Siddhartha: An Indian Tale

A bold new translation of Hesse's most beloved work by an award-winning translator.

Hesse's famous and influential novel, Siddhartha, is perhaps the most important and compelling moral allegory our troubled century has produced. Published in 1922, it synthesizes Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, along with psychoanalysis and philosophy.

Set in India, Siddhartha is the story of a young Brahman's search for ultimate reality after meeting with the Buddha. His quest takes him from a life of profligacy to asceticism, through the illusory joys of sensual love with a beautiful courtesan and of wealth and fame, to the painful struggles with his son and the ultimate wisdom of renunciation. Written with a deep and moving empathy for humanity, in a voice of simple, radiant lyricism, Siddhartha is a novel that resonates with all ages.