“Kurt Beals makes this 1927 classic of psychedelic dreams sparkle in new technicolor splendor. Talk to your doctor about possible side effects.” —MARTIN PUCHNER, author of The Language of Thieves: My Family’s Obsession with a Secret Code the Nazis Tried to Eliminate
“Beals’s translation breathes new life into a modern classic, seamlessly transmitting the novel’s humor and complexity without shying away from its transgressions. A literary intervention as timely as it is daring.”—JON CHO-POLIZZI, University of Michigan
This Norton Critical Edition includes:
Kurt Beals’s 2023 “splendid translation of this offbeat classic” (Doreen Densky, New York University), which restores much of Hesse’s original meaning and language.
A compelling introduction, annotations, and a note on the critical edition by Beals.
Contextual selections from texts that inspired Hesse, Hesse’s own writings, and correspondence from his contemporary Thomas Mann.
Eight critical interpretations exploring philosophical and literary themes within the novel.
A chronology of Hesse’s life and a selected bibliography.