R A Wilson - Prometheus Rising and some awesomely trippy, mindbending 'children's books': - Preußler - Krabat - Lindgreen - Brothers…
on “Ask HN: What is the most mind blowing book you've ever read?” ↗I'm a huge fan of Hermann Hesse. Beneath the Wheel is probably my favorite novel of his, although Steppenwolf & Demian are also fantastic. The Fairytales of Hermann Hesse re-read every couple years. I've also bought it probably 5 times now, each time lending (giving?) it out to a friend. His fairytales hit the same…
on “Ask HN: Books you plan to read in 2020?” ↗I like this passage from "Demian" by Herman Hesse: And at this point I felt the truth burning within me like a sharp flame, that there was some role for everybody but it was not one which he himself could choose, re-cast…
on “Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?” ↗…actually a bit surprised to not see "Brave New World" mentioned yet. That was a life-changing experience to my teenage self And since someone else has already picked Steppenwolf by Hesse, I'll mention Demian instead.
on “Ask HN: What's the "best" book you've ever read?” ↗Demian by Hermann Hesse. I wanted to scream "Stop overthinking!" to the protagonist. Something I can relate to. Siddharta by Hermann Hesse. Helped me understand that a perfect life is a collection of ups and…
on “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” ↗Glass Bead Game by Herman Hesse I assume? If you want to try more Herman Hesse I preferred Demian & Siddharta far over Glass Bead game (read in German though, can't speak for translations).
on “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” ↗Anything by Hesse will change how you think! "Demian" is also a must read.
on “Ask HN: Good books?” ↗You do wonder how a contemporary American would read Herman Hesse's Demian. Emil Sinclair, the protagonist, he had a protected childhood!
on “The Overprotected American Child” ↗In my late teenage years, I was fond of Hesse's novels. Demian was interesting enough to get me started. Narziss und Goldmund was by far my favorite. Siddhartha was also a good read, but at this point it was getting repetitive with its other works, and I didn't share…
on “Ask HN: Great fiction books that have had a positive impact on your life?” ↗"If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part yourself. What isn't part ourselves doesn't disturb us." - Hermann Hesse, Demian "Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." - Carl Jung Playing high status at work could be a coping mechanism. Honestly, if you're unhappy just quit and…
on “Brilliant Jerks Cost More Than They Are Worth” ↗