Hermann Hesse's moving & inspirational chronicle of spiritual evolution Siddhartha
Includes:: a new introduction by bestselling author Paulo Coehlo in Penguin Classics Siddhartha is perhaps the most important & compelling moral allegory our troubled century has produced Integrating Eastern & Western spiritual traditions with psychoanalysis & philosophy this strangely simple tale written with a deep & moving empathy for humanity has touched the lives of millions since its original publication in 1922 Set in India Siddhartha is the story of a young Brahmin's search for ultimate reality after meeting with the Buddha His quest takes him from a life of decadence to asceticism from the illusory joys of sensual love with a beautiful courtesan & of wealth & fame to the painful struggles with his son & the ultimate wisdom of renunciation Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) suffered from depression endured criticism for his pacifist views & weathered series of personal crises which led him to undergo psychoanalysis with J B Lang; a process which resulted in Demian (1919) a novel whose main character is torn between the orderliness of bourgeois existence & the turbulent & enticing world of sensual experience This dichotomy is prominent in Hesse's subsequent novels including Siddhartha (1922) Steppenwolf (1927) Narcissus & Goldmund (1930) & his magnum opus The Glass Bead Game (1943) Hesse was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946 Paulo Coelho was born in Brazil & has become one of the most widely read authors in the world Especially renowned for The Alchemist & Eleven Minutes he has sold more than 100 million books worldwide & has been translated into 66 languages If you enjoyed Siddhartha you might like Hesse's Steppenwolf also available in Penguin Classics