Siddhartha / The Dhammapada

by Hermann Hesse

Written in a prose of almost biblical simplicity and beauty, Siddhartha is the story of a soul's long quest for the answer to the enigma of man's role on earth. As a youth, the young Indian Siddhartha meets the Buddha but isn't content with the disciple's role. He must work out his own destiny—a torturous road on which he experiences a love affair with the beautiful courtesan Kamala, the temptation of success and riches, the heartache of struggling with his own son, and finally, renunciation and self-knowledge.

The name "Siddhartha" is often given to the Buddha himself—perhaps a clue to Hesse's aims contrasting the traditional legendary figure with his own conception.

This new edition of the classic Siddhartha includes The Dhammapada ("Path of Virtue"), the 423 verses attributed to the Buddha himself, which forms the essence of the ethics of Buddhist philosophy.

Genres: Fiction, Philosophy, German Literature, Classics, Spirituality, Religion, Buddhism

184 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2009

About the author

Many works, including Siddhartha (1922) and Steppenwolf (1927), of German-born Swiss writer Hermann Hesse concern the struggle of the individual to find wholeness and meaning in life; he won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1946.

Other best-known works of this poet, novelist, and painter include The Glass Bead Game , which, also known as Magister Ludi, explore a search of an individual for spirituality outside society.

In his time, Hesse was a popular and influential author in the German-speaking world; worldwide fame only came later. Young Germans desiring a different and more "natural" way of life at the time of great economic and technological progress in the country, received enthusiastically Peter Camenzind , first great novel of Hesse.

Throughout Germany, people named many schools. In 1964, people founded the Calwer Hermann-Hesse-Preis, awarded biennially, alternately to a German-language literary journal or to the translator of work of Hesse to a foreign language. The city of Karlsruhe, Germany, also associates a Hermann Hesse prize.

Reviews

[Leyla Altet · Rating 5 out of 5]

No se como expresar lo que me hace sentir este libro de 200 páginas. Este año, después de muchos cambios en mi vida he sentido la necesidad de volver a leerlo. Desde la primera vez que conocí la historia, me emocionó y se convirtió en mi libro favorito, en general. Con esta segunda lectura he descubierto muchas cosas nuevas y estoy segura de que volveré a este libro muchas veces a lo largo de mi vida. Ojalá todo el mundo pueda toparse con un Vasudeva en su vida.

[Mica Mota · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd reading.
Give it to someone.

[Elisa Av He · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Earnestness is the path of immortality, thoughtlessness the path of death. Those who are earnest do not die, those who are thoughtless are as if dead already."

[Sumaiyah Djedovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

enlightening and a good quick read 🤍 if you’re just starting your spiritual journey it might be a bit difficult to grasp the lessons inside 🥹 but for those already started their journey the lessons are so simple and a good reminder 💪🏾

[Valeria Yra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes you realize the different ways we can approach difficulties in our life. Truly helped me during a hard time in my life 🫶 Worth the read and its short!

[Michael Tz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Om

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really neat combo volume.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

January/Book #1 of the Barnes and Noble Classics Challenge.

[Hans Otterson]

As a human male citizen of the United States of America born in 1984, no literature speaks to me quite so unerringly to the quick as does the postmodern and whatever we're calling the post-postmodern. However, a book like Siddartha--firmly modern, an airtight coherent narrative, bursting with positive meaning and certainty--has a spine and weight to it that is simply undeniable. It has the minimalism and hardness of the bamboo shoot, of the manufactured steel beam.

Not knowing much about Buddhism and its roots beyond the head knowledge gained from a book or two by Ekneth Easwaran, I'm going to assume that a German novel is not the best education in the subject. That's not why I read this book. I read it because I wanted to read about a seeker, about a character that wanted to live the best life. I wanted to grow. All books are Bibles, to me.

The spiritual insight in the text is quite good, and it makes me want to read on (the version of the book I bought--published by New Directions with a beautiful cover that is sadly uncredited--contains the text of the Dhammapada directly following the novel). What strikes me more than the eternal lessons, though, is how engaging Hesse makes an essentially conflict-free story. Conflict as the central pillar holding up Story is received wisdom at this point, but Hesse's deft hand keeps all the conflict internal, not even attempting to rely on metaphorical externalities for its juice. Siddartha is a picaresque of the Self, a text spare and dense and worth returning to many times over.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I bought this book I needed a book to read on a trip that I was on without my usual stash. I was looking for something short but I knew would be good. So I hit up the classics section at the airport where books like these are usually plentiful. When I found Siddhartha I really had no idea what the book was about but I guessed it was something to do with buddhism by the cover. I was blown away once I started reading at how deep and philosophical this book was. Im not exaggarating when I say that this book is the most beautifully written books I have ever read. There were times that I almost cried at how well written and emotional this book is. I can see how its listed as a classic. I dont consider myself religious at all, but this book really digs deep to show a religious sense of peace and happines that I could never explain. And it all comes from the self and life cycle which makes it all the more powerful. This book is a must read for anyone who likes philosophy, religion even self help books. Highest recommendations.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every college student will say this book changed their life, or allowed them to see the world in a whole new way. I wouldn't go that far, but Hesse did a fine job with this one, and there's a reason it's such a highly revered book. There are a lot of useful aphorisms to be gleaned from this work, and a lot of overarching themes and life lessons to take away that make this book entirely worth reading. I won't say that I was blown away by the superb use of language, but then again, I was reading a translation. Still, it didn't bother me to such a degree that the book was unreadable or pitiful. Even if you do feel that way, it's worth the read just to at least hear the message.

[Kamal Laungani · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been an interesting short story instead of a full book. Was easy to skim quickly because of repetitive lines. What I didn't like is many paragraphs really can just be 1 sentence. Interesting story to begin with, lost interest later

[Blue Caeruleus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siddhartha was a fantastic story to read! The simplicity and believability were awe-inpiring!

[Bjm Index]

2

[Veronica Bettencourt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was very educating, short, but lovely.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Lindsey Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

read this for class

[Callie Rector · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will return to this novel again and again. I often find myself recommending it to people. I feel only passion for this astounding work of literature.