Beginning from the 1950s, Hesse's popularity waned, while literature critics and intellectuals turned their attention to other subjects. In 1965, the sales of Hesse's books by his publisher Suhrkamp reached an all-time low. After Hesse's death in 1962, post-humously published writings, including letters and previously unknown pieces of prosa, contributed to a new level of understanding and appreciation of his works.<ref>Zeller, pp. 180-181</ref>
By the time of Hesse's death in 1962, his works were still relatively unknown in the United States. A memorial published in the [[New York Times]] even stated that Hesse's works were largely "inaccessible" for American readers. The situation changed in the mid of the 1970s1960s, when Hesse's works suddenly became bestsellers in the United States.<ref>Zeller, p.185</ref> The revival in popularity of Hesse's works has been credited to their association with some of the popular themes of the 1960s [[counterculture of the 1960s|counterculture]] (or hippie) movement. In particular, the quest-for-enlightenment theme of ''[[Siddhartha (novel)|Siddhartha]]'', ''[[Journey to the East]]'', and ''[[Narcissus and Goldmund]]'' resonated with those espousing counter-cultural ideals. The "magic theatre" sequences in ''[[Steppenwolf (novel)|Steppenwolf]]'' were interpreted by some as drug-induced [[psychedelia]], although there is no evidence that Hesse ever took psychedelic drugs or recommended their use.<ref>Zeller p. 189</ref> To a large part, the causes of the Hesse-Boom in the United States can be traced back to enthusiastic writings by two influential counter-culture men: [[Colin Wilson]] and [[Timothy Leary]].<ref>Zeller, p. 188</ref> From the United States, the Hesse-renaissance spread to other parts of the world, and even back to Germany: more than 800,000 exemplars were sold in the German-speaking world in 1972-1973. In a space of just a few years, Hesse became the most widely read and translated European author of the 20th century.<ref>Zeller p. 185</ref> Hesse is especially popular among young readers.<ref>Zeller p. 186</ref>
Hesse's ''Siddhartha'' is one of the most popular Western novels set in India. An authorized translation of ''Siddhartha'' was published in the Malayalam language in 1990, the language that surrounded Hesse's grandfather, Hermann Gundert, for most of his life. A Hermann Hesse Society of India has also been formed. It aims to bring out authentic translations of ''Siddhartha'' in all Indian languages. It has already prepared the Sanskrit translation of ''Siddhartha''.
