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    Siddhartha
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    Siddhartha
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    Siddhartha
    Ebook139 pages2 hours

    Siddhartha

    By Hermann Hesse

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    About this ebook

    In the novel, Siddhartha, a young man, leaves his family for a contemplative life, then, restless, discards it for one of the flesh. He conceives a son, but bored and sickened by lust and greed, moves on again. Near despair, Siddhartha comes to a river where he hears a unique sound. This sound signals the true beginning of his life -- the beginning of suffering, rejection, peace, and, finally, wisdom.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherStart Classics
    Release dateNov 1, 2013
    ISBN9781627936408
    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

    6,689 ratings147 reviews

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    • 5/5
      An all-time classic. A moving fictionalized account of the Buddha's awakening. A quick yet moving and unforgettable tale.
    • 4/5
      A book everyone should read about a man's spiritual journey.
    • 4/5
      Read it when you're a teenager or if you're searching.
    • 4/5
      Beautiful story about one man's spiritual journey. I think everyone should have a copy.
    • 4/5
      Having only read one novel by Hesse before ("The Glass Bead Game,") this slim little volume wasn't what I expected when I requested "Siddhartha" from the library. Although this is a rather simple story, I found it to be a pretty enjoyable read.Siddhartha is a young Brahmin 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.
    • 4/5
      SiddharthaBy: Hermann HesseNarrated by: Christopher PreeceThis is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary. 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. With this audible book, with this narrator, I finally got the flow of the book! That's a big plus. Once I understood the basics of what was going on, I understood more. Do I understand all? No, but I get it a lot more. The narrator was wonderful with a clear, soothing voice that was perfect!
    • 4/5
      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
    • 5/5
      Very good book. Gives everything apart from actual enlightenment.
    • 5/5
      Much has been written from a spiritual and literary view about this famous 1922 book by Nobel Prize winner Hermann Hesse. I will look at it from a historical context perspective. Hesse was born in 1877 into the generation immediately after the German victory of the Franco-Prussian War. Think of the generation in America born after WWII, or in England after the Napoleonic Wars. It was a generation full of bright futures and expectations, Germany would at long last fulfill its destiny on a global stage. As it turned out it was this same generation that lead Germany into the misery and defeat of WWI (1914-17) and the dream and future died in the slaughter of the trenches. So it was in the aftermath in 1922 Hesse the philosopher became popular with Germans with his introspection and inward looking examination of what life really meant, what is really important. The outer world had defeated Germany and it would find strength and solace by looking inward. Perhaps it is not surprising that another generation resonated with this same message of rejecting the outer world and embracing inner vision, the counter-culture of America in the 1960s, when Hesse's book first became widely read and known in English speaking countries.
    • 4/5
      This review is specifically for the audio version read by Geoffrey Giuliano. This is a pretty suitable book for audio. It is only about five hours long and the story is straightforward. The narrator does a good job, but whoever records the intro and outro sections sounds like a maniac. I almost stopped listening after a few seconds.As for the book, it is one I've had on my shelf for decades but never read. I read Hesse's Steppenwolf, when I was a teen or maybe in my early twenties; I remember liking it but don't remember anything else about it. I thought Siddhartha was about the Buddha, but in fact, it is about someone who meets the Buddha but, while appreciating his teachings, realizes that you cannot achieve nirvana through teachings. One line I particularly remember is that knowledge can be taught, but wisdom cannot. During the course of the story, Siddhartha tries out many lifestyles and can be said to succeed in all of them, but he is still finding. Which relates to another great quote, which is that those who seek cannot find, because they are too focused on what they are seeking. Meaning they miss out on all the other things around them. By the end of the book, Siddhartha seems to have found what he needs to find. Whether or not you as a reader can embrace his ultimate philosophy is up to you. The contradictory nature of the book is that Siddhartha would probably tell you not to--you have to find your own.
    • 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
      A great, spiritual read. Tells the tale of Siddhartha, a young man with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, till he finally hears the answer from a river.
    • 5/5
      A classic covering a man's journey in his discovery of the purpose of life. Easy to read and a most agreeable conclusion.
    • 4/5
      Nonsensical ideologies and philosophies aside, I really enjoyed this book. From a literary perspective, the author (and translator) did a masterful job of sucking me into the life and mind of Siddhartha. I felt like I was on a roller coaster of emotions and story lines and the protagonist journeyed through a life of seeking.
    • 5/5
      If you've come to this novella, you, like Siddhartha, may be a seeker. You, like Siddhartha, may be struggling to discover the meaning of life, looking for enlightenment. Perhaps, you may be required to read it, surely, there is a reason this story is assigned reading, right? Well, truthfully, you may not find all the answers here but consider Hesse's poetic prose as a continuation of your personal journey.Like Odysseus, there is much to lure Siddhartha off his path and which deter him from achieving his goal. Still, his associations with Kamala, Kamaswami and Govinda are not wasted moments in Siddhartha's life, rather they are a piece of his learning experience. Surprisingly, it is when Siddhartha struggles the most, when he is at his lowest, the moment he finds his love is not reciprocated that he finds the answer. This is a book to be read and reread and although each read may be different than the last it will surely leave its impression upon your journey.
    • 4/5
      I read this in high school as required reading for an AP Lit class. I actually found this one more interesting and enjoyed it at the time. If I were to read it now, as an adult, I don't know if I would enjoy it quite as much, but that's okay. I do recommend this one for those interested in philosophical reads.
    • 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.
    • 4/5
      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. His journey takes him through luxury, love, hatred, desire, denial, and acceptance. Told with wonderful prose, many consider this novel to be the finest moral allegory ever written. Only by failure, does Siddhartha find what he is looking for. Readers will find some aspect of Siddhartha's journey to relate to. “Wisdom cannot be imparted. Wisdom that a wise man attempts to impart always sounds like foolishness to someone else ... Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it.”
    • 5/5
      Back when I was in college in the 1970s, I went on a serious, and predictable, Hermann Hesse reading jag ... and SIDDHARTHA was among those many, many titles. I have reread it many times in the years since then.. Presently, having just finished the book, I'm still glowing from the book's conclusion. Feeling a light and warm breeze, in a garden buzzing with bees, it was my favorite experience with a book in quite some time. These feelings are why I read.
    • 4/5
      I think this is the kind of book I will have to reread more than once before I fully understand everything. It's quite a beautiful book, sometimes difficult to follow, but overall a fulfilling read.
    • 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".
    • 3/5
      I am not really sure how to rate this book. As a story or novel, it was really nothing special at all. It was more of a parable than anything else. I did enjoy the message, but as a reader, I knew exactly how it was going to work out. Simply put, I am glad I read it because it did make me think about how I view myself and the things that I value. However, it did not have any "wow" factor and overall I would say - meh.
    • 4/5
      This is a beautifully written book about Siddhartha, a young man who goes on a journey of self-discovery. I found this book a lot easier to read than I expected with lots of words about the meaning of our existence. Published in 1951 in the US and became very influential in the 1960's hippie movement. Experience, the totality of conscious events of a human life, is shown as the best way to approach understanding of reality and attain enlightenment. The novel is structured on three of the traditional stages of life (student, householder and recluse). Lesson learned: "it's not just intellectual cognition, not just learning and knowing, but spiritual experience that can be earned only through strict discipline in a selfless life." If you haven't read Siddhartha yet, you should give it a try as it may enlighten you as the direction of your life.
    • 4/5
      A short book, this story relates how a young man leaves his home to try and find his place in the world, to find a place of peace. Along the way he learns how to control his body, he meets the Buddha, separates from his childhood friend, learns about physical love from a courtesan, about business, and how to listen to the river from a ferryman. He encounters his friend several times and compares how his search with help from the Buddha has compared to his own.This book is full of peace and I think I will reread it again and again for its gentle wisdom.
    • 4/5
      A philosophical account of a man's life passage through his questions and transformations at different stages.
    • 5/5
      My first experience with Hermann Hesse came in the fall of 2005 when I took Anthropology of Religion in my senior year at Texas A&M. We read an excerpt from The Glass Bead Game and I was deeply moved by the beauty of Hesse's writing, as were many people, thus earning him the Nobel Prize in 1946.I don't remember when or where I purchased Siddhartha, but the appeal of the story of a spiritual journey and my desire to read more of Hesse's works were too tempting to deny. That being said, I don't know why I've held onto the book for so long without reading it, especially since it is not a very long novel.Siddhartha is beautifully written and mirrors my own spiritual journey. I am of a different faith than the characters in the book, but that is irrelevant to my appreciation of the story. There is much wisdom in the story, and "Wisdom," Siddhartha says, "is not communicable." A wise statement, yes, which then makes it foolish.Wisdom is communicable, but not always through pedagogical language. It is communicated through the sound of a river, a life lived, or a story. This book is a book of wisdom and it must be read carefully and reflectively to be received.
    • 5/5
      I guess this book is often assigned in high school or college classes. I can imagine few things more insufferable than being forced to read something like this and not be able to feel it or identify with it. When you do feel it, though, it can be an incredibly cathartic experience, as it was for me.
    • 3/5
      Considered a classic, but very repetitive in English. Perhaps it is better in the original German. It touches on the paradoxes of life and is difficult to truly understand, which I guess is the point.
    • 2/5
      I seem to remember writing a book report for this in junior high or high school, but I don't recall that I ever actually read it. I wonder what the then me, being naive and impressionable, would have thought if I had read it. I know that I couldn't then, as now, read into a book and pull out what the author was thinking - or at least make up some nonsense about what I think the author was thinking. Regardless, the current me found this to be rather simple and preachy...with yet another, "oh, please" ending.
    • 4/5
      Fantastic book.