Cover of Siddhartha

Siddhartha

by Hermann Hesse

First published
1922
Reading level
Plain English
Price
Free

About the book

"Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse is a novel published in 1922 that follows a young Brahmin's spiritual quest for enlightenment in ancient India during the time of the Buddha. Rejecting both ascetic extremes and worldly pleasures, Siddhartha embarks on his own path of self-discovery, encountering love, wealth, suffering, and loss. Through these experiences and the wisdom of a humble ferryman beside a mystical river, he seeks to transcend time and understand the complete unity of all existence.

  • Gautama Buddha
  • India
  • Spiritual life
  • Self-realization
  • Buddhism
  • Buddhist philosophy

Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #2500. Siddhartha on Wikipedia.

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