In his first novel, Hesse began what would become the project of a lifetime--writing what he called "biographies of the soul." In these, he portrayed the fundamental journey he saw as necessary for man to resolve his inherent struggle both with himself and with the world around him. For the dissatisfied and unruly Peter Camenzind, his journey serves only to wither his faith in humanity as his travels reveal a world rife with suffering. But it is his internal journey, sparked by caring for a helpless cripple, that enables him to calm his restlessness and recover his love of man.