This book astounded me in the first 100 pages. I was rather disappointed by the ending; it didn't match the beginning very well. Demian's refutations of religion in the beginning feel formulaic and logical, yet creative. As the story goes on, it loses this perspective and changes into something more metaphoric and at times even feels like the author probably did acid. I don't necessarily mind this, but when it came to the Frau Eva stuff I was not as patient. I know that Hesse was considered one of the first authors to use Freud, and it shows, but not in what I would call a rather.... Hinting at incest way (?) There's no incest in the book but the idea that sons secretly want to marry their mothers is... present. Of course, I understand that much of the book is metaphorical and/or needs more interpretation than what's on the surface. However, this will not stop me from critiquing it. Intellectualism doesn't protect books from criticism, and neither will my love for the first part of this book protect it from mine. Honestly probably one of my favorite books despite my gripes with the end.
A quote to sum up the experience:
"The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world. The bird flies to God. That God's name is Abraxas."
Rating 4.3/5