A Brief Review of Hermann Hesse's "Demian" by Chuck Trunks (Trunks Art)

Nampa, Idaho - May 27, 2026 - I didn’t begin reading books about the path to enlightenment until after I had already found my own. How could I, when I didn’t even know what was happening to me? Despite exiting this world before I was born, Hermann Hesse (1877–1962) is one of those authors who, from his grave in Switzerland, makes me feel less alone in a society that shuns those unwilling to follow the herd mentality. I recently finished reading Demian (1919), a coming-of-age story that follows ten-year-old Emil Sinclair from his elementary school days to his first year of university studies. As he transitions from childhood to adolescence, Sinclair meets and befriends another boy, Max Demian, who turns out to be his fated spiritual guide, turning up time and again in moments when Sinclair needs him most.

Like Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea (1952), Hesse’s Demian is told from the perspective of the main character, where most of the story’s dialogue is comprised of internal conversations Sinclair has with himself as his childhood innocence dissolves in the shadow of a much darker world outside the protective structure of his parent’s love. What I like most about Hesse’s book is that it cleverly equates the higher consciousness of enlightenment with the disillusionment that naturally accompanies budding pubescence. In other words, for those readers who struggle to understand what it means to achieve enlightenment—to become equally aware of both the most beautiful and most dastardly truths about the world—they need only to reflect on their childhoods, where the polar opposites of abomination and splendor first opened their eyes.

After reading and reviewing my third Hermann Hesse novel, I’m again impressed by how relevant his insights remain. Despite having written much of his work almost a century ago, on another continent, and in a different language, his understanding of enlightenment feels entirely attuned to today’s modern society.

-Chuck Trunks

“This work was written independently by the author without the use of generative AI.”

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All my books can be found on Amazon. 💓💓💓

Trunks Art moved from Columbia, South Carolina, to Nampa, Idaho, in 2025 and has made this city his home and writing inspiration.

To see more of my work, please have a look at more posts or email me at chucktrunks@gmail.com. Or, visit my website at www.trunksart.com.  Also, you can find me on Instagram (chucktrunks) and Facebook (Chuck Trunks).

NEW RANT: "Tired of Tipping" by Chuck Trunks (Trunks Art) is a 22-page essay about the ever-growing scrouge of tip requests.

Nampa, Idaho - May 25, 2026 - An excerpt from the Introduction:

“Why am I even here?” I chided myself, thinking I could be at home, eating a grilled cheese sandwich with a bowl of tomato soup. Despite my better judgement—or perhaps due to a craving for empanadas—I decided to treat myself to lunch, a rare indulgence for someone like me, who no longer finds comfort or pleasure in public spaces. But there I was, lined up behind the other hungry sheep, preparing myself for the abuse to come.

I live in a society where culture is defined by soulless corporate executives who obey the first commandment of the god of profit, “Thou shall prioritize greed above human need.” Society used to be centered around God, community, family, fellowship, and contribution—now it’s been reduced to individuals pursuing any means of survival. Since the pandemic, the high cost of living has made it nearly impossible for most Americans to afford a spouse, children, a family, a permanent home, reliable employment, higher education, health, and leisure. Today, that includes going to restaurants, where the illusion of choice extends to tip-giving.

You can find Tired of Tipping on my website (under the "about" tab) or by clicking here.

-Chuck Trunks

 

“This work was written independently by the author without the use of generative AI.”

Illustration by Mario Zucca

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All my books can be found on Amazon. 💓💓💓

Trunks Art moved from Columbia, South Carolina, to Nampa, Idaho, in 2025 and has made this city his home and writing inspiration.

To see more of my work, please have a look at more posts or email me at chucktrunks@gmail.com. Or, visit my website at www.trunksart.com.  Also, you can find me on Instagram (chucktrunks) and Facebook (Chuck Trunks).

A Brief Review of Jonathan Tropper's "Everything Changes" by Chuck Trunks (Trunks Art)

Nampa, Idaho - May 18, 2026 - Everything Changes (2005) is one of six novels by Jonathan Tropper, an American author, writer, and producer, who first came into my life 11 years ago, at a time when I felt all hope was lost. Back then, not knowing who Jonathan Tropper was, I picked out his novel, This Is Where I Leave You (2009), from a bin of discounted paperbacks in Barnes & Noble because its cover art indicated it had been made into a movie, starring Jason Bateman. I walked out of the store with the book in my hand, thinking, “How bad could it be if one of my favorite actors agreed to play the lead?” Last year, when my life was once again unraveling, I unexpectedly spotted his first novel, Plan B (2000), behind a glass door of a neighborhood book exchange planted between the sidewalk and a manicured front lawn. Like the others before it, Everything Changes found me earlier this month while I was searching for a Hunter S. Thompson book at the library.

What I appreciate most about Jonathan Tropper’s books—besides the sensational plots, relatable characters, and deeper messages—is his commitment to a recurring theme that resonates with me and most men, who think it’s too late to redeem themselves after personal annihilation in a world where masculine energy is repeatedly branded as toxic. I wouldn’t say that Jonathan Tropper’s books saved my life, but what I can say is that his novels came into my life at the exact right moments, reminding me that it’s okay to be a man and to go after what feels right—even if it’s in the opposite direction of everyone else.

-Chuck Trunks

“This work was written independently by the author without the use of generative AI.”

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All my books can be found on Amazon. 💓💓💓

Trunks Art moved from Columbia, South Carolina, to Nampa, Idaho, in 2025 and has made this city his home and writing inspiration.

To see more of my work, please have a look at more posts or email me at chucktrunks@gmail.com. Or, visit my website at www.trunksart.com.  Also, you can find me on Instagram (chucktrunks) and Facebook (Chuck Trunks).

A Brief Review of Bob Greene's "Once Upon a Town" by Chuck Trunks (Trunks Art)

 

Nampa, Idaho - May 11, 2026 - “Let’s make America great again” naturally implies the United States no longer possesses the qualities that once made this country a beacon of hope, prosperity, decency, and freedom. I can imagine walking into a Walmart Supercenter—this century’s version of a town square—and asking older shoppers what they miss about the America they grew up in. I doubt they would have any difficulty responding, giving me answers I’d most likely agree with. Had I come across Bob Greene, an American journalist and author of over 20 books, in front of the unmanned deli counter and asked him the same question, he’d point me in the direction of his book, Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen (2002).

Although the book was published 24 years ago, it perfectly captures a period between 1941 and 1946 in the Nebraskan town of North Platte, a small city in the middle of nowhere, situated at the confluence of the North and South Platte Rivers and surrounded by wide-open prairie and rolling hills. Greene’s story highlights how, for over four consecutive years, tens of thousands of volunteers from 125 nearby towns offered heartfelt care to six million soldiers, turning the North Platte train station into a sanctuary of food, music, and gratitude for troops deploying to WWII. These selfless men and women simply felt it was their duty to provide the soldiers—mostly boys right out of high school from all over the country—a 10- to 20-minute taste of home and hospitality before being shipped out to defend the nation in Europe or the South Pacific.

I found it both charming and touching how he interlaced interviews with surviving volunteers and servicemen throughout the entirety of the book, who became misty-eyed or wept as they recounted the miracle of genuine giving without strings or expectations. I, too, became emotional while reading this book, which reminded me that once upon a time, in America, a community of patriots focused on something much bigger than themselves, where empathy, common decency, and a desire for fellowship defined a Union Pacific train station in the middle of nowhere.

-Chuck Trunks

“This work was written independently by the author without the use of generative AI.”

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All my books can be found on Amazon. 💓💓💓

Trunks Art moved from Columbia, South Carolina, to Nampa, Idaho, in 2025 and has made this city his home and writing inspiration.

To see more of my work, please have a look at more posts or email me at chucktrunks@gmail.com. Or, visit my website at www.trunksart.com.  Also, you can find me on Instagram (chucktrunks) and Facebook (Chuck Trunks).

NEW BOOK: "Pillars of Society" by Chuck Trunks (Trunks Art) is about the true cost of enlightenment.

Nampa, Idaho - May 4, 2026 - In one way or another, we’re all suffering. If your particular burden wasn’t handed to you by fate or your own unfortunate choices, then it was forced upon you by a cold-hearted ruling class that prioritizes profit margins above compassion, empathy, and even common decency. Sadly, suffering isn’t limited to unmet basic needs; it extends toward a psychological dilemma between appreciating the gift of life and sensing the absurdity of it all.

Through the interactions of four fuzzy caterpillars, Pillars of Society unfolds as an allegorical tale of personal transformation, revealing the true costs behind budding awareness and eventual enlightenment. Carl, Bethany, Fitz, and Sigmund live and work in a colony located in a secluded pond surrounded by wetland trees and dotted with water lilies.

After witnessing Carl’s clumsy yet colorful metamorphosis, you, too, will come to realize the source of your own existential suffering—emanating from either knowing the disheartening truths about the society you live in or believing in the lies of indoctrination. It’s your choice.

-Chuck Trunks

 

“This work was written independently by the author without the use of generative AI.”

Pillars of Society can be found on Amazon.

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All my books can be found on Amazon. 💓💓💓

Trunks Art moved from Columbia, South Carolina, to Nampa, Idaho, in 2025 and has made this city his home and writing inspiration.

To see more of my work, please have a look at more posts or email me at chucktrunks@gmail.com. Or, visit my website at www.trunksart.com.  Also, you can find me on Instagram (chucktrunks) and Facebook (Chuck Trunks).

"Silver Linings in a Mad World" by Chuck Trunks (Trunks Art): How are some people unscathed by societal toxicity? Read and find out!

Nampa, Idaho - April 30, 2026 - An excerpt from Chapter 6 (Columbia Bound):

To me, the best attributes of being human are like stars we can see in the night sky. If you were with me, I’d point at a cluster of stars just above the trees on the other side of the pond and say, “Look over there! You can see cooperation, generosity, and accountability.” Then we’d walk for a bit, appreciating the soft breeze and silence, until I’d stop and point upwards again. “Can you believe it?” I’d ask. “If you look between those two clouds, you’ll see humility, loyalty, and compassion.” As luck would have it, we’d stumble upon an abandoned rowboat that was practically begging us to climb aboard. We’d quietly push away from the bank toward the center of the pond, the only sound coming from the water dripping off the lifted oars.

Back Cover:

Six true stories comprise Silver Linings in a Mad World. I specifically chose these confounding and disappointing personal events because they reflect my feelings about today’s public space, where an elite ruling class forces the working slaves of America to exchange their humanity for basic needs.

 

But is it really fair to place all of the blame on our corrupted government, monopolizing corporations, and billionaires with more wealth than the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt? While some of us will exercise free will to rise above the dystopian gloom, others appear unaffected by it. What’s their story? Are they merely robots programmed by mainstream indoctrination? Or are they simply ignorant, lost within a new America whose constitution begins with “I, the Person?” That may be true for the majority, but I discovered a different reason, a silver lining that affords a fortunate few happiness, purpose, and love despite living in a mad world.

-Chuck Trunks

 

“This work was written independently by the author without the use of generative AI.”

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All my books can be found on Amazon. 💓💓💓

Trunks Art moved from Columbia, South Carolina, to Nampa, Idaho, in 2025 and has made this city his home and writing inspiration.

To see more of my work, please have a look at more posts or email me at chucktrunks@gmail.com. Or, visit my website at www.trunksart.com.  Also, you can find me on Instagram (chucktrunks) and Facebook (Chuck Trunks).

A Brief Review of Hermann Hesse's "The Journey to the East" by Chuck Trunks (Trunks Art)

Nampa, Idaho - April 25, 2026 - When I discovered that Hermann Hesse’s The Journey to the East (1932) was written as a follow-up to his famous novel, Steppenwolf (1927), a book I finished reading just last month, I was intrigued, expecting a continuation of the life and times of his despairing alter ego, Harry Haller. Instead, I was introduced to an entirely different kind of tale based on a mythical pilgrimage to find answers to life’s most existential questions. However, I wasn’t disappointed, as Hesse is well known for having established his niche between embracing the gift of life and sensing the absurdity of it all.

While reading The Journey to the East, I was asked innocently enough by a fellow bookworm, “What’s it about, and are you liking it so far?” Honestly, I didn’t know what to tell her. “I have no idea—the jury’s still out on this one,” I replied. Thankfully, the obstinate old mule in me kept me on task, prodding me along to finish reading the book in its entirety. Whether I was reading about a dream remembered by the central character, an older man in his early 60s, or a figment of his imagination, it didn’t matter—the theme was clear: H.H. was after spiritual meaning in a world dominated by busyness and superficiality.

Hesse suggests, at the conclusion of his novella, in a scene reminiscent of a Greek tribunal if it were held in St. Peter’s Basilica, that we achieve true spiritual meaning simply by providing service to others, which is congruent with my philosophy regarding human suffering. Through personal experience, I’ve discovered that we’re all suffering in some way or another. Be it self-inflicted or imposed by misfortune, suffering finds its only solace in relieving the pain of another. So when I see my reading friend again, I plan to tell her, “The verdict is in.” The Journey to the East isn’t a book I’d recommend to just anyone; it’s for readers who are already familiar with the path of enlightenment.

-Chuck Trunks

“This work was written independently by the author without the use of generative AI.”

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All my books can be found on Amazon. 💓💓💓

Trunks Art moved from Columbia, South Carolina, to Nampa, Idaho, in 2025 and has made this city his home and writing inspiration.

To see more of my work, please have a look at more posts or email me at chucktrunks@gmail.com. Or, visit my website at www.trunksart.com.  Also, you can find me on Instagram (chucktrunks) and Facebook (Chuck Trunks).