by Hermann Hesse
|
| List Price: | $5.99 |
| Amazon Price: | $5.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. |
| Average Rating: |  |
| Lowest New Price: | $1.47 |
| Availablitiy: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
|
 |
|
Product Description
In the novel, Siddhartha, a young man, leaves his family for a contemplative life, then, restless, discards it for one of the flesh. He conceives a son, but bored and sickened by lust and greed, moves on again. Near despair, Siddhartha comes to a river where he hears a unique sound. This sound signals the true beginning of his life -- the beginning of suffering, rejection, peace, and, finally, wisdom.
Amazon.com
In the shade of a banyan tree, a grizzled ferryman sits listening to the river. Some say he's a sage. He was once a wandering shramana and, briefly, like thousands of others, he followed Gotama the Buddha, enraptured by his sermons. But this man, Siddhartha, was not a follower of any but his own soul. Born the son of a Brahmin, Siddhartha was blessed in appearance, intelligence, and charisma. In order to find meaning in life, he discarded his promising future for the life of a wandering ascetic. Still, true happiness evaded him. Then a life of pleasure and titillation merely eroded away his spiritual gains until he was just like all the other "child people," dragged around by his desires. Like Hermann Hesse's other creations of struggling young men, Siddhartha has a good dose of European angst and stubborn individualism. His final epiphany challenges both the Buddhist and the Hindu ideals of enlightenment. Neither a practitioner nor a devotee, neither meditating nor reciting, Siddhartha comes to blend in with the world, resonating with the rhythms of nature, bending the reader's ear down to hear answers from the river. In this translation Sherab Chodzin Kohn captures the slow, spare lyricism of Siddhartha's search, putting her version on par with Hilda Rosner's standard edition. --Brian Bruya
Customers who bought this item also bought
Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Western Introduction to Eastern Philosophy, 2008-06-29
Although I can understand the longing to separate oneself from the frustrations and hypocrisy of human life, it does seem like an abandonment rather than an accomplishment to me. Maybe because of this, and because I had been exposed to the tenets of both Buddhism and Hinduism prior to reading this novel, I didn't find it as life-altering and uplifting as many others find it. If you're new to eastern philosophy, this could be a good general introduction.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 A Philisophical Classic, 2008-06-24
I have never been a huge fan of philosophy, but I can see why this little tome is considered a classic. It is a life's journey and a profound look into the soul. Siddhartha's journey and his desire to be spiritually fulfilled began as a Brahmin's son, then as an ascetic, then into a life of lust and material possessions, and finally into a peaceful life as a ferry driver. With all his outward searching, Siddhartha comes to realize that inner peace is not achieved through lessons from a teacher, or fasting, or worldliness. It is an inward reflection, a recognition of self. This book challenges the ideas of love and nature, among other things.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
His Search is Our Search!, 2008-06-04
Siddhartha is a man on a spiritual journey. German writer, Herman Hesse, starts off strong about a man who is willing to give up everything in search of his self and to live without the needs and comforts of life. Siddhartha is searching for meaning which includes a spiritual journey without material possessions and even relationships. He has a love relationship with Kamalah who would provide him his son, something that she predicted. That is where the story, I think gets lost. Instead the book sort of lost it's way rearding Siddhartha's journey by his relationship with Kamalah and his search for religion and spiritualism is brushed aside by his relationships with one woman and his quest to continue to find himself. Hesse is an interesting writer in that he starts strongly trying to help us find our own spiritual center much like Siddhartha has in his life and he gets lost along the way or is detoured. Despite it's short length, it's quite a powerful book but it loses it's punch midway in the novel
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 One of the very greatest books I've ever read, 2008-05-23
SIDDHARTHA is a heroic adventure of personal growth. In its characterization of a hero's journey--a soul's journey--it's even more universal than a Joseph Campbell discourse.
As Campbell taught us, many works of fiction serve as symbolic case studies of personal growth. But I think SIDDHARTHA is the best, the most deliberate, the most allegorical, of all. SIDDHARTHA's narrative and metaphors never stray from the title character's self-exploration and development. Due to this tight focus, SIDDHARTHA actually reads and behaves like a quite simple tale.
Most importantly (here's Hermann Hesse's genius), it improves upon the standard "monomyth" by giving us a peculiar, placid denouement that better shows how heroes are profoundly transformed by their quests.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
The self realization, 2008-05-08
This is for Tom. Your comments are wonderful and as with you I read this the first time when I was 19 (1969) and again quite a few times over the years and have passed it on to many in my own travels. Your comments concerning the self self self is understandable but think that you missed the most important aspect in all of that which is that you have a hard time in life finding all those other things you mentioned if you cannot find and know yourself. To me this is the meat of Hesse's understanding (along with the idea of all searches in all religions, in which he was aghast that Budhism even became a religion)of first knowing yourself and then find how it fits into the world around you.
My 2 cents
Price is accurate as of the date/time indicated. Prices and product availability are subject to change. Any price displayed on the Amazon website at the time of purchase will govern the sale of this product.
|
Store Categories
|