Siddhartha

By: Hermann Hesse, Joachim Neugroschel - translator

Narrated by: Firdous Bamji

Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Siddhartha is Nobel Prize-winning author Hermann Hesse's most famous and influential work, a novel of self-exploration that will linger in your mind and spirit for a lifetime.

A young man, blessed with loving parents and a safe home in a world where want and neglect abound, leaves this haven in search of himself. He joins the Samanas, a band of wandering ascetics without possessions or earthly ties. His quest unfulfilled, he descends into a life of unbounded luxury and indulgence. Where is truth? Where will his soul find true ease? In denial? In decadence? Or in some truth far greater than himself, so simple, so close to him, yet so obvious that only clear eyes may see it?

Siddhartha reawakens questions most of us have long ceased asking ourselves and opens paths to spirituality many of us have never traveled.

Translated by Joachim Neugroschel.

©1999 Joachim Neugroschel (P)2006 Recorded Books, LLC.

Restores my soul

When I am down, when my depression has risen and my life is meaningless, when my soul is tired, Siddhartha centers me. It refreshes my heart.

Please, when you need a spiritual reinforcement, read this book. It is, and will remain, the one book I can turn to over and over and always find solace.

A guide for the lost.

This book led me back to the path. Helped me realize that one can only learn so much from others, and ultimately the change comes from within. Amazing story.

Timeless classic but the quality leaves something to be desired

This is one of my favorite stories of all time, and if you have never read it, this is a fine version to listen to. However in the last hour the audio book skipped at least 4 times and I did not like that.

A insightful and fun book

reading this book again after 20 years I very much enjoyed it and found it equally impactful. There are so many subtleties and lessons buried within it

Philosophical and yet poetic

The story is about a man who takes a life-ling journey to find a spiritual truth. While the story takes place in India during the time of the Buddha, and Buddhism idioms are used, this is not about Buddhism at all, I thought. I am not religious or even spiritual, but I enjoyed the book tremendously. The story sounded like one long philosophical poetry.

While I was listening to this, I had to fight my urge to search the Internet to find out why this German writer (who, as far as I knew, was not a Buddhist) wrote a story that takes place in ancient India. I was glad I didn't. The Publisher's Summary in Audible.com does not mention this, but the last 50 minutes or so of this audiobook is actually an essay by some professor who explains the background where Hesse wrote this book, which made me appreciate the experience even more.

Enlightened journey

Would you listen to Siddhartha again? Why?

Powerful. Compelling. Inspiring

What did you like best about this story?

Herman Hesse must have been truly enlightened to have written such a profound novel. The spiritual truths in this book will change your life. The story itself is captivating. The narrator does an amazing job. I can not possibly recommend this enough.

Preparing to go to Nepal

I was entranced by the story and feel as though my perception of my world has shifted to something indescribably better. Wow!

Memory is sometimes better than reality

I first read Siddhartha in high school, more than 50 years ago. The story has continued to haunt me and influence my life. I got another translation recently and was disappointed. The music that spoke to me all those years ago was strangely absent. I tried another translation, with only marginal improvements. The book has had so much meaning for me that I was determined to find a translation that would fulfill my recollections. I speak German fairly well (I lived there for two years, working as a missionary in the 1970s) so I bravely decided to have a go in the original language. I was woefully short of the task.
When this translation came out, I decided to give it one more try. Without a doubt, this is the best translation I have found and I decided to go through it slowly, allowing the words to gel before moving on deeper into it.
FINALLY, I heard the river again, but, to be candid, it failed to reawaken my exhilaration from my high school days. I suspect that my “rememberation” from long ago built the book up beyond its reality. I certainly don’t regret having gone through all the exploration - it is still a mystic tale with which it pleases me to become reacquainted. If you’ve never read it, by all means, do so now, with this translation. If you’ve read it and have warm memories, I suggest you keep those memories intact and think of Hesse’s message while sitting by a fire or a singing river, without risking any disappointment which age and cynicism often bring as baggage.

masterful work

i read this book 40yrs ago and it transported me back in Time, well done.

amazing

a beautiful and thoughtful read would. so much to meditate on. leaves you in a place of peace