Peter Camenzind: A Novel

Book Description

Peter Camenzind, a young man from a Swiss mountain village, leaves his home and eagerly takes to the road in search of new experience. Traveling through Italy and France, Camenzind is increasingly disillusioned by the suffering he discovers around him; after failed romances and a tragic friendship, his idealism fades into crushing hopelessness. He finds peace again only when he cares for Boppi, an invalid who renews Camenzind’s love for humanity and inspires him once again to find joy in the smallest details of every life.

Customer Reviews:

beautiful work.......2005-05-20

Hesse never fails in aesthetics in his language. Especially after reading modern American novels, whose language is filled with profanity and vulgarity, Hesse's works are like fresh mountain water. This book doesn't fail you either in that respect. It is simple, very easy to read, nothing heavy, yet it has enough depth to satisfy your intellectual spiritual needs. It came to me like a relief especially after reading Faulkner's Light in August.

Although the plot is simple, his quest for love and growth is so sincere, so pure and fresh, which really is the power of this novel, and that power captivates the reader's heart.
The protagonist Peter Carmenzind is naive and touchy and single-minded youth, destined to spend his life as a wanderer/bachelor. He doen't quite fit in the society/community in which he was born and raised, nor in the society in which he seeks refuge in the future. He finds love and friendship in one person at a time (he is not a wide and shallow socialite), but he loses each of them one by one, and he goes through turmoil each time, and falls into heavy drinking. Gradually he regains strength and finds true love and devotion to humanity.
What is so compelling is that each time he finds someone to love, whether it be romantic love or friendship, he devotes himself single-mindedly, and loves that person with his whole heart. That's why he's so devastated when he loses love.
His devotion to the cripple Boppi is particularly moving. This kind of love is rarely written about in novels these days.

The beginning part is sort of slow, with the descriptions of landscapes, general characteristics of the village and its people, but Hesse's poetic language makes it so musical and pleasant. One hardly cares if the story ever moves forward or not. HIs love of nature and life, which is the core of his language, is well established in this work.

It is a work that Hesse had written when he was young, and one can tell that, but it is still a great work. The protagonist is growing after each crisis, and the reader will grow with him. One of my professors said that Hesse is probably the only writer that would make you feel good after reading, and I have to agree with him 100%. You will meet young, promising, uncontaminated Hesse in this book, which will make you feel really good.

Sweet but largely unmemorable first work.......2004-09-09

Like most of Hesse's pre-'Demian' novels, this too is rather simplistic and forgettable, even without being compared to the greatnesses which were to come. His early novels are sweet, touching, sincere, and thoughtful, but the plots still aren't as complex or mature as those in his later glories. We follow Swiss mountain boy Peter Camenzind through his youth and early manhood, through his delight and joy in life in his native hamlet, including his first unrequited love, to his idealistic and happy sojourn in Italy with his dear friend Richard (where he once again falls victim to unrequited love), to dissipation in France and yet a third unhappy unrequited love, to a truly touching friendship with an older crippled hunchback named Boppi, and finally back to his native village to care for his aging father and to continue pursuing his dreams of being a journalist and a writer. It's an extremely autobiographical novel, though because it's a first novel, the plot is incredibly simplistic and not very complex or mature; just following the life and loves of a simple Swiss mountain boy. Probably the most memorable part of the book for me, apart from Peter's friendship with Boppi, is when Frau Camenzind dies in the night while Peter is sitting on the bed without even waking his father up to tell him his own wife is dying. When Herr Camenzind wakes up and finds out what has happened, he is furious that Peter didn't call a priest to administer Last Rites, though father and son aren't on the outs for long and soon they're going out drinking together. (The other most memorable part is the classic opening line, "In the beginning was the myth.") The events are interesting and well-described, just not as well-developed or multifaceted as they would be in Hesse's later masterpieces.

A rough diamond from early Hesse.......2004-08-26

As far as Hesse goes, he is one of my favorite authors of all-time, and so I have to say that "three stars" is only relative to his later masterpieces which all deserve five. Three stars means this is a good novel (well worth reading), but only mediocre in relation to the more highly developed and complex novels Hesse would begin writing with Demian, or perhaps even Rosshalde. Peter Camenzind is a bildungsroman (a novel of youth) mirroring Hesse's own youth, making it an essential novel to read if you're at all interested in Hesse's development as an author (this is his first full-length novel). It stands on its own as an interesting biography of a young man's life journey, relating his unique and picturesque village life in the Swiss Alps, his first romantic love interests, hopes, dreams, and aspirations. We follow Peter Camenzind from his rural village life into the city life of a student, traveller, and worker. He meets various influential personalities along the way, especially the student Richard, with whom he has many artistic and philosophical discussions in cafes and taverns. Wandering in Tuscany, he will be taken in by the sweet Signora Nardini with whom he spends many fruitful hours; and in the end, will meet and care for Boppi, a helpless hunchback who will change his life forever.

The deeper purpose of this novel seems clear when one looks at it as a sort of therapeutic expurgation by a 26 year old Hesse. On the whole it is somewhat scattered and unbalanced, and I wished that the characters Peter meets were more fully developed (especially the women). Sometimes the peripheral scenery begs for more detail and interaction (for example, Hesse skips out on Peter's Parisian adventures altogether!). Nevertheless, there are many poetic and sentimental flourishes here which are extraordinarily delightful to read, making Peter Camenzind a diamond in the rough. Most importantly, you'll find Hesse's own lifelong statement of purpose in Chapter 7: "As you know, it had been my hope to write a work of some length in which I intended to bring closer to people the grandiose and mute life of nature, that they might love it." This type of novel which focuses on one individual's growth is common in German and European literature and is a genre some American readers may or may not find enjoyable. I for one, find them highly interesting and instructional because of their absolute concentration upon one individual's life and times, and often find myself attached to the main character by the end of the novel; which was the case with Peter Camenzind even on my second reading. Read Peter Camenzind for Hesse's burgeoning poetry, the introduction of themes and motifs such as the quest for religion and meaning, which he will repeat later on, and most importantly, for the shear pleasure of reading a quality novel you will want to read more than once.

One of Hesse's best works!.......2004-03-18

I love this novel so much. The very first paragraph gripped me and made me feel very small in a great way. Hesse's description of the mountain range that forms the character of Peter Camenzind is stunning. Like most of Hesse's work, this is a tale of travel and growth of a wandering soul searching for something meaningful. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes truly crafted literature.

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Peter Camenzind
Hermann Hesse
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006CF4OY

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Herman Hesse
Peter Camenzind
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus And Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K0UFT6

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Peter Camenzind
Hermann Hesse
Manufacturer: Plaza & Janes Editores
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 8401429013

Product Description

Spanish Language version.

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A bit windy. Plot, action and dialogue entirely secondary
A novel about youth: idealism and romanticism
Unforgettable
The Continuous Search...
Liberation through love

Peter Camenzind
Hermann Hesse
Manufacturer: Buccaneer Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0899666310

Book Description

Peter Camenzind, a young man from a Swiss mountain village, leaves his home and eagerly takes to the road in search of new experience. Traveling through Italy and France, Camenzind is increasingly disillusioned by the suffering he finds around him; after failed romances and a tragic friendship, his idealism fades into crushing hopelessness. He finds peace again only when he cares for Boppi, an invalid who renews Camenzind’s love for humanity and inspires him once again to find joy in the smallest details of everyday life.

Customer Reviews:

A bit windy. Plot, action and dialogue entirely secondary.......2003-09-22

Initially I was going to give it one or two stars, because it's one of those annoying books that talks about witty dialogue and novel characters without actually containing such dialogue or characterisation. It's a summary, someone looking back over their life, and can get quite windy - despite being relatively short. Plot, action and dialogue are entirely secondary. There may be some insight into certain life stages, but the style doesn't help you to enjoy it.

There's some redemption towards the end, where the character moves from youthful egocentrism and arrogance to a love and appreciation for others he'd normally dismiss (such as a cripple), and a more humble perspective of his importance (i.e. he's no more important than anyone else, and history will adjudge it so).

There's stuff about coming to terms with that without bitterness or cynicism. Interesting that there's no Christian element to this.

Also there is a strong parallel with the journey of Peter Camenzind and that of Siddharta in the novel Hesse released twenty years later. Also reminded me of Plato's Symposium on love, moving from individuals to humanity. After reading Camenzind I'm forced to doubt how far Hesse kept the spirit of the texts on the Buddha when it fits so nicely with his preconceptions. Maybe he'd already got these ideas from Buddhist teachings he'd been exposed to before he wrote Camenzind? Or maybe he's just coincidentally very sympathetic. Or maybe he's projected something inappropriately.

A novel about youth: idealism and romanticism.......2003-09-02

Hesse's first book is an enjoyable novel about youth in search of the ideal and touched by the romantic. Written by Hesse in 1904 when he was 26, it is a precursor to his famous works. In Peter Camenzind, Hesse reveals a naivety, innocence and humor that is rarely found in his later writings.

Here is an excerpt that relects the lyrical quality of young Hesse:
"These thoughtless words made me realize that the helpless cripple, beseeching, suffering Boppi, whom we did not love, whom we wanted to get rid of, sat sad and alone, locked in one room....And then I remembered that I had told the neighbors in Assisi about St. Francis and had boasted that he had taught me to love all mankind. Why had I studied the saint's life and learned by heart his hymn to love and tried to retrace his footsteps in the Umbrian hills, when I allowed a poor and helpless creature to lay there suffering though I could help him?
The weight of an invisible, mighty hand fell on my heart, crushing it with shame and hurt, and I began to tremble. I know that God wanted a word with me."

Unforgettable.......2003-03-17

I've read all works of Hesse that I could find during my teenage years. I read them not as books but as a starving person would devour delicious food.

I have not yet encountered another book (Hesse or not) that is as striking as Peter Camerzind. That's partly because I had some tough times during my teenage years and in Peter C. Hesse is 100% realistic to me.

It's been 12-13 years that I had not read Hesse again with maybe with one or two exceptions. As I said before, I read Hesse when I was a teenager and I had no intentions to analyze, criticize or whatever ! There are too many people who go into to analytical descriptions of Hesse's works. Don't do it. I do not think that Hesse's works are intellectual. I doubt he is after anything intellectual, rational or analytical. It could be the opposite ! Forget about the feeling you had while reading, do you think a wolf wandering in the steppes would philosophize ?

I felt Peter Camerzind deep in my heart. That's all I have to say.

The Continuous Search..........2002-07-22

Another great book by Hermann Hesse decribing the search of Peter for peace...

Peter coming for a very small town is taken by a priest to learn and get cultured. He spends a lot of his life trying to get that perfect combination, he goes through a tragedy in the loss of a friend, and misery romances.

Boppi shows up and life changes, standards change, and Peter starts seeing the beauty in the small everyday behaviors...

Hermann Hessse expresses in Peter some of the things he went through, the pain in the beginning before finally understanding what life is all about...

Liberation through love.......2002-04-09

Hermann Hesse is a superb writer. This book is very good for a first novel (and very good for a novel, period). I have read all of Hesse's major novels except Gertrude and I can honestly say that none of them moved me in the way which this book did. Hesse's description of the yearnings of one's soul are always stirring. But the story of the narrator's relationship with the hunchback, Boppi, is unforgettable. To claim that Peter did not find what he was looking for and that "he does not enjoy life", as one reviewer claims, is absurd. It completely misses Hesse's point. Anwyays, read the book and find out for yourself -- don't take my word for it.

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Peter Camenzind
Hermann Hesse
Manufacturer: FARRAR STRAUS & * GIROUX
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000U25ALC

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Peter Camenzind
Hermann Hesse
Manufacturer: Penguin Modern Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000W5565M

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Peter Camenzind
Hermann Hesse
Manufacturer: NOONDAY PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SHSGRO

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Peter Camenzind
Hermann Hesse
Manufacturer: Deutsche Buch-Gemeinschaft
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IZG0O2

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Peter Camenzind
Hermann Hesse
Manufacturer: Suhrkamp Verlag
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Turtleback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

German | Foreign Language Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 3518366610

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Outstanding New Fable With Pretty Much The Full Crumrin Cast

Courtney Beware!
Courtney Crumrin, Vol. 3: Courtney Crumrin In The Twilight Kingdom (Courtney Crumrin (Graphic Novels))
Ted Naifeh
Manufacturer: Oni Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
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Fantasy | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Courtney Crumrin, Vol. 2: Courtney Crumrin & The Coven of Mystics (Courtney Crumrin (Graphic Novels))

Courtney Crumrin, Vol. 1: Courtney Crumrin & The Night Things (Courtney Crumrin (Graphic Novels))

Polly & the Pirates Volume 1

Death, Jr.

Death Jr. Volume 2

ASIN: 1932664017

Book Description

Courtney has changed schools yet again, but this time she's in the Coven's special class for magical studies. But when a student spell goes wrong and leaves one of her classmates cursed, can Courtney lead the kids into Goblin Town and find a cure or will misfortune follow the group straight to the Twilight Kingdom? Ted Naifeh's grim girl is back in this new collection of troll tales and suspenseful stories! Take a whirlwind tour of Courtney's old 'hood, the ghastly Goblin Town, and the mystical Twilight Kingdom!

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding New Fable With Pretty Much The Full Crumrin Cast.......2005-09-16

Reprinting the third four-issue miniseries starring adorable young curmudgeon Courtney Crumrin and her excellent cast of co-stars, "In The Twilight Kingdom" manages to come very, very close to its predecessor "Courtney Crumrin And The Coven Of Mystics", which I consider to be one of the greatest comic arcs ever published.

The first issue reprinted here is a bit atypical for the Crumrin series; it's a brief visit back to the hometown Courtney lived in before moving to Hillsborough. Different isn't bad though; this story is riveting as Courtney reconnects with her old friend and is disgruntled, and later more deeply concerned, about the turns her friend's life has taken in the past year.

It's with #s 2-4 that the story of young witches and warlocks eager to prove their prowess at the start of a new school year, the calamitous results of one spell, and the journey into the Twilight World begins. Courtney finds herself compelled to help a group of her peers she's not especially fond of (our dear little grumpy champion does make human friends so easily!). The journey to the Twilight Kingdom takes the group deep, deep into the heart of the world of the Night Things, farther than Courtney's ever been. And when the Twilight King himself appears....

Now, this collection introduces a number of characters who could well go on to be longstanding parts of the Courtney Crumrin/Hillsborough/Night Things mythos, but it's the King who stands out. Within the first couple of pages of his entrance he establishes himself as, believe it or not, not only one of the most fascinating and unforgettable characters in the aforementioned mythos but in comicdom as a whole. When was the last time Any comic book character did that so quickly? Maybe Imperiex's first true appearance in DC's "Our Worlds At War" crossover, but he'd been built up, both directly and indirectly, for a long time beforehand. The Twilght King, like Uncle Aloysius, like the numerous unforgettable and distinctive goblins (some of whom I don't think have even had their names revealed yet), like the Dreadful Duchess and like Courtney herself, is one of the reasons I think this ongoing cycle has what it takes to last, to be part of comic history like Superman or the X-Men. Cripes, if not for the small fact that 99.9% of the world has no idea a series of books called "Courtney Crumrin" exist, this could be as big as Harry Potter or Lord Of The Rings.

There's a lot of similarities here to Potter actually, which brings me to another point. The Crumrin series seems to get classed as a children's series, and while there's a lot in the books that appeals to me in the same way as movies like "Fairy Tale: A True Story", "Kiki's Delivery Service" or "Dumbo", there are other aspects that appeal in the same way as horror movies. There is some dark stuff in here, harkening back to the fairy tales of old (you know, wolves wolfing down Grandma, wicked crones trying to trick little children into the oven...) and after reading quite a lot that's classedas horror and seeing - I don't know how many horror movies, hundreds At Least - I can confidently say that a character like Rawhead'N'Bloody Bones is Pretty Freaking Scary! The stories are also full of compassion and wonder and fantasy, and I'm certainly not one to recommend blocking books, but the bottom line is if your five year-old wants to get into the world of Courtney Crumrin, perhaps you should read the first couple of isues to him or her as a bedtime story or someting? Just in case the little ones get frightened...

All that aside (after all, Potter and other kid-geared stuff can be frightening for the Really young fan) this is a fantastic entry in the Crumrin series. There's plenty here to appeal to fans of everything from anime to Harry Potter to epic fantasy (a la Tolkein and Robert Jordan) to Disney to the whole gamut of comic books out there and even to horror movies, with all aspects of the story blended perfectly. An outstanding volume of material, and Enter The Twilight King!

Courtney Beware!.......2004-12-07

Courtney Crumrin is back in this third story. This time Courtney really needs to watch her back as someone is out to get her and put an end to her ways. At the end of the last story, Courtney doled out some justice to the summoner of Rawhead Rex. Now she has a lot of new challenges.

Chapter 1: Courtney visits her old neighborhood while her parents try vainly to sell their old condo. Courtney's old associations are strained but her new talents come in handy to help an old friend.

Chapters 2-4: Courtney is enrolled in Saturday school where she learns more about the community in which she lives. But one of the other kids is a show off and turns his brother into a night thing despite Courtney's warnings. When the spell cannot be reversed, Courtney is enlisted to help. She discovers that there is a way to lift the curse but it involves a dangerous visit to the Twilight King. To make matters worse, the deputy seems to have uncovered COURTNEY's involvement of the last story and is trying to stop her.

A wonderful story. We see some hints of how the community has come to be and the Crumrin involvement. Uncle Aloysius is seen a little less but he is there where needed. The teaser at the end leaves plenty of possibilities for the next story.

Customer Reviews:

The original hype!.......2006-01-02

I'm dusting off my collection and contributing where I can. This "review" is the text from the original paperback edition back cover.

I've always enjoyed cliffhanger scifi and this was no exception. Enough characters and background to fire your imagination.

"A war of nerves. Amid the frozen volcanic rubble of northern Iceland, an ancient mystery is solved. In translunar space, an asteroid's orbit is cunningly shifted. And on the Moon, spokesmen for Earth and the Settlement Worlds threaten each other across the conference table. Geologist Garrison Morrow finds himself entangled in a web of deceit, sabotage, and betrayal, as two sides struggle for incredible wealth - and the survival of Earth itself. For on the Lunar Farside, a weapon is nearing completion. Thousands of ranked lasers wait in the darkness with the power to strike and destroy any point in the Solar System. With such a device, Earth could dominate the Settlement Worlds forever. But Earth does not yet control the Farside Cannon."

Unremarkable dross.......2000-08-03

This book was a pleasant read but is most remarkable for the fact that it leaves absolutely no impact on your memory, the sign of a book that is little more than chewing gum. Pure wallpaper!

Farside Cannon.......1999-11-22

This book is a good read. Captivating, entertaining. The protaganist is no angel but is fighting on the side of angels. This book took on the asteroid impact before it became popular to do so. For that the author deserves a great deal of credit.

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The Navarre Bible: Catholic Epistles (The Navarre Bible: New Testament)
Faculty of Theology of the University of , Jose M. Casciaro , and Members of the Faculty of Theology of Th
Manufacturer: Four Courts Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

New Testament | Commentaries | Reference | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Reference | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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The Navarre Bible: Romans and Galatians (The Navarre Bible: New Testament)

ASIN: 1851820876

Book Description

The Navarre Bible New Testament commentaries offer extensive explanations of the meaning of the scriptural text and its implications for everyday life. The commentaries draw on a rich variety of sources - Church documents, the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and the work of prominent spiritual writers, particularly Saint Josemaria Escriva, who initiated the Navarre Bible project. The commentary appears on the same page as the Bible text, which is the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition. Each volume is self-contained with extensive introductions and notes to Old Testament prophecies. The Navarre Bible commentary is considered by many to be the best Catholic commentary on the Bible available today.

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The Navarre Bible: The Catholic Letters
University of Navarre
Manufacturer: Scepter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1851829105

Product Description

Part of a 12 volume set of the New Testament with extensive explanations of the meaning of the scriptural text and its implications for everyday life. The commentaries draw on a rich variety of sources - Church documents, the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and the work of prominent spiritual writers, particularly Saint Josemaria Escriva, who initiated the Navarre Bible project. The commentary appears on the same page as the Bible text, which is the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition. Each volume is self-contained with extensive introductions and notes to Old Testament prophecies. The Navarre Bible commentary is considered by many to be the best Catholic commentary on the Bible available today.

The Navarre Bible: St Paul's Letters to the Thessalonians and Pastoral Letters

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The Navarre Bible: St Paul's Letters to the Thessalonians and Pastoral Letters
Faculty of the University of Navarre
Manufacturer: Scepter/Four Courts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1851829091

Product Description

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The Navarre Bible the Catholic Epistles
University of Navarre
Manufacturer: Four Courts Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WEJXWU

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240 pages

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