Demian cover art

Demian

The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth

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Demian

By: Hermann Hesse
Narrated by: Jeff Woodman
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About this listen

 Here is the dramatic story of young, docile Emil Sinclair's descent - led by precocious schoolmate Max Demian - into a secret and dangerous world of petty crime and revolt against convention and eventual awakening to selfhood. A brilliant psychological portrait of a troubled young man's quest for self-awareness, this coming-of-age novel achieved instant critical and popular acclaim upon its 1919 publication. A landmark in the history of 20th-century literature, it reflects the author's preoccupation with the duality of human nature and the pursuit of spiritual fulfillment.©1925 Fischer Verlag; 1965 Harper and Row, Publishers, Incorprated; 1948 Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Inc. (Introduction) (P)2008 BBC Audiobooks America Classics Emotionally Gripping

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All stars
Most relevant  
A thoroughly engaging and thought provoking story from onset to completion. A really wondrous tale. The performance of the narrator is filled with vitality, energy, and spirit. One of the best I have heard.

Wow!

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Really a great book, especially for someone interested in psychology and depth psychology more specifically.

Some of the best narration I’ve heard too

Great book, masterful narration

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You can hear Nietzsche throughout this book, the search for oneself and what it means to be human is the central theme of this book as you it takes you the reader through the life of an innocent young pious boy to a man

An incredible book on the duality of man

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This is a wonderful tale, full of words of wisdom. My only slight complaint about this audio version is the American accent of the narrator. He doesn't do a *bad* job, I just can't get over his accent.

Incredible book

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Engaging and fascinating from the start, this shortish story covers a lot of ground at pace and with depth, and builds up many memorable multidimensional images along the way.

Gripping from start to end

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Great book that explores both Carl Jung, and Nietzchean philosophy/psychology through the books protagonists.

Great book

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How strange to listen to Demian after 50 years since I had read it, to find the language of the book so different from this recording. Is it the American version of the English translation or has thisbeen translated from the German?
Overall the performance is good, but the divergence in language off putting.

Viv le difference?

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What on earth did I just read? Self-indulgent pseudo-religious adolescent witterings of a spoilt little boy. I don’t know what this book is for. Nothing really happens, none of the characters are interesting, the best features of this book are that it was short and it was free.

Drivel

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It Feels Dated, Striving for Profound Meaning but Falling Short.

While "Demian" is often celebrated for its exploration of deep and complex themes (such as self-discovery, individuality, and religion), some readers, like me, might find its prose and narrative style somewhat dated. It feels a bit like reading Nietzsche – a lot of deep, meaningful words, but no insights or breakthroughs.

I do like Hermann Hesse as a writer, and I would recommend some of his other works, like "Narcissus and Goldmund" or "Siddhartha.""

Not Herman Hesse's Best Work

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