"Демиан" is a philosophical novel gloomy and mystic. It is possible to count him and autobiographic - about this Hess declares in a preface. Sign work rendering enormous influence on further work of writer, and great Thomas god Send compared this book to "Suffering of young Вертера".It is history of maturing and becoming of youth, that walks away from the hypocritical norms of public moral and opens for itself deep, dark "я" - unsubject to reigning around to virtuous pharisaism. Herein he is helped by a mysterious friend Демиан is a carrier of "printing of Cain", not then devil, not that enigmatic deity, not then simply generation of imagination of hero.Roman "Gertrude" behaves to the early period of work of Herman Hess. History that was repeatedly named artistic embodiment of reasons of "Birth of tragedy" Nietzsche is sanctified to drama young composer force to choose between the "reasonable" and "elemental" beginning in work. Real details of life Hess and characteristic for it the lines "presented" to the different personages give a book the special, deep sense.What art? Renunciation - or spiritual permissiveness? Why is the man of art doomed to eternal loneliness? Each of heroes of novel Hess answers these questions in its own way.