Peter Camenzind

It is the first by Hermann Hesse, first published in 1904. It is considered Hesse's first successful work in the novel.

Hesse describes the life of a man born in a small village in the mountains. He is characterized by his overwhelming love of nature. That is why he spends a lot of time observing nature. He has a lot in common with Hesse. The core of the story revolves around the inner change of the hero who discovers his love for intellectual activity and education, as well as his profession and life choice inherited from his father. From then on, he sets himself the goal of an urban lifestyle that takes him to cities and their aristocratic circles. Shortly thereafter, he works as a freelance writer.

In the end, he has to realize that he has always been a "country boy," despite his sophisticated manners and education. He notices that he has encountered his "original sins" in the city, which he tried to deny in the village from which he fled. What does he finally realize? Will fame and glory compensate for experiences and memories? Will he forget the place of home, in the heart and in the soul?