From 1990 to the Present: Hesse’s Impact on Print Media and the Internet

In the contemporary era, several publishers have successively released Hesse anthologies or series, among which the ten-volume Hermann Hesse-Anthology (“黑塞文集”) published by Shanghai Translation Publishing House (2019) stands out. The translations have been produced by various authoritative translators and include works such as Steppenwolf, Unterm Rad, Siddhartha, Das Glasperlenspiel (The Glass Bead Game), Narziß und Goldmund, Klingsors letzter Sommer (Klingsor’s Last Summer), Die Verlobung (The Engagement), Hesse’s Poetry Selection, The Song of Tichino, and Hesse’s Fairy Tale Collection. Another fourteen-volume set of Chinese versions of Hesse’s works was imported from Taiwan by Shanghai Sanlian Bookstore Publishing House (2013),1Taiwanese publications, after passing through censorship and legal procedures, can be imported into the mainland and then openly distributed and sold in Mainland China. The Taiwan region, facing less ideological interference, was once ahead of Mainland China in translating and introducing Western writers like Hermann Hesse. which includes Die Morgenlandfahrt (The Journey to the East), previously untranslated in mainland China. Unfortunately, many of the titles of the works in this series were changed significantly. For instance, Siddhartha, which has a sacred meaning in Buddhism, was translated with the mundane title Song of Wanderers (“流浪者之歌”); similarly, Demian, published by Hesse after World War I, was translated as Wandering Boyhood (“彷徨少年时”), Rosshalde as The Fate of Artists (“艺术家的命运”), and Gertrud as The Song of Life (“生命之歌”). These changes led to the elision of many of these works’ cultural and historical implications.

In addition to the series, there are multiple translations of some of Hesse’s major novels to which we should pay more attention. By February 2023, Steppenwolf had been translated and adapted into Chinese more than any of Hesse’s other works, with twenty-two different published versions, including adaptations for teenage readers.2There were two adaptations published for teenagers in 2016 and 2018, and one abridgement for students in 2019. The novel was first published in German in 1927 and has since been translated into Chinese in 1986 (two versions), 2013 (two versions), 2015 (two versions), 2016 (three versions), 2017 (two versions), 2018 (four versions), 2019 (two versions), 2020, 2021 (two versions), 2022, and 2023. The novel’s popularity can be attributed to its exploration of the search for the “self.” Hui Kou gave a high evaluation of this novel: “based on the range of my own reading, I think that the most outstanding achievements of German literature in terms of imagination are Goethe’s Faust and Hesse’s Steppenwolf.”3Hui Kou, My Map of World Literature, 47. When asked why Steppenwolf has been translated so extensively, Shuangzhi Li (李双志), one of the young translators of this novel and some other works of Hesse, pointed out that due to the fierce competition in the publishing market, various publishers are competing to acquire their own publishing rights. He stated that, like the vast majority of Hesse translators, he translated Steppenwolf at the invitation of the publisher. Moreover, in his view, “Steppenwolf is a peak work of German modernist literature, with rich content and strong impact.”4WeChat on March 4, 2023. This is a reasonable assessment in my opinion.

The second most translated work by Hesse is Siddhartha, with fifteen different translations. The novel was originally published in Chinese in 1985, followed by translations in 1986, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015 (two versions), 2016, 2018, 2019 (two versions), 2020, 2021 (two versions), and 2022 (two versions). Siddhartha, renowned for its profound exploration of self-discovery and its echoes of Chinese Taoist philosophy, has established itself as a timeless literary masterpiece particularly resonant with young readers. In my role as a university professor of literature, I consistently feature Siddhartha as an essential read for my students each year. Remarkably, it consistently garners the most passionate and engaged responses, highlighting its enduring relevance and appeal in the realm of literary studies.

Demian, another popular Hesse novel, has been translated into Chinese twelve times, starting with a translation in 1989. More recent translations were published in 2009, 2017, 2019 (three versions), 2020, 2021 (two versions), and 2022 (three versions). Unterm Rad has been translated in 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2020, in addition to the two in 1983. Alongside the 1983 translation, Peter Camenzind has been translated into Chinese twice more, in 2013 and 2018. Narziß und Goldmund was first translated into Chinese in 1984, and a new translation was published in 2021. Das Glasperlenspiel has been translated and published three times, in 1998, 2001, and 2013.

It can be seen that, the abundance of Chinese-translated versions of Hermann Hesse’s novels has led to a distinctive phenomenon in the global spread of his works. Market competition is the primary reason. China is a major player in the publishing world, leading in both the number and variety of published books. With over 580 publishing houses in the country, competition is fierce. As a result, different publishers strive to secure their own translation rights for Hesse’s works to gain a competitive edge in the market.

As of now, while Hermann Hesse’s novels remain the primary focus of Chinese translations, there is an increasing trend in translating his poems, fairy tales, essays, and literary reviews. Over the past two decades, the volume of Hesse’s works translated into Chinese has surged, mirroring a trend reminiscent of the 1980s. This means that after China’s reform and opening up, Hermann Hesse has steadily maintained a moderate popularity, emerging as a cherished Western classic author among Chinese readers. The case can be attributed to three primary factors. Firstly, Hesse’s literature, with its emphasis on the individual journey, encourages readers to seek their intrinsic essence—akin to the concept of “Atman” as depicted in Siddhartha. This hallmark of his work is not only unique but also universally resonant. Secondly, Hesse’s temperament and stylistic approach are deeply imbued with elements of Chinese culture, mirroring aspects such as Taoist independence, Confucian order, and the reverence found in the I Ching. These themes find a harmonious echo in the cultural psyche of Chinese readers, fostering a deep sense of connection and prompting them to perceive that Hesse resembles a Chinese author. Thirdly, the elegance and clarity of Hesse’s writing style, evident in both his poetry and prose, aligns with the aesthetic habits of Chinese people influenced by Tang and Song Dynasty poetry. Hesse’s poetry circulates in China, with various collections being published from time to time. In addition to the previously mentioned The Selected Lyrics of Hesse by Chunqi Qian, there have been some other poem collections by translators such as Ou Fan (欧凡) and Ke Lin (林克). The rich imagery and restrained style of Hesse’s poetry resonate with traditional Chinese poetry, making them widely accepted by Chinese readers. Moreover, his poetic narrative works are also highly esteemed by Chinese writers. Shen Shanzeng once wrote: “The vivid and emotionally charged description of the protagonist fishing by the river in the village during summer vacation in Unterm Rad left a deep impression on me, from which I fully appreciated the captivating magic of words. I even feel that if a novel lacks such splendid and magnificent segments, it is not first-rate,” and he consciously adopted this kind of description in his own writing.5Shen, “‘Spirituality’ Blessing,” 128. Thus, alongside Kafka and Zweig, Hesse has ascended as one of the most revered modern German-language authors among Chinese readers. The profound impact of his works sets him apart, holding a unique place in the hearts and minds of his audience.

Competition in the book market has led to multiple translations of the same book, while other works by Hesse have not been fully translated into Chinese at all. Academic resources for studying Hesse’s life and work in Chinese are relatively scarce. Indeed, there is no Chinese translation of Hesse’s complete works. A selection of his letters was only published recently: a single-volume selection from the four-volume German edition of The Collected Letters of Hermann Hesse (“黑塞书信集,” translated by Yingying Xie [谢莹莹] et al., [上海人民出版社] [Shanghai: Shanghai People’s Publishing House, 2023]), as well as Hermann Hesse–Thomas Mann: Correspondence (“赫尔曼·黑塞与托马斯·曼书信集,” translated by Xiaoling Huang [黄霄翎, 上海译文出版社] [Shanghai: Shanghai Translation Publishing House, 2022]). Moreover, Hesse’s political commentary, and the vast research on Hesse in many languages around the world, remain untranslated in Chinese. In recent years, Chinese scholars have begun publishing academic works on Hesse. Three biographies of Hesse, translated from German and French, have also been published in Chinese.6They are: “黑塞画传,” 上海人民出版社 [Pictorial Biography of Hermann Hesse], ed. Volker Michels, trans. Shixun Li (李世勋) (Shanghai: Shanghai People’s Publishing House, 2008); Heimo Schwilk’s “赫尔曼·黑塞——玻璃珠游戏者的人生,” 光明日报出版社 [Hermann Hesse: The Life of Glass Bead Player], trans. Jiedan Li (励洁丹) (Beijing: Guangming Daily Publishing House, 2017), both translated from German; and François Mathieu, “黑塞传: 以诗为生,” 上海文艺出版社 [The Biography of Hesse: Living by Poetry], translated from the French by Jiji Jin (金霁霁) et al. (Shanghai: Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House, 2017). There are also other two biographies of Hesse written by Chinese scholars: “黑塞传,” 华东师范大学出版社 [The Biography of Hesse] by Binbin Wang (王滨滨) (Shanghai: East China Normal University Press, 2007) and “最后的骑士: 黑塞传,” 华文出版社 [The Last Knight: The Biography of Hesse] by Shiqi Li (李世奇) (Beijing: Chinese Publishing House, 2020). A total of five biographies of Hesse have been published in China. Since 2006, seven such works have been published, which can be broadly categorized into three areas of research. The first is comprehensive studies, which include Studies on Hermann Hesse (“黑塞研究,” 上海外语教育出版社 [Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2006]) by Peifen Zhang (张佩芬), Hermann Hesse and the Integration of Eastern and Western Cultures (“黑塞与东西方文化的整合,” 华东师范大学出版社 [Shanghai: East China Normal University Press, 2010]) by Hong Zhang (张弘), and Existence and Transcendence: A Cross Border Study of Hesse (“存在与超越:黑塞的跨界研究,” 中国社会科学出版社 [Beijing: China Social Science Press, 2021]) by Min Chen (陈敏). The second area of research focuses on the relationship between Hesse and the East, which includes Hesse and Chinese Culture (“黑塞与中国文化,” 首都师范大学出版社 [Beijing: Capital Normal University Press, 2010]) by Jian Ma (马剑), Hesse and the East (“黑塞与东方” 上海交通大学出版社 [Shanghai: Shanghai Jiaotong University Press, 2018]) by Chunhua Zhan (詹春花), and The Image of Others and the “Chinese Dream”: Taking Hermann Hesse as an Example (“他者形象与‘中国梦’—以赫尔曼黑塞为例,” 武汉大学出版社 [Wuhan: Wuhan University Press, 2021]) by Wei Lu (卢伟). The final area of research is thematic studies, a category in which there has so far been only one publication, Become Yourself: An Investigation of the Human Nature Theme in Hermann Hesse’s Novels (“成为你自己: 对赫尔曼·黑塞小说中的人性主题的考察,” 企业管理出版社 [Beijing: Enterprise Management Publishing House, 2014]) by Hong Bian (卞虹). These works demonstrate that the relationship between Hesse and Eastern cultures has become a significant area of interest in Chinese Hesse studies. Academic papers published in journals also focus on these areas of research, with a greater emphasis on literary criticism.

Peifen Zhang has made particularly significant contributions to the translation of and research on Hermann Hesse. Not only has she translated Das Glasperlenspiel, Siddhartha, many short stories, and prose works by Hesse; but she has also written the aforementioned Studies on Hermann Hesse (2006), which combines attention to Hesse’s bibliography with analysis and commentary on his works. This book is mainly based on “a set of books of writers and scholars from Germany and all over the world commenting on Hesse,” presented by Adrian Hsia to the Institute of Foreign Languages of China in the early 1980s.7Peifen Zhang, “Postscript,” in “黑塞研究,” 上海外语教育出版社 [Studies on Hermann Hesse]) (Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2006), 412. Adrian Hsia has made an indispensable contribution to promoting the acceptance of Hermann Hesse in China during the new era. According to Professor Wuneng Yang’s recollection, in 1981, Hsia was invited to visit the Institute of Foreign Literature of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences for the first time. He actively recommended Hesse, who was not yet well known in the Chinese academic community at that time, which directly influenced Wuneng Yang and Peifen Zhang’s understanding and translation of Hesse. See Wuneng Yang, “Adrian Hsia, Hermann Hesse and China—Random Notes on the Translation of Narcissus and Goldmund,” 东方翻译 [Oriental Translation] (2012): 64. Zhang Peifen’s book spares no effort to cite foreign research, such as the interpretation of Die Morgenlandfahrt from the perspective of psychology and the interpretation of Hesse’s global impact from the perspective of anthropology.8Zhang, Studies on Hesse, 214–15, 383. As a result, it has become a valuable guide for contemporary Chinese readers to understand Hesse in a multi-dimensional and in-depth way.