"Steppenwolf" is author Hermann Hesse's tenth book and it would prove to be his most popular - if misunderstood - novel.

Hesse was going through an existential crisis at the time he wrote this book and his protagonist (with whom he shares initials) Harry Heller is a clear standin for the author. Written in manuscript format, we follow Harry as he wanders through a crisis of conscience, seeking meaning for his empty existence. Hesse would later lament that readers did not see the hope and promise in his story, but concentrated too much on Harry's struggles through life.

One of the most important and beloved novels of the early 20th century, "Steppenwolf" is presented here in its original and unabridged format, as translated by Basil Creighton.

Hermann Hesse was a German-Swiss poet and novelist whose works explored the issues of spiritual enlightenment, personal growth, religion and philosophy. Enormously successful during his lifetime, Hesse would ultimately be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1946. Fascinated with Eastern religions and teachings, Hesse spent his career trying to soothe his own restless and unfulfilled yearnings for peace, tranquility and fulfillment and produced some of the most widely-read and incisive European explorations of Eastern philosophy, such as "Demian," "Steppenwolf," "Siddhartha" and "Narcissus and Goldmund." A literary titan, Hermann Hesse is regularly named among the most admired and honored writers of the 20th century.