Title: A cracking short novel, and a great way to start with Hesse
Product review: This is a great novel. While perhaps too short to deal with its subject matter, Hesse writes a fantastic account of the young composer Kuhn's love for Gertrude and his depression as he watches her marriage to his best friend, a charismatic opera singer, gradually destroy both of them. He deals very sensitively with the concept of love artistic development, and also the effect on the psyche of the hero caused by a crippling accident. While not quite as impressive as Steppenwolf, this is a great book to start with for those new to Hesse; introducing many of his recurring themes, including Indian philosophy and rural idealism, and providing an interesting comparison to the musical development of his contemporary and friend Thomas Mann's composers( Leverkuhn and Hanno Buddenbrook).
Would you say this review depicts the product in a flattering or unflattering light?
