One Hour Past Midnight

Hermann Hesse

The Early Works of Hermann Hesse 第 16 冊 · Marchen Press

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關於本電子書

Hesse’s second publication, Eine Stunde hinter Mitternacht (“An Hour After Midnight”), appeared in late 1899, in Leipzig. This work—actually dated 1899 although printed slightly earlier—was a collection of prose sketches and tales that the young author managed to publish with the help of the same enterprising circle that issued his poemsc. In fact, the book owes its existence to an unusual bit of encouragement: Eugen Diederichs, the publisher, agreed to take on Hesse’s prose at the behest of his wife, who admired Hesse’s poetry. The volume itself was a slim, nocturnal assortment of short stories and vignettes, reflective of its evocative title. Much like Romantic Songs, this early prose experiment struggled to find an audience—by Hesse’s own account it was a business failure, printed once and “sold sluggishly”. Copies of An Hour After Midnight were few, and contemporary reviews were scarce, but the book quietly marked an essential step in Hesse’s evolution from poet to storyteller. Composed during Hesse’s apprenticeship in Tübingen, its vignettes—steeped in Symbolist aesthetics—evoke the claustrophobic intensity of nocturnal introspection. Characters drift through shadowy streets and dimly lit rooms, their solipsistic musings echoing the fin-de-siècle malaise of artists estranged from bourgeois norms. Though criticized for its decadent affectations, the work’s experimental structure and synesthetic language hint at Hesse’s later narrative innovations. One Hour Past Midnight remains a curiosity in his oeuvre, its purple prose and self-conscious melancholy reflecting the author’s youthful infatuation with literary decadence. Initially published in a limited edition of 600 copies by Eugen Diederichs, the collection was later withdrawn by an embarrassed Hesse, who did not reissue it until 1941. Despite Hesse's later mixed feelings, the work was appreciated by contemporaries like Rainer Maria Rilke for its imagery and innovative forms. This new edition features a contemporary translation of Hermann Hesse's early work, making his philosophical and existential literature accessible to modern readers. Enhanced by an illuminating afterword that focuses on Hesse's personal and intellectual relationship with Carl Jung, a concise biography, a glossary of essential philosophical terms integral to his writings, and a detailed chronology of his life and major works, this robust edition introduces readers to the brilliance of Hesse's literature. It captures the depth and nuance of Hesse’s thought and highlights its enduring impact on contemporary culture and spiritual inquiry throughout the 20th century.

關於作者

Herman Hesse (1877-1962) navigated a life shaped by psychological turbulence that fundamentally transformed his literary vision following his pivotal encounter with Carl Jung's analytical psychology. After suffering a severe breakdown in 1916 amid his crumbling first marriage and the ravages of World War I, Hesse underwent intensive psychoanalysis with Jung's student J.B. Lang and later with Jung himself, sessions that would profoundly alter his creative trajectory. This Jungian influence became evident in his subsequent works, particularly "Demian" and "Steppenwolf," where the protagonist's journey toward individuation—Jung's concept of integrating the conscious and unconscious aspects of personality—emerges as a central theme. Hesse's correspondence with Jung continued for decades, their intellectual relationship deepening as Hesse increasingly incorporated Jungian archetypes, dream symbolism, and the notion of the shadow self into his narratives of spiritual seeking. The writer later acknowledged that Jung's therapeutic methods had not only rescued him from psychological collapse but had fundamentally reshaped his understanding of human consciousness, enabling him to transmute his personal suffering into the allegorical quests for wholeness that characterized his most enduring works.RetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses.