Under the Wheel

📖 The Scoop

"I cannot read Hermann Hesse without feeling that I am drawn into the presence of a deeply serious mind, a mind that is searching for the meaning of life." - Carl Jung

New translation of the original German manuscript of "Under the wheel", by Nobel Prize winner Hermann Hesse. This edition also contains an epilogue by the translator, a Philosophical Glossary of concepts used by Hesse and a chronology of his life and work. Hesse won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1947.

Also translated as "Beneath the Wheel" or "The Prodigy" (Unterm Rad, 1905), this novel follows the story of Hans Giebenrath, a gifted boy whose rigorous academic pursuits at a Maulbronn seminary neglect his personal development. The story is a critique of the educational system and the dangers of extreme academic pressure. Hesse drew from his own experiences and struggles with the formal education system when writing this novel. After his friend Heilner's expulsion and his own mental decline, Hans returns home, struggling to adapt due to a lost childhood and absence of close relationships. Despite briefly finding solace in mechanical work, Hans tragically drowns after an evening of drinking, in mimicry of Goethe's famous novel The Sorrows of Young Werther.

The entire novel casts light on the deleterious effects of an overly rigid educational system, a criticism he picked up from Nietzsche. The protagonist, Hans Giebenrath, becomes emblematic of a young mind stifled by its pedagogues, culminating in tragic outcomes. The narrative employs a Nietzschean lens, as Giebenrath is depicted as a byproduct of decadence. Furthermore, Hesse employs irony to highlight the insular nature of communities that remain oblivious to the progressive ideologies of figures like Nietzsche. The thematic preoccupation with the archetype of the genius recurs, epitomized by the character Hermann Heilner. He embodies the Nietzschean "Ubermensch" or overman, albeit with nuanced deviations. This character's disposition towards societal norms and his proclivity for artistry underpin his alignment with Nietzsche's tenets. Conversely, Giebenrath's inability to manifest the attributes of the overman underscores the disparities between idealistic constructs and the harsh realities of existence. Hesse's portrayal of Giebenrath serves as a poignant reflection on the challenges faced by the modern individual, emphasizing the mental and emotional tribulations that can arise from external pressures.

Genre: Fiction / World Literature / Germany / 20th Century (fancy, right?)