Rosshalde (Bantam T7370)

Great book from Herman Hesse, I am a huge fan of his work, and may be biased, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I usually do with his work. Highly Recommended.

In Rosshalde, Hesse draws on his own life experience to describe the feelings of resigned loneliness surrounding the loveless marriage of painter Johann Veraguth and his wife, Adele. The famous painter lives alone in his studio on the same grounds as the house harboring his wife and son. This estate, Rosshalde, becomes the serene backdrop for the melancholy tale of a man whose love for his son has kept him in a stagnant state of resignation. A visit from an old friend finally stirs the emotions that have long been lurking inside of Veraguth, granting him the insight he will need to be free of his own self-made prison. Lyrical and deeply sad, Rosshalde is not Hesse's best work, but it may indeed be his most emotionally sincere.

This is another one of Hesse's masterpieces. In Rosshalde particularly, he shows us his amazing ability to describe deep and profound emotions with simple and beautiful language, Hesse's narrative skills are taken to his highest expression. If you can read German (I don't) I strongly recommend you to do so with this novel. "Rosshalde" is the residence of an artist, a painter (Johann Veraguth), who is trapped in a life that lacks happiness, except maybe for his work and some brief moments spent with his beloved son, Pierre, moments that he treasures. The feelings of the artist towards his son are wonderfully described, as well as the personality of the little boy. Veraguth will have to decide if he wants to continue with his tedious and unhappy existence, or if he should make the biggest sacrifice in order to get his life back, not quite an easy choice for him.All of Hesse's titles are in some degree biographical, but this one is supposed to be one of the novels most related to his life. Mandatory for a Hesse fan.

I've read most Hesse's work, and after long and hard deliberation(not really) I have found Rosshalde to just barely beat out The Steppenwolf. We know Hesse as being a very mystical writer, but this book is vibrantly real, and moving. If you want to understand Hesse as a person, and not as a writer, this is the book to read- it is similar to events that occured in his life. The question is then asked, should the artist(and this I mean writers, musicians, etc.) have a typical family? This is a question that will never be answered with a yes or no, but this book is accurate in exposing both sides of the battle.

A touching portrayal of a painter who is famous but troubled by domestic problems. I especially liked the character of his young son.