Explain the importance of Herman Hesses.?

Answer 1

Hermann Hesse - 2 July 1877 – 9 August 1962 was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature. His best known works include Steppenwolf, Siddhartha, and The Glass Bead Game (also known as Magister Ludi) which explore an individual's search for spirituality outside society.
Aafter Hesse's death in 1962, his novels enjoyed a revival of popularity due to their association with some of the themes of the counterculture of the 1960s (or "hippie" movement). In particular, the quest-for-enlightenment theme of Siddhartha, Journey to the East, and Narcissus and Goldmund resonated with countercultural ideals. Also, the "magic theater" sequences in Steppenwolf were interpreted by some as a form of drug-induced psychedelia. (A rock band that adopted the name Steppenwolf became quite popular in the late 1960s, producing two big hits, "Born to Be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride".) These and other Hesse novels were republished in paperback editions and were widely read by university students and young people in the United States and elsewhere.
Hesse is the most popular German language author in Japan (based on volumes sold). This curious fact is not the outcome of any special affinity between the recurrent theme of Hesse's writings (individual spiritual journeys). Rather, it follows from a decision of an administrator in the Japanese educational ministry to assign Hesse to students studying German.

Answer 2

So that drippy hippies could ask 'Have you read Hermann Hesse, man?' They always pronounced it 'Hess'.

Answer 3

Try the Books & Authors category for this kind of question.