50 Must-Read 50 Beta
← The Must-Read 50
Cover of Steppenwolf by Herman HesseSteppenwolf
Classic · Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy

Steppenwolf

by Herman Hesse
1927 · 256 pages · Fiction
67.8Must-Read
Score Classic
Critics' pick
≈ 6 hours to read · about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Harry Haller is a lonely, suffering man who feels he has no place in a frivolous world. He has decided to end his life, but a chance encounter starts teaching him how to enjoy it.

Why it's worth reading

It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. Hesse called it a book about transcendence and healing.

You'll love it if you liked

Cover of Siddhartha by Hermann HesseSiddhartha
SiddharthaHermann Hesse
Cover of The Glass Bead Game by Herman HesseThe Glass Bead Game
The Glass Bead GameHerman Hesse
Cover of Notes From the Underground by Fyodor DostoevskyNotes From the Underground
Notes From the UndergroundFyodor Dostoevsky

Good to know

It deals with suicidal thoughts. It's a translation from German.

By the numbers

67.8Must-Read Score
  • Readers56 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics30 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller32 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

On the lists
Guardian 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read

Reads as

Thought-provoking

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

More by Herman Hesse

Cover of The Glass Bead Game by Herman HesseThe Glass Bead Game
The Glass Bead GameHerman Hesse

If you like this, read next

Cover of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. TolkienThe Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the RingsJ. R. R. Tolkien
Cover of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. LewisThe Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the WardrobeC. S. Lewis
Cover of The Godfather by Mario PuzoThe Godfather
The GodfatherMario Puzo
Cover of The Hobbit by J. R. R. TolkienThe Hobbit
The HobbitJ. R. R. Tolkien
Cover of The Pillars of the Earth by Ken FollettThe Pillars of the Earth
The Pillars of the EarthKen Follett
Cover of Foundation by Isaac AsimovFoundation
FoundationIsaac Asimov

Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 504 rankedClassic booksTop 25 · 924 rankedBooks of the 1920sTop 25 · 46 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 623 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 325 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 333 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 246 ranked

Quick answers

Is Steppenwolf worth reading?

Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #1,644 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.8 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Steppenwolf about?

Harry Haller is a lonely, suffering man who feels he has no place in a frivolous world. He has decided to end his life, but a chance encounter starts teaching him how to enjoy it.

How long does it take to read Steppenwolf?

About 6 hours (256 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Steppenwolf?

If you liked it, try Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, The Glass Bead Game by Herman Hesse or Notes From the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky.