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montsegc90's review against another edition
4.0
Uff casi dos meses para terminarlo... Debo decir que es un buen libro y me gusto. Todas las maneras por las que pasa Siddhartha para llegar a la “iluminación” creo que son lugares donde usualmente buscamos respuestas al sentido de nuestra vida. Como novela definitivamente no me llenó, pero como libro pseudo-espiritual si. Tiene muchas enseñanzas con las que me quedo aunque no coincida con la idea final que lleva a Siddhartha al Nirvana, aunque creo que la idea central es que mientras algo te de paz, en eso de encuentra tu felicidad.
mariesmontes's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Such a beautiful book. I found it a bit hard to read as it really got me into thinking about many deep and tough situations and also it gives some analogies that I really liked to reflex on while reading but it was not easy to come to conclusions. Very good if you are exploring your inner thoughts and are deepen into self introspection.
nonvitalcomponent's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
milkvetch's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
"The wheel of forms turns swiftly, Govinda."
***
I first read "Siddhartha" when I was 19 and had just adopted my first cat. That cat just passed away and I decided to revisit the classic in my mourning of her. What surprised me the most in re-reading was how much this book influenced me through my twenties. In fact, it absolutely seeped into my own understanding of the world without me fully realizing.
"Siddhartha" uses a parabolic form to illuminate greater truths, which gives it the tone and clarity of a classic. Everything in this novel is circular and greatly concerned with decisions to leave and serendipitous returns. Siddhartha himself is a seeker of greater truths, and in his pursuit he must be constantly aware of and re-interpreting his flaws. Essentially, this book is designed to teach by example.
Now, does this centenarian book still hold up for reading in 2024? The answer is both yes and no. On one hand, engaging with this style of writing feels more important than ever in the age of AI and social media commenting and such. We all need to be honing our intellectual and emotional filtration systems to take in and process all the information we take in on a daily basis.
However, the optics are a bit... silly, by today's standards. Herman Hesse was by all accounts a depressive, white, German man who visited India in his mid-30s and became obsessed with the mysticism of the country. In the mid-century when this was published, this was less of a deal than it is now. While from what I understand this book was quite popular throughout Asia -- including India -- the translator (Sherab Chodzin Kohn) notes that there is still a watered down approach to Buddhist spirituality and more of a leaning into New Age concepts.
In "Siddhartha's" defense (and as someone who has more than dabbled in the Big Woo) there is more substance here than in your average high-sentimental read. This isn't "Tuesdays With Morrie," people, nor is it some glorified coffee table book of spells that's going to tell you to brew a cup of hot chocolate and call it magic. There's a good deal of Jungian psychology and existential philosophy at play here that gives it a universal tone -- and what makes it a worldwide classic in spite of all the silliness. Maybe even because of it. After all, Hesse has proven he is a striving sad sack not unlike his own protagonist and not unlike the average reader who might pick up this book to begin with.
Read this book when you are going through a transitional time, such as if you are grieving a cat, and this book will have much to offer. Even if you don't fully realize it at the time, you may come back to it over a decade later and realize how much it has influenced you. Don't read this book if you are looking for a complex understanding of Indian mysticism or Buddhism as a religion.
Have a great day!
***
I first read "Siddhartha" when I was 19 and had just adopted my first cat. That cat just passed away and I decided to revisit the classic in my mourning of her. What surprised me the most in re-reading was how much this book influenced me through my twenties. In fact, it absolutely seeped into my own understanding of the world without me fully realizing.
"Siddhartha" uses a parabolic form to illuminate greater truths, which gives it the tone and clarity of a classic. Everything in this novel is circular and greatly concerned with decisions to leave and serendipitous returns. Siddhartha himself is a seeker of greater truths, and in his pursuit he must be constantly aware of and re-interpreting his flaws. Essentially, this book is designed to teach by example.
Now, does this centenarian book still hold up for reading in 2024? The answer is both yes and no. On one hand, engaging with this style of writing feels more important than ever in the age of AI and social media commenting and such. We all need to be honing our intellectual and emotional filtration systems to take in and process all the information we take in on a daily basis.
However, the optics are a bit... silly, by today's standards. Herman Hesse was by all accounts a depressive, white, German man who visited India in his mid-30s and became obsessed with the mysticism of the country. In the mid-century when this was published, this was less of a deal than it is now. While from what I understand this book was quite popular throughout Asia -- including India -- the translator (Sherab Chodzin Kohn) notes that there is still a watered down approach to Buddhist spirituality and more of a leaning into New Age concepts.
In "Siddhartha's" defense (and as someone who has more than dabbled in the Big Woo) there is more substance here than in your average high-sentimental read. This isn't "Tuesdays With Morrie," people, nor is it some glorified coffee table book of spells that's going to tell you to brew a cup of hot chocolate and call it magic. There's a good deal of Jungian psychology and existential philosophy at play here that gives it a universal tone -- and what makes it a worldwide classic in spite of all the silliness. Maybe even because of it. After all, Hesse has proven he is a striving sad sack not unlike his own protagonist and not unlike the average reader who might pick up this book to begin with.
Read this book when you are going through a transitional time, such as if you are grieving a cat, and this book will have much to offer. Even if you don't fully realize it at the time, you may come back to it over a decade later and realize how much it has influenced you. Don't read this book if you are looking for a complex understanding of Indian mysticism or Buddhism as a religion.
Have a great day!
guanz's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
elcapu's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
cprince99's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75