Hesse quotes in ms bookshelf 2000, eleven quotations, Death and Dying The call of death is a call of love. Death can be sweet if we answer it in the affirmative, if we accept it as one of the great eternal forms of life and transformation. Hermann Hesse (1877–1962), German novelist, poet. Letter, 1950 (published in Hermann Hesse: A Pictorial Biography, “Montagnola,” ed. by Volker Michels, 1973). See also: Allen on The Afterlife Wittgenstein on Eternity Life And Death Bridges on Lovers Shaw on Science Bright on War Kübler-Ross on War Historians You treat world history as a mathematician does mathematics, in which nothing but laws and formulas exist, no reality, no good and evil, no time, no yesterday, no tomorrow, nothing but an eternal, shallow, mathematical present. Hermann Hesse (1877–1962), German novelist, poet. Father Jacobus, in The Glass Bead Game, ch. 4 (1943; tr. 1960). See also: Durant on Civilization Hobsbawm on Nationalism History History seems to us an arena of instincts and fashions, of appetite, avarice, and craving for power, of blood lust, violence, destruction, and wars, of ambitious ministers, venal generals, bombarded cities, and we too easily forget that this is only one of its many aspects. Above all we forget that we ourselves are a part of history, that we are the product of growth and are condemned to perish if we lose the capacity for further growth and change. We are ourselves history and share the responsibility for world history and our position in it. But we gravely lack awareness of this responsibility. Hermann Hesse (1877–1962), German novelist, poet. The Glass Bead Game, ch. 11 (1943; tr. 1960). To study history means submitting to chaos and nevertheless retaining faith in order and meaning. It is a very serious task, young man, and possibly a tragic one. Hermann Hesse (1877–1962), German novelist, poet. Father Jacobus, in The Glass Bead Game, ch. 4 (1943; tr. 1960). See also: Emerson on Biography Emerson on Minorities Camus on Nostalgia Johnson on Slander De Gaulle on Solitude Eliot on Women Home and Houses One never reaches home, but wherever friendly paths intersect the whole world looks like home for a time. Hermann Hesse (1877–1962), German novelist, poet. Frau Eva, in Demian, ch. 5 (1960). See also: The Homeless Housework Bowen on Loneliness Lebowitz on Snobbery The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. Bible: New Testament. Jesus, in Matthew 8:20. Housekeeping ain’t no joke. Louisa May Alcott (1832–88), U.S. author. The cook Hannah, in Little Women, pt. 1, ch. 11 (1868). Humankind What constitutes a real, live human being is more of a mystery than ever these days, and men—each one of whom is a valuable, unique experiment on the part of nature—are shot down wholesale. Hermann Hesse (1877–1962), German novelist, poet. The narrator (Sinclair), in Demian, Prologue (1960). See also: Nietzsche on Aesthetics Butler on Animals Smith on Business And Commerce Huxley on Change Pascal on Consciousness And The Subconscious Hebrew Bible on The Creation Billings on The Creation Cervantes on The Creation Morley on The Creation Twain on Embarrassment Gilbert on Evolution Butler on Fun Satta on God Ouida on Hope Johnson on Idleness Emerson on Intelligence Misanthropy Addison on Laughter Huxley on Morality Shaw on Parasites Miller on Potential Gay on Sociability Lawrence on The Soul Marvell on Survival Carlyle on Tools Chesterton on Virtue Calvino on The World Individuality In each individual the spirit is made flesh, in each one the whole of creation suffers, in each one a Savior is crucified. Hermann Hesse (1877–1962), German novelist, poet. Narrator (Sinclair), in Demian, Prologue (1960). See also: Cocteau on Criticism Music I am fond of music I think because it is so amoral. Everything else is moral and I am after something that isn’t. I have always found moralizing intolerable. Hermann Hesse (1877–1962), German novelist, poet. Sinclair, in Demian, ch. 5 (1960). See also: Stravinsky on Cinema Opera Popular Music Rap Music Rock ‘n’ Roll Song Simon on Spontaneity Bernstein on Technique Zappa on Time Suffering Every age, every culture, every custom and tradition has its own character, its own weakness and its own strength, its beauties and cruelties; it accepts certain sufferings as matters of course, puts up patiently with certain evils. Human life is reduced to real suffering, to hell, only when two ages, two cultures and religions overlap. Hermann Hesse (1877–1962), German novelist, poet. Steppenwolf, Preface (1927). See also: Weil on Dissatisfaction Byatt on Grief Austen on Places Weil on Punishment Hoffer on Purpose The Bourgeoisie The bourgeois treasures nothing more highly than the self. … And so at the cost of intensity he achieves his own preservation and security. His harvest is a quiet mind which he prefers to being possessed by God, as he prefers comfort to pleasure, convenience to liberty, and a pleasant temperature to that deathly inner consuming fire. Hermann Hesse (1877–1962), German novelist, poet. Steppenwolf, “Treatise on the Steppenwolf” (1927). See also: Weil on Accounts Engels on Class Grosz on Culture The Middle Class The Middle Class What I always hated and detested and cursed above all things was this contentment, this healthiness and comfort, this carefully preserved optimism of the middle classes, this fat and prosperous brood of mediocrity. Hermann Hesse (1877–1962), German novelist, poet. Steppenwolf, “For Madmen Only” (1927). See also: Sutton on Class Friel on Repression The Columbia Dictionary of Quotations, Columbia University Press