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    Siddhartha
    Siddhartha
    Siddhartha
    Audiobook5 hours

    Siddhartha

    Written by Hermann Hesse

    Narrated by Adrian Praetzellis

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Siddhartha is one of the great philosophical novels. Profoundly insightful, it is also a beautifully written story that begins as Siddhartha, son of an Indian Brahman, leaves his family and begins a lifelong journey towards Enlightenment. On the way he faces the entire range of human experience and emotion: he lives with ascetics, meets Gotama the Buddha, learns the art of love from Kamala the courtesan, and is transformed by the simple philosophy of the ferryman Vasudeva whose wisdom comes not from learned teachings but from observing the River. Herman Hesse (1877-1962) was a German-Swiss novelist, poet, and painter. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1946.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAuthor's Republic
    Release dateApr 26, 2016
    ISBN9781518925436
    Author

    Hermann Hesse

    Hermann Hesse was born in 1877. His books include Siddhartha, Steppenwolf, Narcissus and Goldmund, and Magister Ludi. He died in 1962.

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    Reviews for Siddhartha

    4/5

    7,347 ratings204 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Herman Hesse was born in the Black Forest area of Germany in 1877. His parents had served as missionaries in India as had his maternal grandparents. His mother's family, with whom he was raised, was strict Pietist while his father came from a happier, Baltic form of Christianity. As a child Hesse was headstrong, very intelligent and he loved music. He attended seminary from 1891 to 1892 but that ended when he ran away. He showed signs of serious depression as early as his first year in school and after attempting suicide in 1892, spent some time in mental institutions. In 1895 he started work in a book shop, writing in his free-time and in 1896 his first poem was published. After his first novel Peter Camenzind was published in 1904 he was able to support himself as a writer although his life remained turbulent to the end. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946 and died in 1962.He published the novella Siddhartha in 1922. The main character, Siddhartha, the son of a Brahmin scholar, sets out on a journey of self-discovery. He spends time as a shramana, a wandering spiritual ascetic, and then becomes a follower of the Buddah. He concludes that enlightenment does not come from learning so he leaves and becomes a wealthy businessman enjoying all of the pleasures of a material life. When that too fails to bring inner peace he moves on once more. There are connections to the Buddah in the book that go far beyond the fact that the main character spends time as his disciple. First, the name Siddhartha was the name Buddah was born with. Second, the life-path described in the book is much like that of the Buddah. Finally, according to Wikipedia, "The novel is structured on three of the traditional stages of life for Hindu males (student (brahmacarin), householder (grihastha) and recluse/renunciate (vanaprastha)) as well as the Buddha's four noble truths (Part One) and eight-fold path (Part Two) which form twelve chapters".The subtitle of the book is "An Indic Poem" and the beautiful writing absolutely reflects that (Hesse was also a poet, of course). It is a book that is a delight to read from many perspectives: beautiful language, thought-provoking philosophy, and a charming storyHere are a couple of samples for you."Siddhartha had a single goal before him, one and one only: to become empty, empty of thirst, empty of desire, empty of dreams, empty of joy and pain. To die away from himself, no longer to be I, to find the peace of the emptied heart, by thinking away from the self to stand open to the miraculous: this was his goal""When someone seeks, " Siddhartha answered, "then it happens all too easily that his eyes will see only the thing he is seeking, that he cannot find anything, cannot let anything in, because he is always thinking only of that thing he seeks, because he has a goal, because he is possessed by the goal. Seeking means: having a goal. But finding means: being free, being open, having no goal. You, Venerable One, may indeed be a seeker, for, striving toward your goal, there is much you do not see which is right before your eyes.""One can convey knowledge but not wisdom. One can find wisdom, one can live it, one can be borne by it, one can work wonders with it, but one can neither speak it nor teach it."

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Siddhartha: was great audiobook an amazing. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I wasn't really sure what to expect, being nearly 100 years old and translated to English (as well as nearly every other language in the world), but the narration was wonderful and sucked me right in. Siddhartha tells the story of a young Indian man who has decided to reject his comfortable lifestyle to seek enlightenment. At first this journey begins with self denial to find higher fulfillment, but as Siddhartha ages so do his opinions and worldviews. 
    • 5/5

      This is the second time I have read this book, and it is quite fascinating. An allegorical novel, Siddhartha follows the life of Siddhartha, a son of a Brahmin, and his religious and spiritual search for the Ultimate. We follow Siddhartha as he leaves his father's religion and house to become an ascetic. After many years of studying with the Samanas, he abandons the community to become a man of the world. He becomes rich and powerful, but even then he is not satisfied, and contemplates taking his own life to end his suffering. But, just as he is about to throw himself into the river, he hears a sound that will change him forever...Experiments in Reading Very good book. Gives everything apart from actual enlightenment.
    • 4/5
      I read this in a few hours on a flight home. Teared up a few times. Still rolling it around in my head.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful work , I have read it few months ago .
    • 5/5
      Excelente y maravilloso libro,Hermoso libro, el encanto con el que se narra, una vez que se entiendes algunos conceptos que no sabía, todo concuerda y se entiende con mayor fluidez. No estoy muy seguro de cómo calificar este libro. Como la historia de un hombre con gran conocimiento y muy sabio. Disfrute del mensaje, pero como lector, sabía exactamente cómo iba a funcionar. En pocas palabras, me alegro de haberlo leído porque me hizo pensar en cómo me veo a mí mismo y las cosas que valoro Con este libro audible, con este narrador, finalmente conseguí mayor claridad del libro. Una vez que entendí los conceptos básicos de lo que estaba pasando, entendí más. El narrador le da ese toque especial al narrar con tanto sentimiento era maravilloso con una voz clara y relajante que era perfecto. Al principio, este viaje comienza con la abnegación para encontrar un cumplimiento más alto, pero a medida que Siddharta envejece también lo hacen sus opiniones y cosmovisión. Su viaje lo lleva a través del lujo, el amor, el odio, el deseo, la negación y la aceptación. Contada con maravillosa prosa, muchos consideran que esta novela es la mejor alegoría moral jamás escrita. Sólo por el fracaso, Siddharta encuentra lo que está buscando. Los lectores encontrarán algún aspecto del viaje de Siddharta con el que relacionarse.
    • 4/5
      The story gets five stars but in this particular reading the intro saying the story and translators is repeated after every chapter which gets tedious especially if you listen to the book through in one session like I did, otherwise a fantastic tale with much wisdom held in its pages.
    • 4/5
      Audio book performed by Barron Christian. Translation by Sherab Chodzin Kohn.This slim novel is a classic tale about the search for enlightenment. The story follows Siddhartha throughout his life, and his spiritual journey. He is born a son of a Brahmin, with access to all the privileges that implies, but he feels the stirrings of discontent. He wants more from his life, though he doesn’t know what that means. So he sets out on a quest to find enlightenment … and discovers that truth is not so much “out there” as “in here.”Barron Christian’s performance on the audio book is wonderful. He has a soothing and melodious voice that helps to convey the sense of meditation and thought that is central to the work.I’m really looking forward to my F2F book club discussion on this one!
    • 5/5
      El motivo por el cual me intereso este audio es porque su escritor ganó un Premio Nobel de Literatura en 1946, por otra parte me fascina la filosofía de vida, pude viajar por el tiempo y atraves del mundo con este libro!
    • 4/5
      Hesse has simplified but also instructed us in the huge fact that we must all grow. While we go through our stages we all learn some of the same lessons. I think that's why people react to this by finding too "simple" or "obvious."
    • 5/5
      The book feels so simple in its words but when you finish it you feel wiser and would read it again ... understanding even more. Although it's from a different culture, the experiences are so common and relate-able.

      In life, sometimes it happens that we suddenly stop and become aware of ourselves... the person we have become drifting in the flow of the world and the person we wanted to be. That situation... I learnt how to handle after reading this book. Although, you might learn something else. Something more important to you.

      My favourite quote from this book: 'What you search is not necessarily the same as what you find. When you let go of the searching, you start finding.' (less)
    • 5/5
      sometimes it happens that we suddenly stop and become aware of ourselves... the person we have become drifting in the flow of the world and the person we wanted to be. That situation... I learnt how to handle after reading this book. Although, you might learn something else. Something more important to you.

      My favourite quote from this book: 'What you search is not necessarily the same as what you find. When you let go of the searching, you start finding.' (less)
    • 5/5
      Wow nice audiobook. It is really awesome. Siddhartha is one of the great philosophical novels. It is specially recommend for buddist people. I really this book twice. It is very useful for our life. It is very attractive and we embarrassing this book. I recommend this audiobook. Thank you so much.
    • 5/5
      This title enchanted me, its creator is a genius, an artist with all the words. Excellent book, tremendous history, I loved this book, its author is super great when reproducing this tremendous work of art, tremendous writer, I really recommend this wonderful book, nobody will regret knowing this. story so really well embodied in this work of art I will listen to it as many times as I can I really liked the story I felt I was in it
    • 5/5
      It is an audio book with a wonderful story to reflect and learn a little more about life and how we can overcome these bad times. It is a beautiful book that teaches us many incredible things to be able to continue in these difficult times.
    • 5/5

      Is more than I expected, the author manages to make us sympathize with the character and his development, you feel that you live the narrative together with him.
      highly recommended, you can't miss it.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful book,I have gone through all the chapter of this book very clearly,
      and this book made my mind so clam.this is a best book i have read so far.This book is very much important and influecive for every one to change their life and get success in every steps of their life.siddharth is a jwealary of peace,this book can change life of anyone,n allegorical novel, Siddhartha follows the life of Siddhartha, a son of a Brahmin, and his religious and spiritual search for the Ultimate. We follow Siddhartha as he leaves his father's religion and house to become an ascetic. After many years of studying with the Samanas, he abandons the community to become a man of the world. He becomes rich and powerful, but even then he is not satisfied, and contemplates taking his own life to end his suffering. But, just as he is about to throw himself into the river, he hears a sound that will change him forever...Experiments in Reading
      this book has taught me many things.i highly recommend to every one to read this book.
    • 5/5
      Strong stuff enriching mind and heart. The voice of the man who told the tale was great
    • 5/5
      A well-to-do Brahman by birth, as a young man Siddhartha leaves home to pursue a spiritual satisfaction he hasn’t found in his father’s traditional teachings and practices. Throughout his life he follows his inner voice, learning from forest-dwelling ascetics, a brief stay with Gautama Buddha, friendships he forms with a courtesan and a wealthy businessman, and, finally, from an old ferryman, with whom he lives his own elder years. Slowly Siddhartha finds his own path to holiness, which he reaches only when he finally leaves teachings behind and simply recognizes the unity of all existence. What a beautiful tale this is, and one I’ll be revisiting again and again.

      Although this is a rather simple story, I found it to be a pretty enjoyable read.Siddhartha is a young Brahman who goes through a number of phases in his lifetime, which contribute to his ultimate understanding of the universe. Hesse's simple style in this novel works well for the story, which was a fun read.
    • 5/5
      Siddhartha" wonderful bookI loved it!!! has the revolutionary feel, with the birth of our nation about to come forth. The people who were colonizing America at that time had within them the time. Lovely book.
    • 5/5
      SIDDHARTHA is a heroic adventure of personal growth. In its characterization of a hero's journey--a soul's journey--it's even more universal than a Joseph Campbell discourse. As Campbell taught us, many works of fiction serve as symbolic case studies of personal growth. But I think SIDDHARTHA is the best, the most deliberate, the most allegorical, of all. SIDDHARTHA's narrative and metaphors never stray from the title character's self-exploration and development. Due to this tight focus, SIDDHARTHA actually reads and behaves like a quite simple tale. Most importantly (here's Hermann Hesse's genius), it improves upon the standard "monomyth" by giving us a peculiar, placid denouement that better shows how heroes are profoundly transformed by their quests.
    • 5/5
      la filosofia sin duda inspirando al ser humano a transmitir mensajes de paz con la intencion de drenar nuestra energia,un gran ejemplo este libro donde el escritor nos da un bello mensaje para nosotros,haciendonos pensar y reflexionar despues de leer esta belleza de libro
    • 4/5
      Story of an individual’s personal spiritual journey. The story telling us almost poetic and a good read.
    • 5/5
      So there’s a damn dirty hippie in India named Siddhartha who is supposed to be seeking spiritual enlightenment, but instead of going to a good Christian church like a normal person, he wanders around the woods for a while with some other damn dirty hippies. After he meets Buddha, he finally gets tired of being broke-ass and homeless, and he goes into town where he makes a pile of money. This is good because everyone knows that engaging in capitalism is the only proper way to go through life.
    • 5/5
      Herman Hesse's classic novel has delighted, inspired, and influenced generations of readers, writers, and thinkers. In this story of a wealthy Indian Brahmin who casts off a life of privilege to seek spiritual fulfillment. Hesse synthesizes disparate philosophies--Eastern religions, Jungian archetypes, Western individualism--into a unique vision of life as expressed through one man's search for true meaning. (less)
    • 5/5
      The quintessential epiphany for anyone on a spiritual journey just might be found in this novella because the protagonist is the only journeyer smart enough to realize that since enlightenment comes from within, clinging to a teacher/guru/sponsor/mentor or to traditional religion (or converting to any new one of the above) will always be a stumbling block to true spiritual progress, because no one can ever hammer out his own answers to life’s seemingly impervious questions and thereby secure his own release from virtually interminable reincarnations by studying and following the answers of someone else. During part of his journey, Siddhartha scored extra points when he laughed in the face of the world of commerce because he intuitively knew that it was a ridiculous game. Yet he dabbled in this counterproductive and materialistic realm for a season because he needed to learn some lessons for having done so. Siddhartha is a valuable read because it’s a picture of the life of a man who took life’s lessons seriously. It also shows how everything can come together and make sense in the end if we work for it.
    • 5/5
      This is the first time I actually understand this book. I have read this book before a few times but it is a difficult book to read. For me, it is hard to stay focused and follow what is going on at times. .A well-to-do Brahman by birth, as a young man Siddhartha leaves home to pursue a spiritual satisfaction he hasn’t found in his father’s traditional teachings and practices. Throughout his life he follows his inner voice, learning from forest-dwelling ascetics, a brief stay with Gautama Buddha, friendships he forms with a courtesan and a wealthy businessman, and, finally, from an old ferryman, with whom he lives his own elder years. Slowly Siddhartha finds his own path to holiness, which he reaches only when he finally leaves teachings behind and simply recognizes the unity of all existence. What a beautiful tale this is, and one I’ll be revisiting again and again.i highly recommend to every one to read this book.
    • 4/5
      Prachtige parabel, zij het soms iets te pathetisch. Ook Bildungsroman: alle stadia en ervaringen van het menselijke leven komen aan bod. Centrale boodschap aan ons westerlingen: "Zoeken is niet vinden".
    • 5/5
      A well-to-do Brahman by birth, as a young man Siddhartha leaves home to pursue a spiritual satisfaction he hasn’t found in his father’s traditional teachings and practices. Throughout his life he follows his inner voice, learning from forest-dwelling ascetics, a brief stay with Gautama Buddha, friendships he forms with a courtesan and a wealthy businessman, and, finally, from an old ferryman, with whom he lives his own elder years. Slowly Siddhartha finds his own path to holiness, which he reaches only when he finally leaves teachings behind and simply recognizes the unity of all existence. What a beautiful tale this is, and one I’ll be revisiting again and again.
    • 5/5
      One of the most significant and important books ever written.