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A review by vikingvisuals
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
5.0
“Truly, nothing in the world has so occupied my thoughts as this I, this riddle, the fact I am alive, that I am separated and isolated from all others, that I am Siddhartha! And about nothing in the world do I know less about than me, about Siddhartha!”
At first glance, I was not sure how much I would enjoy this book. Coming from Hesse I figured it must be good and I had always heard such wonderful things, but honestly my experiences and struggles with the "new age" trend had put me so off from anything revolving around Eastern religion and philosophy that I thought a book dealing with such ideas would just invoke in me negative memories or responses. But then I started to read the book and found myself completely captivated by it.
I was captivated not so much by all the ideas expressed in the work (although many ideas are very beautiful) but simply in the way it was all written. I found myself drawn to every passage and in love with the expressive descriptions of it all. Siddhartha's quest, a quest that he took up as his and his alone, going against the teachings and traditions of others, was one that I found extremely entertaining. Govinda, his loyal friend (and perhaps one of the most loyal friends) was a relatively infrequent, yet always memorable presence.
When I finished the book after only a few short sittings I felt completely moved by it. It was just a lovely read that left me with a tremendous feeling of euphoria in the end, something that I do not experience in literature very often. I recommend the book to everyone, it could easily be read in one sitting if you have enough time and is truly worth the effort (of which would, if you enjoy the language as much as me, is no effort at all).
At first glance, I was not sure how much I would enjoy this book. Coming from Hesse I figured it must be good and I had always heard such wonderful things, but honestly my experiences and struggles with the "new age" trend had put me so off from anything revolving around Eastern religion and philosophy that I thought a book dealing with such ideas would just invoke in me negative memories or responses. But then I started to read the book and found myself completely captivated by it.
I was captivated not so much by all the ideas expressed in the work (although many ideas are very beautiful) but simply in the way it was all written. I found myself drawn to every passage and in love with the expressive descriptions of it all. Siddhartha's quest, a quest that he took up as his and his alone, going against the teachings and traditions of others, was one that I found extremely entertaining. Govinda, his loyal friend (and perhaps one of the most loyal friends) was a relatively infrequent, yet always memorable presence.
When I finished the book after only a few short sittings I felt completely moved by it. It was just a lovely read that left me with a tremendous feeling of euphoria in the end, something that I do not experience in literature very often. I recommend the book to everyone, it could easily be read in one sitting if you have enough time and is truly worth the effort (of which would, if you enjoy the language as much as me, is no effort at all).