"It is an extraordinary tale of dedication in the face of the severest parental disapproval, financial hardship and ill-health. Helt tells it well, drawing extensively on primary sources such as letters, diary entries and the like, and demonstrates the extent to which Hesse subsumed all his efforts to conducting his apprenticeship ... A readable and informative volume, which usefully augments our knowledge of the rigorous years of a major modern writer." - Journal of European Studies

The most original, new work on Hesse in many years...

"It is an extraordinary tale of dedication in the face of the severest parental disapproval, financial hardship and ill-health. Helt tells it well, drawing extensively on primary sources such as letters, diary entries and the like, and demonstrates the extent to which Hesse subsumed all his efforts to conducting his apprenticeship ... A readable and informative volume, which usefully augments our knowledge of the rigorous years of a major modern writer." - Journal of European Studies

The most original, new work on Hesse in many years...