books 2011 // # 14 - Siddhartha By Hermann Hesse
Title: Siddhartha
Author: Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)
Publication Date: 1922.
Genre: Classics. Philosophy. Literature.
Page Count: 121.
Summary: Siddhartha (1922) by Hermann Hesse is a deceptively simple, intense, and lyrical allegorical tale of a man in ancient India striving for enlightenment at the time of Buddha. Siddhartha is a man whose life journey runs in parallel and who may or may not be another version of Buddha himself.
Spiritual enlightenment may not be taught, only experienced, and each individual must tread their own personal path toward truth, in this unforgettable novel by the author who won the 1946 Nobel Prize in Literature. [Source].
Review in 5 words or less: Inspires to question things and think for yourself | Very philosophical | Definitely worth reading |
Personal Rating: ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ of 5.
Review:
Siddhartha tells the story of a young man who seeks answers, something to fill the void within, to quench his thirst for knowledge and possibly wisdom. He quickly finds out that he can't find any answers for himself that are taught by teachers because the essential things have to be learned by experiencing them himself. He needs to make his mistakes along the way (and he does) and even once he thinks he has reached an understanding, things keep changing because that is ultimately how life goes for Siddhartha.
Somehow, accepting that he ultimately finds some sort of rest, knowing that he will never have all the answers but also knowing that it doesn't mean he should stop looking for them or stop experiencing things.
Overall reading this book makes you feel surprisingly calm. There are no answers given (in fact, more questions are raised all the time) but that's all right. For possibly questioning things and constant change are "the point".
Siddhartha is a very philosophical book which fulfils a book's most noble purpose in my opinion, namely it makes me think and question things. To me that alone makes it a good book already. The rest is just a bonus.
A nice read that keeps you pondering for a while after you've put the book down. Definitely worth reading.
Links: @ wikipedia
Other books I've read by this author: ---.