Beneath the Wheel Author:Herman Hesse Hemann Hesse's spiritual autobiography is a touchstone in the lifelong examination of the conflict between self-affirmation and self-destruction. Based on his own experience, his novel attacks an educational system that fosters intellect and ambition at the expense of emotion, soul and instinct. Beneath the Wheel tells with compassion and tend... more »erness a story that is true for our own age, with all the poetic and lyrical qualities that have made Hesse an oustanding literary figure of the twentieth century.« less