Customer Reviews
There are only two books. - By: Robert Johnson, 30 Dec 2000 
Hamsun's "Mysteries" & this one.
Yes, there are great books, staggering works of literature, phenomenal story-telling & revealing pieces of art.
But, for me, no matter how many other great books I read I always come back to these two.
Both are an attempt to capture in ink, the impossible imbalance of emotion & blood.
Every reading is different & causes you to react differently depending upon the baggage you bring to the book.
You won't come across anything better than this. And there's only one other that is AS good.
The life of the lone Steppenwolf, Harry Haller. - By: Vincent Borgerding, 02 Dec 2000 
After seeing the positive reviews, I decided to give this book a read. I had high expectations & was somewhat let down. My first critique of the book is that there are no chapters or maybe it's just one long chapter. I know that has nothing to do with content, but it still affects the readers enjoyment of the story, no resting places. Although the story is intriguing, I found it quite repetitive, especiallly toward the middle. The underlying subject is --philosophicallly, psychologicallly attempting to teach one how to better get through life. I find that many of these types of books from the first half of the 1900's lack the great story telling techniques that we see in later fiction. For example, Notes From Underground by Dostoyevsky & Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Neitchke are both standouts for their philosophical stances. Both books, as is Steppenwolf, however, are not that interesting on the story level. So if you're looking for a good, well structured, well written story, this is not the choice for you. But if you're on the hunt for some interesting philosophical insights, then give Hesse a read. If you're looking for a book that has a great story & a great philosophical view, then I would suggest 'The Way of the Peaceful Warrior' by Millman.
A work of genius - By: , 22 Aug 2000 This is probably the most extraordinary book I've ever read, unconventional in form & content & dealing with that most difficult of questions: what is life? & why are we here? It raises many questions and, though not an "easy" read, is worth the effort & will provide food for thought.
A most haunting tome - By: , 26 Jul 1999 What can I say? The truth of alll things is hidden in this book. Read it, & agree or disagree with my assertion I still defy you to find this work of 'fiction' to be anything other than extraordinary. Best Regards. Max
