As an atheist fascinated with religion, I have an especially ambivalent stance towards Buddhism. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by its complexity and counterintuitiveness, other times--a bit disappointed--I wonder "is that all there is? A lot of cruft surrounding a few basic recommendations?" I've read D.T. Suzuki's writings on Zen, a translation of the Lotus sutra and even Buddhism for Dummies, and still my confidence about "getting" Buddhism wavers. Happily, Siddhartha wasn't just a pleasant, lyrical read, I felt it furthered my understanding of Buddhist concepts as well.

Despite having five translators listed for the Project Gutenberg edition I read, it was a surprisingly smooth read. The story was told in a fairly straightforward fable-like manner that reminded me a bit of Lord Dunsany, of all people.

The characterization was especially deftly handled; there are several places in the narrative where the reader is subtly tipped off that Siddhartha is straying from the path towards enlightenment or becoming a bit sanctimonious, only to have that become a major plot point later on. I also enjoyed that this wasn't a story of one righteous man surrounded by fools and the misguided. Although Siddhartha himself has an ingrained tendency to be skeptical of teachers and condescending towards those he calls "the childlike people" (i.e., you and me), all of the other characters in the novel, from the exalted to the lowly, end up playing a crucial part in his journey.

Although it's never called out directly, the Buddhist precept this book seems to deal with most directly is mindfulness, one facet of the Noble Eightfold Path. Siddhartha sees the most when he's quiet and receptive, willing to pay attention to the small things in life. Like a lot in Buddhism, it's almost childishly simple but sometimes hard to put into practice.