During the 1960s and 1970'sn Hesse became a cult figure among young American readers and in 1968 the Californian rock group Steppenwolf, which was named after Hesse's other classic, released 'Born to be Wild', which was featured in the film Easy Rider.

With profound understanding and sympathy, but also with some irony, Hesse portrays Knulp's life journey, his love affairs and his questioning of life. The novel reaches a final powerful climax when God reveals to Knulp that the purpose of his life was to bring a little nostalgia for freedom into the lives of ordinary men.