Hermann Hesse 
Siddhartha 

Siddhartha, a 1922 novel by Hermann Hesse, deals with the spiritual journey of self-discovery of a man named Siddhartha during the time of the Gautama Buddha. After learning what he can from Goutama, the young man decides to go off into the busy city, and leads a life of greed and lust. When he realizes that the lifestyle is not fulfilling, he reflects on his life and goes to a river to contemplate suicide. However, it is here that Siddhartha meets a man who will change his life and help lead him to enlightenment, in this classic coming of age story about finding meaning and purpose. Hesse’s ninth novel, it was written in German, in a simple, lyrical style. Published in the U.S. in 1951, it became popular during the 1960s owing to its central theme of spiritual awakening.

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Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and artist. His favorite topic of writing explored an individual’s search for authenticity, spirituality, and self-knowledge. This can be seen in his most famous works Siddhartha, Steppenwolf, and The Glass Bead Game. At the age of 69 Hesse received the Nobel Prize for Literature.