The River Laughs

[dotinthesky]

Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha, 1922
This allegorical tale of a Brahmin's son who gives up everything in the search for his self is, in my opinion, one of the masterpieces of the 20th century. The story is short and clear, with one foot in Buddhism and another in Modernism. The first time I read this book (during one sitting in a Toronto cafe), I fell in love with it. Now, after reading it for the second time, I feel as if it will be the book I keep by my side, through out my life, for whenever I need to be comforted.

If you feel lost, depressed, unhappy or unsure about life in general, this book is worth a thousand self-help tomes injected into your blood.

Comments

[sushidog.livejournal.com]

Based on that recommendation, I've just ordered a copy!

[sallypointzero.livejournal.com]

I have run out the door and am currently rushing to a bookshop to buy it.

OK that was a lie, but I will do ASAP.

[blu-bear.livejournal.com]

Looks good. I may have to order one myself when I have some dosh heh.

[theairwebreathe.livejournal.com]

oh, I love that book! I read it during the early part of highschool. One night I left it on the coffeetable and my stepfather got up in the middle of the night to let the dog out. He picked up the book just to kill time while the dog did her business and ended up reading the whole thing right then, in the middle of the night. The next morning we had a really enthusiastic conversation over breakfast. I think I'm going to go pick up another copy today and reread it, I haven't thought about it in years!

[izzybees]

Grace just finished reading my copy and loved it. Next I hope she reads Narcissus and Goldmund.

[woodsrule.livejournal.com]

I keep meaning to read Hesse - is this his best one do you reckon?

[desayuno-ingles.livejournal.com]

alright I´ll try it, but what happened to only reading portuguese for the next year? same as me not speaking english here?

comforting

[(Anonymous)]

oi oliver! hmm, boa, vou procurar este livro. há alguns anos meu pai me presenteou com uma edição em espanhol (hein?), que eu não li, mas a tua descrição me assanhou! se é que esta palavra se aplica, rsrs. como estás?.. saudade. quando vier ao brasil vem me visitar no copan! beijo. paula.

[sublimevisions.livejournal.com]

siddhartha is such a wonderful tale :)
it opened many doors of which i'm only really starting to realise how great they are; even though i walked through them years ago.

kudos

[gorecky22.livejournal.com]

I've read it twice, too. But i don't like that book that much. I don't know why. Maybe 'cause I still prefer the "hard" Hesse on "Demian"...