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Summary: Age 11 and Siddhartha
Review: Hello. My name is Rebecca and I am 13 years old. I go to a school where we are challenged to read beyond our regular level. This school goes from preschool through 9th grade. When I first entered 6th grade here, the required portion of the summer reading list contained: The Essential Haiku and Siddhartha. As an 11 year old, I wasn't thrilled. However, now that I've read it, I've realized so much, and changed so much, about my natural way of life. Everything seemed so simple! As an average American kid, I always have 'places to go and people to see'. After I read Siddhartha, I tried to slow down. Rushing just wasn't a good way to live your life.
Thank you, Herman Hesse, for a way to let a young kid know what's important.
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Summary: Wisdom is not communicable
Review: It was the end of this novel that appealed to me. Perhaps in the early parts I was engaged by the newness of the story (which is just what 'novel' means - 'new'). Perhaps in the middle I was envious of Siddhartha who made significant changes in his lifestyle and changed the whole basis of his life - something I have been unable or unwilling to in my life. But in the end I was so attracted to the personal message because it is my philosophy of life. We must make our own decisions, take our own actions - it must always come from within. Following someone else's path (such as the path of Gotama the Buddha which Siddhartha's youthful partner Govinda takes) must always leave an emptiness. A feeling of incompleteness. But as Siddhartha's story tells it, the path of personal enlightenment is such a difficult one. May it always end with the transcendental courage of Vasudeva, the enlightened one who shared with Siddhartha but did not lead, did not evangelise, did not try to convert or convince - just showed the way.The title of my review is a quote from the novel.
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Summary: Simply a wonderful book
Review: One of the truly wonderful books I have read and read and read again. I keep waiting as I age to finally become so cynical that I don't appreciate it, but it doesn't happen. I have also taught the book at the community college level with an outstanding response. One interesting note that has been pointed out to me is the book loosely follows the narrative of the Book of Ecclesiastes from the Old Testament. Like the speaker in that work, Siddhartha experiments with the broad aspects of life: intellectualism, pleasures of the flesh, acquisitiveness, and so forth. And like the speaker in the Bible he finds them all a bit wanting. Ignore the reviewers who are picking the book apart on religious grounds, and so forth -- it's not intended to be educational in that sense. As for those who say the lessons of the book are ones that we all know -- well, I say that it's the reponsibility of great writing to PRESENT those ideas with the kinds of images that help us feel what the writer is saying. As Sid. says -- whenever you put life's wisdom into words it sounds silly and cliched. Hesse successfully puts the ideas into wonderful images.
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Summary: Buddha's doppleganger....
Review: I read this book before I ventured out into the real world, and I read it again many years after I had returned from that world. After I read it, I wanted to kick myself for not learning more from it the first time.... But then, that is also covered in this story, Siddhartha's father could not protect him from the world, nor could Siddhartha protect his own son when the time came. You've got to go forth and learn these lessons yourself. It is the same archetypical patterns, with variations, over and over.
I remember that when I first read this story it confused me that the Buddha and Siddhartha were two separate persons. Then I came to realise the truth of archetypes, and immortal paterns that resonate in many different bodies at the same time- all seemingly separate, but all really sharing the same great life. All ultimately flowing together to form the great river of life.
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Summary: Thought provoking , enlightening and puzzling .
Review: Background .
-------------- Hesse's Siddhartha is a special kind of hero and a controversial one . Unlike the more regular type of protagonists that fight the elements , other humans and themselves in the process , Siddhartha's struggle is almost completely internal . Born with the graces of looks , wealth , charisma and high intelligence - he can't ever complain about or deal with any underdog position like most of the others I've come across in the past . Nonetheless , he is not happy with what he has got , nor is he satisfied . The book tells his path to achieve spiritual redemption . The plot .
---------- In the book , Siddhartha is described as a free soul that is connected to everything - but not REALLY connected to anything - except for his chase after inner peace and truth . He is the ultimate happiness seeker you will ever find ; His journey begins as he and his friend Govinda leave his biological family and the company of Brahmins , in which they were raised to join the Samanas , the cult of the ascetics . After a while , he realizes that this is not his place . Toward the end of hanging around with the extremists of the spirituality seekers , he gets the chance to meet the famous Buddha , named also Gotama , which he learns to admire . Nevertheless , pretty soon he manages to throw a doubt upon the Guru's philosophy and way of life , and decides to move on . He then leaves everything behind for the second time - to pursue the material pleasures the world offers . Naturally for his kind of a character , he takes it to the extreme - as he always try to get to the bottom of things - only to find out how empty his soul has turned out , when he finds out he can't think anymore , lost many of his graces and is just mundane like everybody else in his sphere of conduct . Disgusted by what he has become , he braces himself and restarts to wander again , almost loses interest in life , to finally find the inner peace he has looked for - some would say - in one of the most unlikely places of all ... There are many gems that are interwoven in the story . The ones that immediately come to mind are the enlightening description of what a gambler goes through during his addiction , and the insight about the process of teaching that many times involves revealing only one side of the story to make the effort possible . The book is quite short , but reads like a long one . The main reasons for this is that every page or two bear the need for a full stoppage to understand the self illuminations and deep messages that are transferred in the text , and the fact that the story sums up the major part of the hero's lifetime in a relatively short scope . Significance .
-------------- Without a doubt , 'Siddhartha' requires a second reading for better understanding of what it's all about , and even then , many things might wait to be understood - in the course of a lifetime . The significance of the story is so universal and profound , that I guess that at any point in life , can one gain new insights about himself and about the world he is living on . Notwithstanding , in the aftermath of the book , the reader is left wondering , and this is a big problem with the book's concept , message and perspective : Does a person , with similar targets to Siddhartha's , have to try EVERYTHING to achieve inner peacefulness ? Does he have to go through all these trials , tribulations and powerful , sometimes brutal , emotions and stretch his experiences to the max ? Is an internal journey - like most go through , without having to actually execute each and every thought and wish they desire - enough to finally get to the same conclusions and ascensions ? How confident of his actions and essence can a person be without challenging himself frequently , and should one really aim at this direction ? Definitely, these are tough questions that are there to be answered during the passage of years .
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Summary: Siddhartha
Review: Siddhartha tells the story of a young man on a quest for the meaning of life. Primarily, he becomes a Samana, fasting and living with no possesions. He experiences and explores several different teachings and lifestyles, learning and taking with him something from each way of life, eventually growing tired of his ways and then moving on. In this manner, Siddhartha learns many different arts, trades and philosophies, eventually finding enlightenment.
This was a very short book, and was definitly worth reading. Although the story of a young man from a wealthy family going out into the real world to seek the meaning of life is not exactly original,it is still worth reading. The philosophy which this book largely bases itself on is not to follow blindly or get caught up in insignificant matters, but to think for yourself, learn something about yourself from every one of your experiences and find the meaning of life in this manner. I would reccomend this book to anyone, it is a short, simple read and many things can be gotten out of it.
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Summary: SIDDHARTHA: A Journey for Truth
Review: Siddhartha is an excellent novel by Hermann Hesse. In Siddhartha Hesse writes for anyone who seeks to enlighten him/her self. This novel is enriching it describes the life of Siddhartha, a journey to achieve peace and its reward wisdom. A life is meaningless without truth. This Novel complements those who rebel for a good cause to find there own way. In this Novel Siddhartha embarks on a journey to find himself, to find his own way. Like Buddha Siddhartha begins his journey for self-denial to "experience pure thought-that was his goal." find the true happiness and peace are goals we humans have yet to accomplish. Most of us get derailed by disillusions and never reach happiness, which is not a destination but a journey. A journey for peace and tranquility is not easy. In Hesse's novel Siddhartha realizes that Buddha didn't achieve enlightenment through teachings, but through experience. Insistent on finding his own way, Siddhartha only after discovering pain and rejection, and peace, does he achieve wisdom. Many People have knowledge but few have wisdom. "Siddhartha" is an amazing story. I recommend it to anyone and everyone. its an awsome novel to read for anyone who is curious about life and Understanding how true love and happiness is found after achieving wisdom.
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Summary: A book to read
Review: Siddhartha is a very philosofical reading. It is, in a way, a heavy book and, hardly the one who likes comics will enjoy it, or even complete it. However, if you are the one who likes asking mny why's and/or the one that likes thinking on even abvious things, this is the book for you. I wish I read it before.
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Summary: So You Want To Know The Meaning of Life
Review: Siddhartha was perhaps one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. It goes deep into the roots of eastern religion with poetry, grace, insight, and wisdom. In its pages perhaps you will find the meaning of life, perhaps not. In any event, you will read a great novel. It is the story of Siddhartha, the son of a Brahmin. Early on Siddhartha leaves home with his friend Govinda to search for the meaning of life. Like the Buddha he studies meditation and practices austere aceticism in an endeavor to win liberation and experience moksha, or enlightenment as it is called here in the west. He gains several mental powers but always enlightenment remains just beyond his reach. So he and Govinda leave the Samanas of the mountains and caves. On their journey back to society they encounter The Historic Buddha, the original founder of the Buddhist faith. They are both impressed with his holiness and Govinda decides to become a follower, however, Siddhartha, because of his astute intelect, finds a flaw in The Buddha's doctrine. So he meets with him in a bamboo grove under the light of the moon and expresses his thoughts to The Buddha. The Buddha in turn acknowledges Siddhartha's intelegence but also cautions him to beware of his own cleverness. What it comes down to is that The Buddha sees the intelect as an obstacle, while Siddhartha sees all religious teachings as provisional, for to his mind he knows The Buddha is enlightened. But he has also ascertained that enlightenment is an experience and that this experience must be experienced directly for oneself, for it is beyond the power of words... Words are useful to convey concepts and ideas, but enlightenment is a transcendent reality that is beyond the power of words to describe. Even The Buddha said: I am merely a finger pointing to the moon, don't mistake my finger for the moon. Siddhartha then goes on to leave Govinda behind and re-enter the world, where he meets Kamala, a beautiful prostitute, and eventually he forgets his quest for wisdom, and immerses himself in sex, money, gambling and other mundane pursuits that eventually bring him to a state of nausea - possibly the same kind of nausea that Gautama Buddha experienced the night he left his Palace and exchanged his royal clothes for the rags of a beggar. I could go on telling you more and more about this wonderful book. But the sacred river where Siddhartha hears the sacred sounds will tell you infinitely more. You simply have to read the book and listen for yourself.
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Summary: Spiritualism aside, it's a decent book - but not impressive
Review: First, I should note that the edition of Siddhartha I read was the Dover edition, translated by Stanley Applebaum. As such, the language may be different than in this edition. At times, this seems more like a vain (albeit eloquent) attempt at a philosophical dialogue. Eloquent, and strangely written- at times, it seeems that Hesse is trying to incorporate verse into his prose, and the grammar is often rather odd. But it does have a plot, Siddhartha's quest for Oneness. At first, this meant adhering to the Brahmanic rituals, later he tries the asceticism of the samanas, then encounters the Buddha, and later goes to the other extreme, embracing an Epicurean delight in all worldly things. None of these, however, are ultimately successful. At its end, Siddhartha seems to be an attempt by Hesse to reconcile Eastern metaphysical thought with Western individualism: the ultimate lesson of the novel being that everyone seeks their own path to salvation. It seemed like there was also a kind of suggestive homoeroticism regarding Siddhartha and Govinda- what with Govinda's 'great love' for Siddhartha and Siddhartha's dream where he embraces Govinda (who then turns into a beautiful woman). But that may be my imagination.
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