10 Tips for How to Read Hermann Hesse's Siddharta

[@benlewis55]

favorite book. read it in "74 and just now reread. He understands the spiritual journey, and speaks from his experience.

[@poperaisin]

My introduction to Hesse was Demian. Great book, but it was Siddharta that made him one of my favorite authors of all time. The last chapter of the book is near perfect!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

You're so right. That last chapter is a masterpiece in itself :)

[@lordmoreau]

I read Siddharta first. Then I read the whole Hesse, from Peter Camenzind to Das Glasperlenspiel. I used to chose which book to read based on instinct. The chronology doesn't matter, all of them culminated to this "Journey to the East" preface of Gide, which is indeed the hero's own, personal, inner trip. True masterpiece!

[@StephenMBauer]

I spent my teenage years reading every Herman Hesse novel I could find in book stores. In hindsight (I am 69) and from my own experience, Herman Heese is someone to be read in adolescence. All of his novels resonated with me. Once I entered my thirties, I tried reading one or more of Hesse's novels again, and they just didn't resonate. Of course, I appreciated Siddhartha. I've read it at least twice. (As a practicing Catholic, I was/am familiar with the concept of a spiritual journey, which is what Siddhartha is about.) But my favorite novel is Steppenwolf. I greatly respected and admired the main character, Harry Holler, who is Herman Hesse's alter-ego. I re-read Steppenwolf in my forties/fifties, and it did resonate. However, it resonated in a different manner. When I read Steppenwolf as a teenager, I loved Harry Haller's pacifism--more specifically that he stood by his principles and published an editorial against the upcoming war (WW1), despite the common mentality of society which was jubilantly pro-war. But in middle age when I read Steppenwolf, what resonated was the mid-life crisis that Harry Haller was going through. SInce hitting middle age, I did re-read Demian. It still holds up pretty good. I intend to re-read Narcissus and Goldmund. Someday, I will re-read The Glass Bead Game. I didn't "get" that one the first time around. That one kept me in suspense the whole time, without resolution.

[@tompribyl2884]

Thank you Ben. I am so glad that one of my favorite authors is getting some love. I read most of Hermann Hesse's books when I was in my 20's many years ago. A few months ago I picked up Beneath the Wheel at my local used book store a devoured it. Now I'm excited to go back and read them all again. My favorite was The Magister Ludi / Glass Bead Game.

[@gamebros5611]

I am in 11th grade right now. I read “Siddhartha” with my 9th grade English honors class. My grandpa who died before I was born loved this book. I love this book, any time I mention it to someone who knows it my heart flutters. This book made me want to pressure an English major one day. This is my all time FAVORITE novel. I never understand why some people my age find this book boring, it should be supper relatable to someone in high school. I’m thinking about doing an independent study on this book with school during my senior year.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

What a fantastic reaction to this novel! Thank you so much for sharing :) It makes me very happy to hear you feel this way about Siddharta. One of my personal favourite novels of all-time. I agree that this should be a relatable one for high school students - indeed for everyone!

[@araucaria5173]

Siddhartha was definitely a worthwhile read I gained much from reading it. Another very interesting book by Hesse is The glass bead game .

[@LWolfe-hq4mr]

I came into literature inexcusably late in life. This was the first book, bar Camus’ The Stranger, I really fell in love with, and went on to read many more books by Hesse. I must say though, I didn’t realise how little I really knew about the author, and this video really reignited my love for an author I’d sadly forgotten (probably after trying to speed through The Glass Bead game). I like your videos a lot!

[@maxlaver5614]

Never too late

[@shelleyriden6461]

I just finished this wonderful book after which, somehow, this video popped up on my feed. I've been a grateful member of the Hardcore Literature Bookclub for two years. I'm excited now to search the back catalogue for the lecture(s) on this book - I hadn't realized it was one of your picks! The book: I felt a deep dreaminess throughout the reading of it. The story entered my consciousness by a sort of back door. Siddhartha's journey is unlike that of other straight-line-upward-climbing spiritual teachers. I was surprised by Siddhartha's winding, and ultimately circular, path; it caused me to think new thoughts - my favorite thing - and it actually released a little bit of guilt and frustration for me. Thanks as always, Benjamin, for a great lecture.

[@joey4992]

The enthusiasm you have for books is infectious. Have never thought about reading Hesse before but will definitely pick this up!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, my friend. I hope you enjoy it :)

[@ornleifs]

Love Siddharta - it's one of my favorite books and in fact I've liked everything I've read by Hesse.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Happy to hear it :) He's got a ton of great books!

[@MikeTrainormusic]

I'm reading Siddhartha right now, which led me to your channel. Throughout 2020 I studied Buddhism, (mostly from the pali canon) and honestly, it pulled me out of a very bad place. What they say is so rational, and just beyond wise. I hesitate to call it a religion, because its more of a philosophy and psychology, but nothing has had an impact on me as meaningful or transformative as Buddhism. Thats the truth. It's one of the best things I ever did for myself. It taught me so much. (glad I found this channel. Im a huge fan of Dostoevsky as well, and sure I'll pick up on some good recommendations. Cheers Benjamin)

[@NeurosenkavalierEmilSinclair]

My tip for hesse is: Read it now. Because he resonates the most with people who are still looking for their way in life. I've read Steppenwolf when i was about 19 and Siddharta when i was 20/21. It was the first time i really felt understood by someone. The following years I've read most of his other important works too: Unterm Rad, Der Zyklon, Das Glasperlenspiel, Narziss und Goldmund. Last year i've read Peter Camenzint but it starts to touch me less, because the horrors of not knowing who you are and what you want to to or be become less heavy with time. A friend of mine loved Hesse too and her mother said to us: Read it when you are young, Hesse won't be as magical when you get older. And she was right, even though the books are still good literature in my view. So fuck excuses and start to read him now. If you don't like Siddharta, try Steppenwolf.

[@annalaudanna6857]

I really want to start read Herman hesse's books, can you raccomand me where to start ? An order to read his books?

[@lordmoreau]

@@annalaudanna6857 Start with Siddhartha, then you'll find your own path within Hesse's opera 😉

[@freakymeff]

i find Herman Hesse such a fascinating writer. Struggling now with the Glass Bead Game, but Siddharta will likely be my next Hesse novel.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Nice one! I'm currently rereading his Narcissus and Goldmund. I'd love to know what you make of Siddharta :)

[@davidsmith-vq6zj]

Yes a 5 star ⭐️ book, my thinking is read it more than once, you can pick up something new each time, for me the main lessons learnt were, follow the river stop swimming upstream, clear your mind of unnecessary fodder and most importantly we are what we think, you manifest everything in your own life, a great lesson to stop blaming others for your own faults. Hope it’s useful 🙏

[@sihamskhiri2280]

I read Demian and I have just finished reading Seddhartha... and I can say that Hermann Hesse is my favorite writer

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

That's awesome, Siham! Hermann Hesse is definitely an incredible writer :)

[@matthewbennett2735]

Yet another fantastic video Benjamin! Your passion is both inspirational and infectious. Going to share this with my girlfriend who has just started delving into the wonderful world of Hesse. Hermann Hesse is, without a doubt, my favourite author. Such poignant, lush, and romantic writing - an amalgamation of art, psychology, philosophy, religion, literature, romanticism. Masterful works. This book in particular, as you've illustrated in the video, is a particular work of beauty, to be read and reread. Siddharta perfectly encapsulates all Hesse's prior works. For those interested, the core themes of Siddharta are further explored in my personal favourite Hesse novel, Narziss and Goldmund - but you can't go wrong with any of em'

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Matthew :) I really appreciate your kind words, and for sharing the video with your girlfriend. I bet you're excited that she's reading one of your favourite authors - you'll have so much to discuss! I can feel your passion for the great man's work in your words!

[@andrko7908]

Reading this right after reading the alchemist. Haven’t started yet but am excited to get into it

[@exildoc]

“Oh Freunde, nicht diese Töne” precious quote from Beethoven’s 9th, from Schiller’s Ode. Lovely to hear it from your mouth!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Dankeschön :)

[@1siddynickhead]

You've done it again! Made me want to read a book I had no interest in picking up😂 I was given a copy of this as a gift from my dad a long while ago and as someone who was born and raised Buddhist it was the equivalent of getting Bible stories for your birthday. Siddhartha's story has been drummed into us since childhood so I was quite resistant to rehashing it with a foreign author but you've convinced this jaded Buddhist! And yes, there is such a thing!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you! That is indeed one of my personal missions. A lot of readers grumbled when I said we're reading "Persuasion", but many now have a favourite new book. What a great gift from your father. I can relate with your jaded Buddhism as my own Christian upbringing and overfamiliarity with the New Testament may have been one of the things which reduced my appreciation of Crime and Punishment. But I promise this slim read is worth it :)

[@1siddynickhead]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy yes, isn't it strange that we resist everything that was compulsory as children! I trust your judgement Ben, so I will give this a go:)

[@RidleyJones]

I just finished this, incidentally while grieving the recent and unexpected loss of a deeply beloved pet (so much so that even characterizing it that way makes it sound hollow and distant). I found it to be such a comfort while in that state of mind, as well.

[@bard8499]

Thanks for the great video, Ben! I'm currently reading Steppenwolf and I'm really enjoying it. Will pick up Siddhartha next.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you :) It will be interesting to know which one you prefer!

[@IzabellaBooks]

this book is indeed among my favorites and close to my heart

[@elialexander-tanner5784]

Thanks for sharing. I agree this is a five star book. I've read most of Hesse's novels and this video has inspired me to revisit them!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much! That makes me so happy to hear :)

[@suzibarlow3611]

Thank you so much for this. I was going through my too big library at home and came across Hesses' books from my teens in the 60s. I was heavily influenced by this one idea. Paraphrasing: Everyone is born seeking their home with nothing more to guide them than their homesickness. We are always on the path home.

[@lynhenderson7524]

Loving this. Hesse never discussed enough!

[@richardfox2865]

Brother, you should be proud of yourself, your work, and your vision with your podcast. I'm an old guy, but I know you are on track.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Richard! That really means the world to me. You have completely made my day. I appreciate you 🙏

[@DavidinMiami]

I just finished reading Siddhartha for the second time! The first time I was seventeen; I am now fifty-nine! I gained new insights this time around; much of it felt parabolic and relatable.Thank you for these tips!

[@kumaridesilva3992]

I hear this often from people: that Siddhartha is the Buddha, but that doesn't make sense, because within the book he actually means THE Buddha, Gautama of the Shakyamuni clan. The main character of this book is a different Siddhartha, having his own hero's journey. Go back and check if you don't believe me! Besides that, the story of THE Buddha goes in a completely different order: he starts out wealthy, gets married and has a kid BEFORE he even leaves on his journey or learns to meditate. Our main character, I won't give any spoilers here - but he is neither married nor a father in chapter one. And he's already a consummate meditator before he leaves home. It's a different person

[@gabrielfaure9091]

I read Siddhartha last summer in the holy land. Reading the last chapters by the Sea of Galilee was just an amazing experience. Like you said this book got quite the beating.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Wow. That's such a cool reading experience!

[@gooddaysahead1]

I'm teaching a class this spring entitled: Learning Buddhism through literature. I'm using this book as well as the razor's edge, by Somerset Maugham.

[@susprime7018]

The river, life in harmony, one with nature. Liked it, came in handy for a college bio conservation class.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

What a wonderful book to read for a biological conservation class. Siddharta is great environmental literature!

[@samar1462]

Siddhartha is a beautifully crafted piece!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

100% :)

[@louvega8414]

Wow, that's more that I clicked for! Love the intro on Hermann Hesse. I'm in!

[@ninac.5921]

I am so excited to see you talk about Hesse! It is my mom‘s favorite author so I read Steppenwolf last year and I plan on reading Siddharta very soon. To be honest tho I didn‘t do a deep read of it, I just read it and enjoyed the story and writing. But I should do a deep read some time soon

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Nina :) Hesse's a great favourite author to have. Do let me know what you think of Siddharta - slim but powerful. If you enjoyed Steppenwolf, I'm sure you love this one too!

[@kurthi99]

Trust me this is a deep book . The essence is about connecting with self within instead of going all over. The great sage Ramana Maharshi talks about this ...it's a beautiful crafted book. End of the day divine mother is unconditional love.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

That's such a beautiful review. Thank you so much for sharing :)

[@kurthi99]

Thanks mate...as sage Ramana Maharshi says only through constant questioning who am i? We will connect to the truth. This is what Hermann Hesse talks about. When we sleep and dream the sage says we know that we are dreaming. So who is that is dreaming. The second key point is truth can only be experienced...it can't be found in books, religion etc.... exactly what sage Ramana Maharshi says.

[@Koolasookis]

Thank you so much for making this video. I got a copy of the book around a week ago from my school library (it’s the Hilda Rosner translation) and I’m loving it so far. The reason why I wanted to read it was because my mother once read it when she was younger, growing up in India, and it was one of her favorite books. Now I’m reading it, from the US, and it might possibly be my favorite book I’ve read thus far (not that I’ve read that many books though). I’m enjoying it so much that I’ve asked my parents to get me a copy of it for my birthday, which is a little over a month from now. I’m definitely going to use your suggestions to make the most out of this book. I’m also considering reading Steppenwolf or some of Hesse’s other works. I have one question though. You mention using Hesse as a gateway to Indian literature. Are there any good pieces of Indian literature that you can recommend?

[@richardfox2865]

Your work is superb, Ben; I listen with interest each time. Keep up the good work.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Richard. I really appreciate that!

[@richardfox2865]

​@@BenjaminMcEvoy no, mate. You have produced real content. We need to thank you...

[@jthomas3528]

I have read this book many times throughout my life. Starting with a world literature class in high school. Each time the book means something a little different to me.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

I completely relate to that! I already look forward to my next rereading just to see how much I've changed.

[@raiden6156]

Just finished this today. It's very moving.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

The ending was powerful - worth reading just for the last chapter alone!

[@annalaudanna6857]

Can someone raccomend me an order to read herman hesse's books?, i really want to read his works but i don't know where to start

[@dana-ce1vb]

Absolutely loved your video and your other book recommendations! Valuable content

[@kfwimmer]

I'm gonna give it a go in German! Thank you, great video.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

That's so cool! I'd love to hear how you get on, Karl :)

[@ruanstrydom7533]

Great review!I have heard a lot about Hermann Hesse and I am aware of his 4 most famous works but havent read any of his books yet.Any tips on where I can start with Hesse , would be appreciated.

[@ceciliabustos9979]

I read Saddaharta many years ago. The translation in my opinion was not great. I am ready for a re-read. Of course, I have grown a lot since so I imagine 😮😊 this time I am going to have a different experience. I love your videos. Thank you so much

[@rionnie4443]

Good thing I'm German and can read the original version c: I am learning Japanese right now because there are some books I actually want to read in their original language, it also makes one much more motivated to learn a language (Still I must say I am struggling to understand everything in Siddhartha, lol)

[@benarthurhuzz4664]

Oh I've also always wanted to learn german because of its great literature and German philosophers' contribution to philosophy. However I haven't started yet but I definitely will do in the future.

[@robinmalik4528]

Also vocabulary is really awesome 👏

[@cocacolachy]

Having read Siddhartha, which books of Hesse would you recommend to dive into next?

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Steppenwolf or Demian :)

[@phelan5387]

For me, Siddhartha was not hard to understand. My favorite work of Heman Hesse was Narcissus and Goldman written for the artist in everybody. Hesse understood the mind and temperament of the artist.

[@kathrynmcnerney6490]

I love Siddhartha!

[@waterglas21]

Steppenwolf is so good, IMO better than much of the french existentialist stuff.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

You're so right :)

[@KhabibandEnola]

This is one of my favourite books !

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Mine too :)

[@aayushmaadhikari658]

This video's location shows Kapilvastu. Wow, Kapilvastu is in Nepal. One of your avid viewers too!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Greetings all the way over in Nepal :)

[@docm27]

Gertrude and Peter Camenzind moved me when I read them in my teens.

[@jrG070605]

Can you do a hard-core reading breakdown of Augustine

[@Tommy-xy1eh]

Dear Benjamin , Is it a novel or the story of the Buddha ? I’d love to start reading it ! Thank you again 🙏🏻

[@Koolasookis]

It’s not the story of the Buddha, its about a separate character named Siddhartha

[@adie4928]

I'm reading Siddharta now and I have Campbell's book. So I guess I'm not sleeping tonight.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Haha - relatable :)

[@SylviaAlana]

🕊️🙏🏼namaste 🕉️

[@Irish-in-Bangkok.]

I'd love to hear your opinion on "The Outsider" by Colin Wilson

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Tremendous book. I love Colin Wilson. 'The Outsider' was the novel that introduced his work to me - since then, I've read dozens of his works on positive psychology and existentialism. 'The Strength to Dream' is a particular lesser-known favourite of mine. 'The Outsider' is a perfect entrance for anyone wishing to explore Dostoyevsky, Nietzsche, Hesse, Blake, and many more of these prophetic writers. I really must do a podcast or video on him some time soon :)

[@Irish-in-Bangkok.]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Wow.. Thank you for taking the time to reply 🙏

[@gooddaysahead1]

The Razor's Edge will be a companion.

[@binishcyriac2175]

You got the point dude!!!

[@robinmalik4528]

I think if you are in Middle Ages person ,This book relates so much with you

[@aayushmaadhikari658]

Wish I could be a part of Hardcore literature book club but it's too expensive for me!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Luckily there are plenty of videos and podcasts coming out all the time, so you can still read along with me :)

[@aayushmaadhikari658]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy I am half way through a self-proclaimed literature major following your guidance from the blog (what an oxford english student reads). I have been a part of your mailing list for a long time. I was very happy when you started uploading videos on KZbin. I visit the patreon site and check what to read next in the Hardcore Literature book club. Thank you for putting so much effort. You are a gem on the internet!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

@@aayushmaadhikari658 Thank you so much :) I really appreciate such kind words! And I'm thrilled to hear you're reading along!

[@jamesleonard2870]

TheDead Zone is the first “big book” I read. I felt like I was an adult =]

[@fashionearrings]

How would an atheist and non spiritualist approach this read? Or should we give it a pass?

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Connect it with that inner part of you that the religious refer to as "divine", but stripped of its religious resonance. One could argue that my viewpoint is technically an atheistic viewpoint too. But I believe in presence, vocation, and meaning. If you've ever felt the need for more stillness in your life, and a sense of renewed purpose, this book will still be a wonderful read for you.

[@fashionearrings]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy OK. No harm in giving it a go. Thx.

[@parthabiswas5388]

🌷🌷

[@gooddaysahead1]

Stop thinking... Thinking is like taking photographs. The time and effort you are spending taking pictures you are taking time away from living.