Siddhartha

This book was recommended to me by a friend of mine. I was hesitant at first, but Im glad I gave it a chance. Many life lessons to be learned on human nature. From our desires to learn and explore the world at a young age and seek knowledge, to getting lost in the pleasure of power, material things and sex, this book covers it all. It also shows the many levels of changes we go through as we learn about ourselves and the world. And finally finding your true purpose and fully embarrassing it. It was a great read and I would recommend Siddhartha to anyone looking to seek a deeper meaning of life.

Wonderful book. Five stars, but I have to dock one star because of the way Amazon is handling the translations. If choosing the right translation matters to you, be aware that the Kindle version on Amazon is the Susan Bernofsky translation, no matter what the cover image shows or (seemingly) what the author information says on Amazon. After initially downloading a Kindle version (reasonable at 99¢) I found the translation to be awkward in places and wanted to compare others. The translator is not listed anywhere in the actual Kindle book. I determined, by searching on other websites, that I probably was reading the Susan Bernofsky translation. After doing some investigating, I decided I wanted to read the Hilda Rosner translation and looked for a Kindle version of that translation. Twice I thought Id downloaded the preferred edition--once going by the cover, which matched the Rosner paperback, and once going by the fact that Rosner was listed along with Hesse as the author. Both times the downloaded copy turned out to be the Bernofsky. Caveat emptor.

A great read for any western Buddhist. Plenty of great lessons learned here. Will likely read again. Ive got some research to do; although this a work of fiction, I was unable to place a specific timeline.

Even a great writer can overreach. The story this tells of a holy man who starts a search for enlightenment, sort of finds it, is seduced by wealth, leaves it, etc. etc. The book is certainly readable. The characters (except Siddhartha) are not well developed or simple walk-ons. But at the beginning, middle and end I find myself wondering exactly what religion is described. I am no expert in eastern religion but feel as if the book mixes Buddhism and certain Hindu sects... but thats just me. Maybe I dont understand what he was getting at when this book was published, in German, 92 years ago. But it is readable, doesnt take long to read and is sort of a feel good book.

This is one of those books that everyone should read. The perfect description of a young mans spiritual journey, I enjoyed it tremendously. It puts some of the modern faux-philosophy books (like The Alchemist) to shame. Just a wonderful and fulfilling experience. But the translation... At first I thought maybe it was the writing style but it seemed to get worse as the book went on to the point where it gets in the way of the enjoyment of the text. Its not the odd spelling mistake here and there, its basic grammar and punctuation that even an intern at a professional publishing house could have spotted. Its just lazy and it shouldnt be acceptable. Five stars (and then some) for the book, one star (and lucky to get that) for the translation = 3 stars overall.

Great book, my husband recommended I read it when we first met. He mentioned he identified with the main character and I would understand parts of him he had not yet shared if I read it. Its a great read. Vivid imagery through the words of the author

I loved this book. Definitely gave me Alchemist (Paul Coelho) vibes...another book I also love. Lots of life lessons. Great story.

I came across this book by accident. Glad I bought it for kindle. Its a quick read with some good gems. You wont be enlighten if thats what you searching for , however finding it will change that...

Based on the ratings, I know I am in the minority opinion. I originally read this about 40 years ago when I was in high school. What I mostly recall about it was saying “Om” to my friends and all of us cracking up. You could say that my path to spiritual enlightenment has not matured much since then, if at all. I reread it currently for a reading challenge to “read a book in which a character of color goes on a spiritual journey.” It was the first book that popped into my head. I think I should have done some research. I cannot remember if I enjoyed the book in high school, but I did not enjoy it as an adult. The story is about a young Brahmin named Siddhartha and his life long journey to find enlightenment. He and his friend Govinda leave behind the comfort of home and walk, pray, and fast. They meet a group of Buddhists and try this for awhile. Govinda believes that this is the true path and he stays with the Buddhists. Siddhartha wonders off on his own and eventually meets a beautiful prostitute. She will not entertain him until he can bring her gifts. She helps him to get a job with a businessman. For a time, Siddhartha makes money for the businessman and has a lot of sex with the prostitute. He ultimately leaves this life and goes to live and work with a ferryman. People from the past cross his path again and Siddhartha eventually reaches self-realization. On the plus side, the book is short! Hermann Hesse’s book was originally published in Germany in 1922. I can see where this was a remarkable work in its time. It is a classic, just a piece of classic literature that I do not enjoy. I did not care for the story itself or for the writing style. Some readers were critical of the translation; I have no opinion about that. I found the writing and the story pretty stilted and austere, not lyrical as some reviews suggest. I don’t regret revisiting this book a second time, but there will not be a third time.

What can you say about Hesse that hasnt already been said. The books exploration of one mans search for meaning and enlightenment during the period of the first buddha is truly timeless. I wish the tranlation was as strong. Misprints are frequent,sentences are missing modifiers while other sentences seem to dangle in the air. Of course this becomes a very minor distraction to the piece as a whole which is why I gave the book 4 stars. If your looking to read Siddhartha do so but beware of the translation.