Siddhartha, a young Brahmin's son in ancient India, leaves home to become an ascetic, then meets the Buddha but chooses not to follow him. He moves on to the city, where the courtesan Kamala teaches him love and the merchant Kamaswami teaches him business, and he slides into wealth and boredom. Eventually he leaves it all and learns from a ferryman beside a river. Hesse's short novel, published in 1922, is built around the idea that wisdom cannot be taught by anyone else, only lived.
It fits readers who like spiritual fiction that stays concrete and brief, or who are at a point of questioning the path they are on. Expect a quiet, lyrical story with a lasting image of the river.
Deep, inward-looking, contemplative and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Mindful Reader. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1970
- Publisher
- Civilização Brasileira
- Language
- PT
