Siddhartha (Modern Library (Hardcover))

published	July 18th 2006 by Modern Library
first published	1922
binding	Hardcover
isbn	0679643362 (isbn13: 9780679643364)
ebook
pages	160
description	Hermann Hesse’s classic novel Siddhartha has delighted, inspired, and influenced generations of readers, writers, and thinkers. Though se...more [close] Hermann Hesse’s classic novel Siddhartha has delighted, inspired, and influenced generations of readers, writers, and thinkers. Though set in a place and time far removed from the Germany of 1922, the year of the book’s debut, the novel is infused with the sensibilities of Hesse’s time, synthesizing disparate philosophies–Eastern religions, Jungian archetypes, Western individualism–into a unique vision of life as expressed through one man’s search for meaning. It is the story of the quest of Siddhartha, a wealthy Indian Brahmin who casts off a life of privilege and comfort to seek spiritual fulfillment and wisdom. On his journey, Siddhartha encounters wandering ascetics, Buddhist monks, and successful merchants, as well as a courtesan named Kamala and a simple ferryman who has attained enlightenment. Traveling among these people and experiencing life’s vital passages–love, work, friendship, and fatherhood–Siddhartha discovers that true knowledge is guided from within. Susan Bernofsky’s magnificent new translation brings out Hesse’s inspired lyricism and his elegant, melodious cadences, illuminating the novel’s universal themes and timeless wisdom about the human condition. This original Modern Library edition includes a lively new Introduction by Tom Robbins and a glossary of Indian terms. [close]
date added	12-07-06 edit book

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Lauren rated it:

(review of isbn 0553208845)

01/16/08

Read in January, 2003

Siddhartha’s choices lead him on a journey into the inner psyche. Siddhartha is open to any experiences that will give him added insight into himself. His approach to achieving enlightenment varies from one extreme to another, from total self-deprivation to complete submission of will to carnal desires. While his approach to attaining enlightenment varies throughout the different stages of his life, one thing remains constant: Siddhartha’s determination to attain self-actualization. Sidd...more Siddhartha’s choices lead him on a journey into the inner psyche. Siddhartha is open to any experiences that will give him added insight into himself. His approach to achieving enlightenment varies from one extreme to another, from total self-deprivation to complete submission of will to carnal desires. While his approach to attaining enlightenment varies throughout the different stages of his life, one thing remains constant: Siddhartha’s determination to attain self-actualization. Siddhartha compares his determination to a stone dropped in the water, “It is the same when Siddhartha has an aim, a goal. Siddhartha does nothing; he waits, he thinks, he fasts, but he goes through the affairs of the world like the stone through the water, without doing anything, without bestirring himself; he is drawn and lets himself fall. He is drawn by his goal, for he does not allow anything to enter his mind which opposes his goal.” This is the epitome of Siddhartha’s disposition. His search for meaning is not impeded by any distraction. And while Siddhartha’s course of action varies at different stages of his process, his choices are not influenced by anything with which will detour him from his ultimate object. This is what sets Siddhartha apart from the rest. In his search, he attributes success to this undeviating course of action: “Most people, Kamala, are like a falling leaf that drifts and turns in the air, flutters, and falls to the ground. But a few others are like stars, which travel one defined path: no wind reaches them, they have within themselves their guide and path.” Siddhartha’s determination is depicted in every aspect of this novel. Whether it is the conviction he shows to his father in acquiring permission to join the Samanas, the boldness he demonstrates to Gotama, or the resolve he has with Kamala in obtaining worldly experiences, Siddhartha exemplifies the resoluteness necessary to search deep within the self. Yet in the end, Siddhartha discovers that it is not this disciplined seeking that will bring him enlightenment, but rather letting go of all previous learning and preconceptions. Knowledge had withheld wisdom. In the end he learns wisdom is only found within. “Wisdom is not communicable. The wisdom which a wise man tries to communicate always sounds foolish… knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, be fortified by it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it.”
Siddhartha passes through many stages in his life, beginning with the learned Brahmin, the ascetic Samana, the greedy merchant, and finally the enlightened Ferryman. Was it possible for Siddhartha to reach enlightenment without passing through these many stages? I do not believe so. What enabled Siddhartha to achieve enlightenment was the fact that he never allowed himself to be conquered. His quest for self-knowledge was accomplished because he built upon the wisdom of previous choices. However difficult the next step may have seemed, Siddhartha was immovable in his search. Siddhartha offers insight into the most innate longings to the improvement of oneself.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has given me greater understanding into my own personal longings of self-contemplation. I related to each of the characters, both their flaws and their strengths. Govinda exemplifies in myself my natural tendency to seek wisdom through the study of other’s experiences and the knowledge they gained. The young Siddhartha represents in me the desire to know at the expense of living and loving. The merchant represents my impatience in having what I want now. And while some of the precepts of this book are in conflict with my own personal beliefs, I believe that basic principles taught through the experiences of Siddhartha will forever alter my perception of both myself and my surroundings.
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Laura rated it:

(review of isbn 0553208845)

03/05/08

bookshelves: already-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

* My review
I picked up this book because it was thin and I thought it was going to be easy to read. I wasn’t hard to book to read at the first time because I was just reading the words and followed the story, and not understanding the deeper meanings. Second time I read it, I found it harder to read because I couldn’t understand some of the concepts for the longest time (terms like Enlightenment, Illustrated One and such). I thought it was unique how it seems like story flows ac...more

* My review
I picked up this book because it was thin and I thought it was going to be easy to read. I wasn’t hard to book to read at the first time because I was just reading the words and followed the story, and not understanding the deeper meanings. Second time I read it, I found it harder to read because I couldn’t understand some of the concepts for the longest time (terms like Enlightenment, Illustrated One and such). I thought it was unique how it seems like story flows according to the time (like the story proceeds according to the order of time), but it could be also seen as the story proceeds according to the Siddhartha’s accomplishment or realization. I saw the whole story as the Siddhartha’s beginning or motivation to accomplish the enlightenment, struggles on the way, and the final realization. I also thought it was intriguing how it shows Siddhartha accomplished his spiritual journey by himself (he found the wisdom by experiencing it himself), and not depending on anyone, because often the Christianity emphasize the importance of having the Spiritual Friend who can help each other grow spiritually. I also found it ironic how Govinda who studied under the Gotama still didn’t accomplish the enlightenment when he went for the “wise man”, while Siddhartha who studied by himself accomplished it. I thought it was kind of disappointing how Govinda realized everything by a simple act like the kiss on the forehead because compare to his previous effort, it seems so effortless.

* Summary of the book
The story starts in the ancient India. Main Character, Siddhartha, is a son of a well respected Brahmin, which is a member of spiritual and social elite. Him and his best friend, Govinda, leave their hometown because Siddhartha is sick of boring, same old life and wanted to explore more about life and wisdom. They join the group of ascetics called the Samanas. Siddhartha and Govinda have a goad of being the “Enlightened one” and Govinda is pretty satisfied with the life with the Samanas, till they meet Gotama the Buddha. They decide to follow Gotama since they realized that what they have learned so far is not the true enlightenment. However, Siddhartha is not satisfied with the teachings of Buddhism since it sounds contradicting to him. So Siddhartha leaves while Govinda stays with Gotama. Siddhartha decides to try living for the pleasure of the physical things. He meets beautiful Kamala, who encourages him to be a merchant, so he learns business skills from a big merchant named Kamaswami. He becomes a rich merchant, and a lover of Kamala, but he realizes that the material things are all meaningless and it’s killing him. He meets Govinda at the river, but Govinda doesn’t recognize him at first, and Siddhartha says he wants to be a new man. Kamala and her son, Vasudeva the ferryman, and Siddhartha go on a pilgrim to see Gotama, and Kamala dies as she reveals that Siddhartha is the father of her son. His son wants to go back to the city, but Siddhartha won’t let him go, and Siddhartha later finds that his son has ran away with all the money. Vasudeva teaches Siddhartha many things about the river and he retires making Siddhartha the ferryman. Govinda returns to see the “wise man” by the river, and he finds out that Siddhartha is him. Govinda gains the same enlightenment that Siddhartha has from kissing his forehead.

* selected quotes
-"...I also thank you, Vasudeva, for listening so well. There are few people who know how to listen and i have not met naybody who can do so like you. I will also learn from you in this respect." (105)
-"...It was my intention to learn about love from the most beautiful woman."(60)
-"...You cannot love either, otherwise how could you practice love as an art? Perhaps people like us cannot love. Ordinary people can - that is their secret."(73)
-"...The wheel of apperances revolves quickly, Govinda. Where is Siddhartha the Brahmin, where is Siddhartha the Samana, where is Siddhartha the richman? The transitory soon changes...(94)
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John rated it:

(review of isbn 0553208845)

11/02/07

I taught this book to juniors, and when I did I became frustrated with a student when I introduced it, because he let his classmates know that he'd already read it and it sucked. I'm happy to report, now that we've finished it, that his comments didn't seem to hurt the class's opinion of the book too badly. In fact, that student himself said it was pretty good and that he'd only skimmed it the last time he read it. Lousy kids.... Another student said it was his favorite book that we'd read so fa...more I taught this book to juniors, and when I did I became frustrated with a student when I introduced it, because he let his classmates know that he'd already read it and it sucked. I'm happy to report, now that we've finished it, that his comments didn't seem to hurt the class's opinion of the book too badly. In fact, that student himself said it was pretty good and that he'd only skimmed it the last time he read it. Lousy kids.... Another student said it was his favorite book that we'd read so far. And that it made him want to quit school and start living. I guess that's praise for the book...

The book is divided pretty neatly into thirds, and that's how we broke it up as a class. The first third is the main character (who is a contemporary of Siddhartha Gotama, the Buddha) as a youth; he is smart and talented and loved by all. He's a prodigy in all things intellectual and religious, but he's not satisfied, he's not happy. So he ends up pursuing a spiritual path through extreme self-deprivation. This part is easy enough for my students, as they're young themselves, and part of Siddhartha's growing up is leaving home and striking out on his own path. They're really (I hope) in much the same circumstance, starting to find a path for themselves that may be independent from their parents.

The second portion of the novel is harder. Siddhartha gives up his ascetic way of life and now indulges in all the pleasures he formerly eschewed. He learns all about sex from a courtesan, he becomes a wealthy businessman, eventually he becomes a conoisseur of fine food and wine, and a heavy gambler to boot. He loses himself in this life and eventually realizes how unhappy he is. His religious training, of course, always told him that these things were worthless, and he finds that these comforts do not, in fact, make him happy. I figured the students would find this far harder to relate to than I did, but as so often I am, I was wrong. By and large, they seemed to like this section as well as--or better than--the first. Maybe it was all the sex (not that it was even remotely graphic), even though they didn't actually know what a courtesan is. Many of them come from wealthy backgrounds, so maybe they have first-hand experience (sort of) in the ways that wealth isn't really satisfying. Or maybe they've just heard that over and over in our culture, that money doesn't buy happiness. Anyway, they seemed to like it well enough.

The third section was almost certainly a harder sell. It was hard for me to sell myself on it! But Siddhartha leaves his life of luxury, nearly commits suicide over his unhappiness, and ends up becoming a simple (or not-so-simple) ferryman on a river. This section is far more full of more-or-less eastern (a touch of curry: it's eastern-flavored, with strong hints of Nietzsche as well) thought and spirituality. It's tougher to really understand or get into, though the essence isn't that hard: you have to experience things for yourself, and real wisdom can be the result of this experience, but it's not really possible to communicate that wisdom. That's your Reader's Digest condesnsed version, which I shouldn't even give because it's necessarily a distortion. Read the book if you want to know it. Anyway, to round out my discussion of class discussion, I think the momentum from the earlier parts of the book carried us through, as they seemed to like the book as a whole and liked even the more dense third section as well....less

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Sirpa rated it:

(review of isbn 1590302273)

05/25/08

bookshelves: inspiration-spiritual

Read in April, 1998

"The teaching which you have heard, however, is not my opinion, and its goal is not to explain the world to those who are thirsty for knowledge. Its goal is quite different; its goal is salvation from suffering." 27

The Four Noble Truths are universal teachings that I suppose it will take more than a lifetime to integrate into my beling. I love how the focus of this book changes as I mature. The purpose of a symbol, according to Hugh Nibley, is to "direct, concentrate, discipli...more

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Jana rated it:

(review of isbn 081120068X)

03/11/08

bookshelves: fiction, spirituality

Read in June, 1989

Frank and I were having a conversation the other night in which we were discussing one of our usual topics: religion / spirituality... though I guess the other favorites (art, film, food, books, money woes, professional woes, traffic rants, geography, bad weather, family woes, music, soccer, our friends and our beloved cats) were probably discussed as well... But we were both expressing our mistrust of inexperience, and how we'd never want to take "wisdom" from someone who hadn't live...more Frank and I were having a conversation the other night in which we were discussing one of our usual topics: religion / spirituality... though I guess the other favorites (art, film, food, books, money woes, professional woes, traffic rants, geography, bad weather, family woes, music, soccer, our friends and our beloved cats) were probably discussed as well... But we were both expressing our mistrust of inexperience, and how we'd never want to take "wisdom" from someone who hadn't lived a bit. Specifically, Frank was talking about years of Catholic schooling as a contrast to the gay-friendly Episcopal community we've been spending more time with of late. Anyway, he said, "As long as you have a clergy that doesn't have sex, they'll give you narratives of sexual repression."

I guess what he said is an obvious point, but it really resonated with where I am right now in my thinking and belief and also with the rereading of this book, Siddhartha. I'm pretty much a novelty seeker by nature so I don't tend to run away from experience... but more toward it. And I've often had a difficult time respecting those who shut down from experience only to tell others how to live (when they themselves are not open to life and bodies, the particular beauty or ugliness of a place or person or food... and all that other messy stuff of existence). When it comes down to it, I believe that wisdom and even holiness come through experience and not detachment, which is what I glean from this book as well. I like the below quote very much; it comes near the end of the book.

When the illustrious Buddha taught about the world, he had to divide it into Samsara and Nirvana, into illusion and truth, into suffering and salvation. One cannot do otherwise, there is no other method for those who teach. But the world itself, being in and around us, is never one-sided. Never is a man or a deed wholly Samsara or wholly Nirvana; never is a man wholly a saint or a sinner. This only seems so because we suffer the illusion that time is something real. Time is not real… And if time is not real, then the dividing line that seems to lie between this world and eternity, between suffering and bliss, between good and evil, is also an illusion.

Also, I'm changing my rating of this book from 4 stars to 5 as I was quite young the first time I read it (18 years ago).
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أروى rated it:

(review of isbn 0553208845)

12/09/07

Read in January, 2007

قرأتها بالعربية

(سد هارتا)

فتنتني هذه الرواية للكاتب هرمان هسة، كنت قد حصلت عليها من معرض الكتاب، وبقيت تنتظر دورها في الطابور حتى وقعت بين يدي وفتكت بي...

هذه الرواية تترك لك مساحة لتتمدد بأفكارك كما تشتهي، هي تنسكب في داخلك ثم تتشكل بناء على مدى عمقك...وقناعاتك!

تتسرب ...more

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Mona rated it:

(review of isbn 0553208845)

07/09/08

bookshelves: literature, philosophy, religion

Read in July, 2008

Set in ancient India, this is the story of a young man who begins his life as the admired and respected son of a Brahmin and ends it as an older, poorer man living contentedly by the river. Siddhartha initially leaves home because he feels restless and discontent with the teachings of his father and the other learned elders. He and his trusted friend Govinda join a group of wandering ascetics, called Samanas, and so his journey begins. Throughout his spiritual travels, Siddhartha meets the Buddh...more Set in ancient India, this is the story of a young man who begins his life as the admired and respected son of a Brahmin and ends it as an older, poorer man living contentedly by the river. Siddhartha initially leaves home because he feels restless and discontent with the teachings of his father and the other learned elders. He and his trusted friend Govinda join a group of wandering ascetics, called Samanas, and so his journey begins. Throughout his spiritual travels, Siddhartha meets the Buddha (who Hesse refers to as Gotama), a holy man who has attained complete enlightenment and instructs his followers in the ways of achieving it; Kamala, a beautiful courtesan who he asks to teach him about the ways of love; and Vasudeva, a ferryman who teaches Siddhartha to listen to the river.

I know little about Buddhism, and I was afraid initially that this lack of knowledge would hinder my understanding of Hesse's most famous novel. Instead, I found that the story on its surface was easy to understand. I picked up this book on the recommendation of a classmate who responded to my plea for "compact books" (my work purse is tiny compared to my other bags). Though it is certainly short, Hesse has managed to pack a lot of meaning into these pages. In addition to describing Siddhartha's wanderings through the land and how his ways change as he grows older, the author also explores Siddhartha's varying mental states in depth. These mental and spiritual changes, to me, were particularly fascinating, as they trace the normal life development of a human being, from childhood and adolescence to middle and old age. I also thought that the end of the book, with its revelations about Om, was intriguing. I'd go into more detail, but I think it makes more of an impact if read personally.

My only nitpick with this book is that sometimes, in rare moments, Hesse seems to slip into a more modern voice than the story warrants. Overall, though, his writing is strong and engaging, and conveys the tone of an ancient storyteller relating an even more ancient and legendary tale....less

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Mark rated it:

(review of isbn 0553208845)

03/21/08

Read in March, 2008

The search for truth, salvation and meaning is always a good story to tell. Hesse's novel follows the life and times of "Siddhartha," an ambitious son of a holy man who sets out on his own thirsting for knowledge and truth. So he wonders the forest for a couple of years, meets Buddha -- of all people! -- and decides listening to religous folk isn't his bag. He gives up the knowledge and truth thing, meets up with a moneygrubbing capitalist and prostitute and learns the life of money, v...more

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Laura rated it:

(review of isbn 0553208845)

07/23/08

Read in July, 2008

The whole time I was reading this, I was trying to imagine how it would have struck me if I was a teenager in high school. Would it have felt like a thunderbolt of lightning? Would it have been completely mind-blowing to me in the way that Rilke's poetry was during the time and the way that it is still is for me today?

Siddhartha was not mind-blowing for me, and in some parts, it felt slow, tedious, and pedantic. In some parts, though, I felt like Hesse captured the non-attachment experie...more

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Atul rated it:

(review of isbn 1590302273)

01/07/08

bookshelves: all-i-own, classics, philosophy

Read in January, 2004

recommended to Atul by: My Father
recommends it for: Anyone, really

I read Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse, yesterday. It talks about a man who is searching for the purpose of life. The blurb got me interested and I finished the small book in about two hours. While it seemed that the protagonist found the purpose of his life, it left me more confused.

After our late-night discussions over an over dose of coffee recently, I saw you moving more towards the abstract, while I have seemed to move more towards the discrete. Maybe it is all about Nirvan – becoming...more

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Andrew rated it:

(review of isbn 0553208845)

05/06/07

Read in March, 1996

recommends it for: Spiritual Seekers, Fans of Hard Core Depression

"Siddartha," as I recall it, was a difficult book to get through. In ninth grade, everything is difficult to get through. It's like walking around in a world where the air is made of jello. So much effort, and not enough grapes and peaches and other fruit cocktail misfits floating around to sustain you.

Hesse seeks to convince you that this is essentially the nature of life, and he does it pretty well. The book is fundamentally boring and slow, just like life, and it seems so small...more

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Lance rated it:

(review of isbn 081120068X)

08/19/08

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in August, 2008

Book Summary:

Good? Evil? Hey man, it's all the same shit! Hesse breaks it down in Siddartha. He gives his dad the big 'f u' when he's a younger and decides to become a samana hoping that wandering will turn him into Jobe from The Lawnmower Man. Siddartha and his best bud Govida wander (literally) into the graces of 'Tha Buddah'. Govida hears his life calling while Siddartha enters a life of sex, gambling, and business. He tells the Buddah to blow and bids farewell to his friend.

Short sto...more

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Edstirling rated it:

(review of isbn 0553208845)

07/15/08

Read in July, 2008

This is an easy read. The narrative lingers and can seem slow at times where it dwells on a scene's mood, but for anyone that knows nothing of buddhism, this is an excellently painless way to dive in.
I picked this book up since I'd been listening to the 1972 album, Close to the Edge, by Yes, which was inspired by this book. It's a spiritual journey very much like Candide. As Candide found peace tending his garden, Siddhartha finds happiness as a ferryman on a river. In this role he learns ...more

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Ian rated it:

(review of isbn 0553208845)

12/10/07

bookshelves: have-read

Read in January, 2006

recommends it for: Everyone

While this book deals with Philosophy and a soul-searching quest for answers, its really pertinent to everyone, whether they're actively searching in their lives or not.

This book, as evidenced by many other reviews, is complex in its implications, though simple in its telling. Perhaps that is what makes it unique.

Two main themes stick out in my mind from this novel, however. First, is essentially a comparison between one who claims to have found truth by pondering upon it in mediation,...more

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Clare rated it:

(review of isbn 0553208845)

11/08/07

“Siddhartha listened. He was now all ears, utterly engrossed in listening, utterly empty, utterly absorbing. He felt he had now learned all there was to know about listening. He had often heard all these things, these many voices in the river, but today it all sounded new. He could no longer distinguish the many voices in the river, the cheerful from the weeping, the children’s from the men’s: they all belonged together. The lament of the knower’s yearning and laughing, the screaming of ...more

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Stephen rated it:

(review of isbn 1590302273)

02/16/08

Read in June, 2006

When I was deciding on a topic for my Advanced Higher English dissertation I went to Borders and scanned every book on the bookshelves in the fiction section until I found something that was Buddhism related; Siddhartha is what I found.

I love this book because for a year it was all I read properly; I read it over and over, analysed it, dissected it, compared and contrasted it etc etc etc.

It isn't a book about Buddhism despite the obvious analogies with Buddhism; the protagonists name, Si...more

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Holden rated it:

(review of isbn 0553208845)

07/05/07

bookshelves: fiction

Read in January, 2000

recommends it for: Young people on the path of self-discovery.

This book was one of two gifts (the other, "Old Man and the Sea") given to me at the age of 17. I seem to remember John handing them to me from his car window. I was moving to Florida after being kicked out of my parents' home and John gave the two books to me as a going away present.

I wasn't a reader...I couldn't sit still for it...being out with friends was more important to me at the time. Still, I felt oligated to read them, since they were gifts.

I read "Old Man and...more

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Michael rated it:

(review of isbn 0553208845)

02/10/08

bookshelves: