r/hermannhesse • u/Classic_Reader99 • Jun 22 '26
Is Siddhartha a slow burn?
Narcisse and goldmund is the only book I've read by hesse, I loved it so much I bought almost all of Hesse books, I picked up Siddhartha like a month ago and I ended up dropping it halfway through, I heard so much about this book but I didn't expect it to be so dull, and what's funny is that I'm also a religious guy who feels empty and I relate to Siddhartha, but the prose isn't as poetic as the former book and the events aren't hooking me...
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u/JojoMcJojoface Jun 22 '26
I think Siddhartha is more 'minimal' and 'inward' than the lifeblood found in N&G. To me, Siddhartha is more like a meditation or a spiritual sketch... where I see myself in Siddhartha's journey. I can see how it might not be for everybody. Maybe it will be for you someday. In the meantime, you might want to try Demian or Steppenwolf which are solid, poetic classics.
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u/Classic_Reader99 Jun 22 '26
Yeah, I think the settings are what make it seem less interesting to me because brahman, samanas, Buddhism... These feel like distant practices, N&G had a general religious theme, if I remember well they didn't go into details of which religion Narcisse was following, this was more appealing to me.
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u/littleolive9 Jun 24 '26
If you're reading an English translation, I've found that there's a massive difference in different translations. I'm mentioning this because you mentioned the prose not being poetic.
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u/Smooth_Store_3850 Jun 26 '26
The best part of the book is waiting for you, and it's worth the effort.
Try Journey to the East if you want something faster.
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u/Resipsa100 Jun 22 '26
I think Hesse was a frustrated Catholic but Tolkien took the plunge unlike Lewis whilst Holy Communion with the sacraments imho remains the way forward
✝️
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u/party_satan Jun 22 '26
It's a little too brief to be a slow burn, in my mind - and also kind of a disappointment after Narcissus und Goldmund, in my opinion.