The book offers an overview of the personal and intellectual development of Hermann Hesse (1877-1962), one of the most beloved and widely read authors in the world. The book traces his life from his birth in Swabia to the trauma of World War I and his 1912 move to Switzerland, where he lived until his death, in exile from an increasingly hostile Germany. Over many decades he nurtured a distinctive, passionate and prophetic style. His writing directly addressed key questions about modern life, conveyed important messages and created utopias. As shown in “Siddhartha”, “Narcissus and Goldmund” and “The Glass Bead Game”, his work was a model of introspection within a wider framework of liberty from creeds, dogmas and ideologies.

Marino Freschi is professor emeritus at the Third University of Rome and currently teaches at the University of International Studies in Rome and Suor Orsola Benincasa University in Naples.