Siddhartha | Hermann Hesse | Religious Fiction | Audiobook Review

 

Book Info

Name of Book : Siddhartha

Author : Hermann Hesse

Publisher : Audrey App

Publication Date : 19 March, 2023

No. of Hours : 4 Hours 32 Minutes

Format : Audrey Audiobook

Why did I choose the book ?

I selected Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse for #52booksin52weeks reading challenge.

Where to get the book ?

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse is available on Amazon : 

Kindle

Audiobook

Hardcover

Paperback

Author Introduction

Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) was born in Germany and later became a citizen of Switzerland. As a Western man profoundly affected by the mysticism of Eastern thought, he wrote many novels, stories, and essays that bear a vital spiritual force that has captured the imagination and loyalty of many generations of readers. In 1946, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature for The Glass Bead Game.

Blurb

Though set in a period and location far removed from 1922 Germany, the novel is permeated with Hermann Hesse's sensibility, combining different philosophies–Eastern faiths, Jungian archetypes, Western individualism–into a unique picture of life as expressed through one man's search for meaning.

It tells the story of Siddhartha Gautama, a wealthy Indian Brahmin who abandons a life of luxury and comfort in search of spiritual satisfaction and insight. Siddhartha meets wandering ascetics, Buddhist monks, and prosperous merchants on his voyage, as well as a courtesan named Kamala and a humble ferryman who has reached enlightenment. Siddhartha finds actual understanding while travelling among these people and experiencing life's crucial passages–love, work, friendship, and fatherhood.

My Opinion

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse is a thought-provoking work of religious fiction. It is a person's journey to spirituality amidst all their worldly pleasures. Siddhartha's voyage towards a spiritual awakening can be said to be a motivating one. The narrator's voice also did a good job. The book narrates a conflicting opinion between people who try to find salvation through renunciation and people who try to achieve it by being in the normal world. While listening to it alone, I had so many viewpoints about it. For me, the book was something that I can think about every time I am trying to find my way towards spiritualization. I loved the message from the author that spiritual awakening can come in any form and shape. It is only us who are rigid and do not open ourselves to it.

Ratings

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