Reviews

This is a short little book with infinite range! Through the follies of a deeply flawed protagonist, we learn some incredible truths: that love cannot be taken, that wisdom cannot be taught, and that through seeking one will never find. But most importantly, we learn that the way to inner peace is not to separate oneself from the world on an inner journey but to participate in the unity of the world including its mistakes.

james_z's review against another edition

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4.0

Interesting book that ties in the conflict between individualism and the search for enlightenment through the teachings of Buddha. Siddhartha's spiritual journey is also a testament to our humanistic approach of life where we all have the capacity to find our own inner peace through our individual experiences. Insightful novel spoken through simplistic language. Recommend.

chris_lopiccolo's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

antheianix's review against another edition

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informative inspiring slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

alexa_d90's review against another edition

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challenging reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

vaishnavijadhav's review against another edition

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4.0

Siddhartha (a brahmin boy) in search of enlightenment lives life being a brahmin, a Samana, a rich merchant, a lover, a ferryman and a father on his path of spiritual awakening. He refuses to be a student or a devotee. He learns from child-like people, his own experiences and mostly from the nature - (the river). His journey is nothing but the path of finding the Aatman within himself and accepting the world with all it's flaws. The books perfectly depicts how one should be a devoted learner throughout the lifetime and how one can seek wisdom within themselves. One can easily follow through Siddhartha's persona to realise that - to achieve the eternal peace and consciousness, one must loose their sense of self and ego.

The following sentence by Siddhartha perfectly captures the essence of all his learning over the years...
"... To thoroughly understand the world, to explain it, to despise it, may be the thing great thinkers do. But I'm only interested in being able to love the world, not to despise it, not to hat it and me, to be able to look upon it and me, and all beings with love and admiration and great respect."

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