A review by adamgolden
Buddha by Karen Armstrong
3.0
(3/5★)
A biographical account written about Buddha is no easy task, considering that the Buddha himself wouldn't want to glamorize his life by having a story revolve around him and his exploits. However, Karen Armstrong does a decent job of mixing the history and mythology surrounding the Buddha, creating a fairly cohesive story of his life on earth. At times, the book drags on a bit, feeling less like a biography and more like a book about the Buddha's teachings in general - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just not what I was expecting.
A biographical account written about Buddha is no easy task, considering that the Buddha himself wouldn't want to glamorize his life by having a story revolve around him and his exploits. However, Karen Armstrong does a decent job of mixing the history and mythology surrounding the Buddha, creating a fairly cohesive story of his life on earth. At times, the book drags on a bit, feeling less like a biography and more like a book about the Buddha's teachings in general - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just not what I was expecting.