Illness

One of the dominant themes in the book is illness. Not only did Hesse suffer from a variety of physical and mental illnesses, so did members of his family and wives. Hesse's father experienced mental illness and had breakdowns, and Hermann may have inherited the disposition from him. As a child Hermann was difficult and sent to boarding school at the age of six. His emotional problems made it difficult for him to accept the authoritative nature of formal education, so he barely made it to the level that allowed only one year of military service. His parents sent him to spas for treatment and had him institutionalized for a while after he tried to commit suicide. Once Hermann was independent working as a bookseller's apprentice in Basel, he completed the three-year apprenticeship and worked as a regular employee for a year while he wrote.

Hesse's first wire...