Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesseby Hermann Hesse
Shares rank 53 of 122 novels by recommenders
People recommend it for its wit and its honest, lasting insight into difficult relationships, and they often return to it after reading it as teenagers.
People recommend it for its wit and its honest, lasting insight into difficult relationships, and they often return to it after reading it as teenagers.
4 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 4
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 4 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Funnier than remembered on rereading
“I remember reading Steppenwolf for the first time since teens and only then I realized how funny it was all around.”
Comment from 4 Jan 2026 in “How Thomas Mann Wrote the Magic Mountain” Insight into relationships still resonates
“his thoughts on the difficulties of interpersonal relationships resonate even now”
Comment from 23 Dec 2025 in “Show HN: Books mentioned on Hacker News in 2025” Memorable passages and writing
“There's a wonderful passage from the Hesse's Steppenwolf”
Comment from 30 Aug 2026 in “EasyEffects can improve laptop speaker sound quality” Admired alongside The Glass Bead Game
“I also loved The Glass Bead Game, and Steppenwolf”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?”
Other novels people recommend
The four most recommended other novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime and Punishmentby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 39 | 9 | 81% | 6 | — | Approved |
| The Brothers Karamazovby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 28 | 8 | 78% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Infinite Jestby David Foster Wallace | 26 | 5 | 84% | 9 | 10 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| The Great Gatsbyby F. Scott Fitzgerald | 24 | 9 | 73% | 6 | — | Approved |
| Steppenwolfby Hermann HesseThis page | 4 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | — |
What people said
4 of the 5 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I also loved The Glass Bead Game, and Steppenwolf”
“There's a wonderful passage from the Hesse's Steppenwolf”
“I remember reading Steppenwolf for the first time since teens and only then I realized how funny it was all around.”
“his thoughts on the difficulties of interpersonal relationships resonate even now”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.