Siddhartha is the spiritual journey of a boy who lived in India during the period of Buddha. The story is based in ancient Nepal, where Siddhartha, the son of a brahmin leaves his home with his friend, Govinda in the search of enlightenment and with the aim of joining the ascetics. He undergoes a series of hanges and realizations and at last achieves enlightenment as a ferryman listening to the sounds of the river that give long lasting peace and capture the essence of his journey. Siddhartha is Hermann Hesse's ninth novel ...
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Siddhartha is the spiritual journey of a boy who lived in India during the period of Buddha. The story is based in ancient Nepal, where Siddhartha, the son of a brahmin leaves his home with his friend, Govinda in the search of enlightenment and with the aim of joining the ascetics. He undergoes a series of hanges and realizations and at last achieves enlightenment as a ferryman listening to the sounds of the river that give long lasting peace and capture the essence of his journey. Siddhartha is Hermann Hesse's ninth novel and was written in German in a simple yet powerful and lyrical style. It was written after he had spent some time in India during the 1910's.
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Add this copy of Siddhartha to cart. $15.45, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2013 by Maple Press Pvt Ltd.
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Hermann Hesse (1877-1952) remains more popular in the German speaking world than anywhere else, even though many of his works have been translated into English.
Hesse received the Nobel prize for literature in 1946. I think this book, first published in 1922, is one of his very best, and if one is going to read only one of his books, this is the one I would recommend. I read it again recently in one sitting. Hesse conveys much more in 122 pages (my edition) about the human condition in general; the power of love, compassion and forgiveness; and the beauty of nature; than many other writers who have attempted to do so in longer works. Whatever one's personal beliefs or faith, I think this book should appeal immensely to the reader with an open mind.
Too often, we tend to forget the translator of such books. Translating from the German into English and capturing the flavour and nuances of the original text can be a challenging or daunting task, even for the seasoned translator. Hilda Rosner, the translator of my edition, has done an excellent job.