Organized by the Consulate General of Germany in Vancouver and EUNIC Canada-Vancouver, the next meeting with the European Book Club will focus on the novel Demian by German author Herman Hesse. 

Our book club will take place in person again and we are very excited to invite our guests to the beautiful Roedde House Museum! In this historic mansion from the last century we will discuss the novel Demian and we look forward to hearing your thoughts on this book! Let's enjoy a nice afternoon with good conversation, German cake, tea and coffee!  We offer guests who are interested in the history of the Roedde House a guided tour after the book club. Please let us know if you are interested in this tour.  

Due to the current COVID restrictions, we ask you to register and to show your vaccination certificate and government ID at the event.

The Book

Here is the dramatic story of young, docile Emil Sinclair's descent - led by precocious schoolmate Max Demian - into a secret and dangerous world of petty crime and revolt against convention and eventual awakening to selfhood. A brilliant psychological portrait of a troubled young man's quest for self-awareness, this coming-of-age novel achieved instant critical and popular acclaim upon its 1919 publication. A landmark in the history of 20th-century literature, it reflects the author's preoccupation with the duality of human nature and the pursuit of spiritual fulfillment.

Where to find the book: Vancouver Public Library offers it as audio book, e-book and as hard copy (https://vpl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S38C403687). 

The Author

Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. Profoundly affected by the mysticism of Eastern thought, Hesse’s books and essays reveal a deep spiritual influence that has captured the imagination of generations of readers. His best-known works include Steppenwolf, Siddhartha, Demian and Magister Ludi. In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature.