Despite the rebelliousness that marked his own brief school career, Hesse was fascinated by the institution and the relationships it fosters, and used it as the background for much of his writing. He saw the classroom as an environment that intensifies the natural tensions between discipline and freedom, intellect and sensuiality. The stories in this collection—"Friends," "Berthold," and the two versions of "The Fourth Life"—depict German student life in different periods of history.

Edited and with an introduction by Theodore Ziolkowski

Contents:

• Berthold
• Friends
• The Fourth Life