Siddhartha

De: Hermann Hesse

Narrado por: Harish Bhimani

Hermann Hesse’s classic novel Siddhartha, takes place in ancient India around the time of the Buddha (6th century BC). Siddhartha and his companion Govinda set out in search of enlightenment. Siddhartha goes through a series of changes and realizations as he attempts to achieve this goal. Siddhartha joins the ascetics, visits Gotama, embraces his earthly desires, and finally communes with nature, all in an attempt to attain Nirvana. The novel shows how the path to enlightenment cannot be conferred to another person because it is different for everyone and will likely never be achieved simply by listening to or obeying an enlightened one. Words and teachings may describe the truth but are not the Truth itself; being concepts, they trap you, since enlightenment means release from concepts.

Public Domain (P)2008 Alpha DVD LLC

Excellent listening after (before?) Alan Watts

Listened to this after listening to a lot of Alan Watts seems to have been an excellent decision.

Beautiful wisdom

It's nice that every time I get back to this book I get something new and useful

less than

This was less than I hoped it would be. I thought that the reader was flat, this could simply be my interpretation of him trying to bring a tone of abiding respect to the subject at hand.
It would be a hard job to give life to a book that is an internal reflection. Still, I found the reader made it a tad dreary. I liked the print version of the book very much, this rendition left it without color.

Sounds rushed

I wanted to listen to Siddharta, because I remember reading it many years ago with great joy. Hermann Hesse being one of the great names that one simply must read or hear this was sure to be a winner. But the narrator does not seem to be well enough suited to the text. I do really like Harish Bhimani's accent, yet, overall I can't seem to keep up with the meaning of each sentence. Before I have fully absorbed it, the narrator has already finished the next sentence. Herman Hesse writes with such simplicity that each phrase needs time to shine in its own meaning. The sheer speed of the narration does not give the listener much time for absorbing the sentence, and the narration suffers from it.

Hesse is a genius

Hesse synthesizes the best of Eastern teaching in a moving and intimate story of the path of life and realization.

I have listened again and again

Quite simply this is a great book and a great telling. The message and its ethos are profound and told simply.

Beautiful and wise beyond words.

Exceptional narrator! I loved it.
It is an interesting addition with some background traditional Indian music.
I highly recommend it.