brenticus reviewed Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
None
5 stars
Siddhartha is a simple story with simple prose and simple themes. It's about a man, Siddhartha, who wants to become enlightened, and it's about all the things he realizes along the way. It's about how we change throughout our life, and how our past informs us but does not define us. It's about the relationships we build with people, the distractions we find along the way, it's about being driven to accomplish our goals, and how our failures affect us. It's about learning, experiencing, suffering, letting go, and being whole. There might actually be more themes than there are pages in the book.
Despite that, it all ties together beautifully with an outstanding universality. This book written nearly a century ago about a fictional man from 2500 years ago feels like it could be written at any time or place - and about any time or place - and still …
Despite that, it all ties together beautifully with an outstanding universality. This book written nearly a century ago about a fictional man from 2500 years ago feels like it could be written at any time or place - and about any time or place - and still feel just as relevant. Hesse really knocked the ball out of the park on this one.