Siddhartha

The classic novel of a quest for knowledge that has delighted, inspired, and influenced generations of readers, writers, and thinkers-a perennial favorite for graduation gifts.



Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read



Though set in a place and time far  removed from the Germany of 1922, the year of the book's debut, the novel is infused  with the sensibilities of Hermann Hesse's time, synthesizing disparate philosophies-Eastern  religions, Jungian archetypes, Western individualism-into a unique vision of life  as expressed through one man's search for meaning.



 It is the story of the quest  of Siddhartha, a wealthy Indian Brahmin who casts off a life of privilege and comfort  to seek spiritual fulfillment and wisdom. On his journey, Siddhartha encounters wandering  ascetics, Buddhist monks, and successful merchants, as well as a courtesan named  Kamala and a simple ferryman who has attained enlightenment. Traveling among these  people and experiencing life's vital passages-love, work, friendship, and fatherhood-Siddhartha  discovers that true knowledge is guided from within.