SiddharthaBy Herman Hesse

The Author

Herman Hesse was born in 1877 in Germany.In 1911 he traveled to India, and then he moved to Switzerland.One of his most appreciated books, Siddhartha, was published in 1922. In 1946 he received a Nobel prize for his work in literature.

The Plot• Siddhartha is a boy from a wealthy Brahman family but, as he gets older,

he begins to think that the elders of his community have nothing more to teach him so, along with his best friend Govinda, he goes to live with the Samanas.

• For three years Siddhartha and his friend learn from them how to break free of their body’s limits, until they hear rumors about a holy man that teaches a new doctrine. The two young and curious boys decide to hear what “Gotama” has to teach.

• Govinda is impressed by this man but Siddhartha, despite also being impressed by Gotama and his new doctrine, decides that he will never follow a doctrine and that he will find peace by himself.

• While traveling, Siddhartha meets Kamala, a beautiful courtesan, and wants to learn the “art of love” from her, but she refuses him because he’s not rich.

The Plot• Siddhartha then becomes a wealthy merchant and he is accepted

by Kamala. At the beginning, money and wealth aren’t a big concern for Siddhartha but then he starts to become greedy and he starts to hate himself for what he has become, so one day he runs away from his expensive house.

• After a profound moral crisis he meets Vasudeva, a ferryman, and becomes his apprentice. Siddhartha learns to hear the river’s voice thanks to Vasudeva and becomes wiser and wiser.

• After many years Siddhartha meets his son by Kamala. When his son gets older Siddhartha at first wants him to stay with him, but when he finally lets him go, he reaches the enlightenment he was looking for his hole life.

My opinion

This book was a very interesting read, because it is very different and more profound than anything else I’ve ever read. The lesson I took from it, is that we can only reach enlightenment with what we have and not by wanting more, and that we shouldn’t look for happiness in material things but into ourselves.