The Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to Hermann Hesse in 1946—not only for his contribution to literature but also in recognition of this German author's persistent anti-Nazi position. Through a lifetime of achievement in the classic European mold of a man of letters, Hesse wrote novels, poetry, short stories, novellas, and essays, each of which made distinguished contributions to those forms.  Steppenwolf is his work bestknown to the English-speaking world.  It has been called (in the New York Times) "a savage indictment of bourgeois society," probing the "two souls" of its complex and demonic protagonist—written with both poetic sensitivity and unflagging intellectual vigor.  Profoundly memorable and affecting, it has been considered one of the most influential, formative literary experiences of the past generation.