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Title details for Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse - Wait list

Siddhartha

by Hermann Hesse
Paul Ansdell
Audiobook
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Siddhartha, a 1922 novel by Hermann Hesse, deals with the spiritual journey of self-discovery of a man named Siddhartha during the time of the Gautama Buddha. After learning what he can from Goutama, the young man decides to go off into the busy city, and leads a life of greed and lust. When he realizes that the lifestyle is not fulfilling, he reflects on his life and goes to a river to contemplate suicide. However, it is here that Siddhartha meets a man who will change his life and help lead him to enlightenment, in this classic coming of age story about finding meaning and purpose. Hesse's ninth novel, it was written in German, in a simple, lyrical style. Published in the U.S. in 1951, it became popular during the 1960s owing to its central theme of spiritual awakening.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    September 20, 2016

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781666602296
      • File size: 135601 KB
      • Duration: 04:42:30

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Siddhartha was a mid-century revelation to generations of Western students new to Eastern religions. While it no longer brings the shock of the new, Hesse's story of a lifelong seeker of inner peace still has the enduring purity of myth or fable. Siddhartha and his more conventional friend, Govinda, set out on their quest together but take different paths when Govinda chooses to follow an enlightened master, while Siddhartha believes that true wisdom can't be found by following signposts erected by others. The new translation and production here are fine, though Baron Christian's voice gives more pleasure than his pronunciation. B.G. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      February 27, 2017
      Actor Ansdell guides listeners in his firm and gentle voice through Hesse’s lyrical prose depicting the self-discovery journey of his protagonist, Siddhartha. Ansdell’s pacing and English accent give his reading for the audiobook an air of philosopher’s wisdom. Ansdell is especially good at pauses and inflections that express Siddhartha’s moods of exaltation and utter despair at various points in his life as a young Brahman, an ascetic, a lover, businessman, and then as a father and elderly recluse who sits by the river and finally experiences the peace and tranquility he has always sought. Published in German in 1922 and in English in 1951, the revival of Hesse’s novel in this era of widespread interest in Eastern religions offers Ansdell a vehicle for his diverse narrative talents.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      No living English-speaking actor outshines Derek Jacobi, nor any audiobook reader for that matter. He sings, rather than speaks, with extraordinary lyricism, expressiveness and depth. Here he interprets the justly famed mystical novel by Nobelist Hermann Hesse. The title character, a contemporary of Gautama Buddha, unable to embrace the teachings of others, goes on a spiritual quest for personal truth that brings him all the way to the River of Life. Jacobi approaches the text with a direct, childlike fervor. He brings home the subtleties of Siddhartha's inner journey with amazing clarity and resonance, which he makes more exciting than the most thrilling thriller--for this is a detective story par excellence, a hunt for the mystery of self with eternity hanging in the balance. Y.R. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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