- The narrator lets us know what the deal is with the crazy book we're about to read: it's the papers left behind by "the Steppenwolf," a dude with the real (and pedestrian) first name of Harry who lived in the narrator's aunt's boarding house several years ago. He was only a boarder for a few months, though.
- The narrator tells us about the first day he met Harry: the Steppenwolf shows up at noon, when lunch is on the table, and starts sniffing around. No, really. He literally sniffs the air and says that it smells good. (Wolf alert!)
- The narrator has to take off while the aunt is showing the Steppenwolf the rooms, and when he gets home he finds out that she did rent a room to the weird stranger. The narrator is upset because the Steppenwolf asked the aunt not to notify the police that he was there because he doesn't want to have to sit in the waiting room. (This is a regular requirement, like changing your address with the DMV, in some European countries, like Germany). If you've gone to the DMV, you can probably relate. If not, happy Sweet Sixteen!
- The narrator worries that the Steppenwolf is too wild and will be a bad tenant, but it turns out that, even though he is wild, he doesn't cause any trouble.
- The narrator dreams about him even years after he has moved out, though, and finds him to be a very disturbing figure.
- The Steppenwolf, whose full name is Harry Haller, btw, moves into his new digs and makes friends with the narrator. The narrator invites him to go see a famous scholar speak at his school. They do, but the Steppenwolf looks like he is being tortured by the smarty-pants speaker.
- The narrator explains that the Steppenwolf was a genius who hated himself, in a nutshell. He spends his mornings in bed, reads a ton, and seems to have come from a little town in Germany. He's also interested in Eastern religion, art, music, literature, and a girl whose picture he's got in his room.
- Harry was a drunk, but the narrator doesn't drink or smoke and is irritated by Harry's habits. Harry's in really bad health, limps, and seems tired all the time. The narrator is pretty sure it's because he's drinking like a fish.
- The first time Harry and the narrator meet, Harry's sitting on the stair landing in the boarding house, in a daze. They talk, and Harry explains that he is sitting there because of the araucaria plant and the nice, clean smell. He feels like he's at home.
- After explaining how much he likes clean, middle-class homes, he invites the narrator upstairs to check out some books. And with that, they are pals.
- He does, however, give off a weird vibe when he calls himself the Steppenwolf in that first meeting. But the narrator realizes it's the perfect nickname for his new friend: he's like a lost wolf that has come down into town and doesn't really fit in.
- They also go to a concert together, and the narrator is really interested in the Steppenwolf's reaction, which is pretty meh.
- Afterward, he follows him through the streets and they end up in an inn. The Steppenwolf drinks wine, but the narrator refuses and heads home.
- The Steppenwolf comes home many hours later and sits up in his room for a while.
- Another night, a young, pretty woman comes to the door and asks for Mr. Haller. She's the one from the pictures in the Steppenwolf's room, so the narrator lets her in.
- When Harry gets home the two go out, but he comes back alone and seems pretty sad. The narrator also sees them one day, happy, strolling through the town.
- But Harry seems to have a special trick for scaring away his girlfriend, because he comes home alone that day, too, also sad.
- The narrator concludes that the Steppenwolf was suicidal, and that from one day to the next he disappeared, leaving behind only the records. They haven't seen or heard from him since, and the narrator thinks that a lot of what Harry wrote is made up, but he decides to publish it anyway.