One of Herman Hesse's earliest novels, In the Old Sun (In der Alten Sonne) was completed in 1908 and first published in 1914. It tells a story about 4 very different old age pensioners who, for various reasons, end up in the poorhouse of a small German town. Hermann Hesse (July 2, 1877 - August 9, 1962) was a German poet, novelist, and painter. His best-known works include Steppenwolf, Siddhartha, and The Glass Bead Game, each of which explores an individual's search for authenticity, self-knowledge and spirituality. In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature.