Under the Wheel Author: [Germany] Hermann Hesse Translator: Zhang Youzhong Publisher: Shanghai Translation Publishing House

★“The last knight of German romanticism”

★ Nobel Prize winner Hesse's autobiographical masterpiece

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Contents:

The protagonist Hans was extremely intelligent and studious since childhood, and was regarded as a child prodigy. He was sent to a seminary to study. Influenced by his large family and society, he was eager for fame and fortune. He worked hard in the isolated school without any free time, and his physical and mental health was damaged. His classmate Hermann was stubborn by nature and despised fame and fortune. He was not tolerated by the school; but Hans felt that only Hermann was his confidant. Hans worked too hard, became weak, and his grades declined; the school blamed Hermann for all this. Hermann was expelled from school, and Hans felt even more lonely. He was often scolded by teachers and ridiculed by classmates. Later, he suffered from neurasthenia, which made it impossible for him to continue his studies. He had to return to his hometown to work as a fitter for a living. Social discrimination and frustration in life made him feel as if he had fallen under a ruthless and huge wheel.

Editor's Recommendation:

This is a novel that denounces the old German education system and is considered to have a strong autobiographical color. Hans fell into a tragic ending due to the mechanical constraints of the school and the lack of understanding from his family. This description of the school atmosphere mixed with dramatic conflicts is very common in similar novels of this period and has become part of the culture we are familiar with today.

Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) is one of the most influential novelists in Europe in the 20th century. He was originally from Germany, but became a Swiss citizen in 1923. He lived in seclusion in the countryside of Switzerland for a long time. He is known as the last knight of German Romanticism. His masterpiece "Steppenwolf" (1927) caused a sensation in Europe and the United States, and was praised by Thomas Mann as "Germany's Ulysses". In 1946, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature "for his inspiring works with powerful momentum and insight, and also for providing an example of lofty humanitarian ideals and noble style".