Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

This classic novel, set in India during the life of the Buddha, begins as a young man named Siddhartha decides to leave his parents’ home in search of inner knowledge, wisdom, and the renunciation of the Self. He joins the ascetics, and becomes adept at living a life of self-denial, but finds that he is still dissatisfied with the results. His Self is still with him. He listens to the teachings of the Buddha, but decides he must go his own way. The very short book (about 150 pages) follows his efforts and charts his ups and downs on the path to self-knowledge.

My book discussion group read this book recently, and the majority opinion was, “I didn’t enjoy the book, but I’m glad I read it.” I have to agree. The lack of reading enjoyment stems from the lack of character development. The people in the book are more Jungian archetypes than real people. (The author was a patient of Dr. Jung.) One group member made the excellent point that Siddhartha is not so much a novel as it is a book of religious philosophy. Hence the emphasis on Siddhartha’s inner life.

Does this mean I don’t recommend the book? Oh, no. Let’s concentrate on the second part of the sentence above, the “I’m glad I read it” part. Siddhartha is definitely worth reading even if it isn’t a thrill a minute. The character of Siddhartha is someone most of us can identify with as we struggle to understand ourselves and to decide how we want to live our lives.

For another take on this book, see my colleague Dan’s review from a few years ago.

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Little Princes by Conor Grennan

At first Conor Grennan thought his three-month stint volunteering in a Nepalese orphanage would be a fun way to start his trip around the world, an opportunity to get in some good mountain climbing, and, of course, an impressive conversation starter with the babes at the local bars.  But as soon as he arrives at the door to the Little Princes Orphanage, Conor realizes he is totally unprepared—what was he thinking?  He has no siblings, no young cousins, nieces or nephews, has never done any babysitting—he has no experience with children whatsoever!

Conor soon catches on, and, in spite of his bone-wearying exhaustion at the end of each day, he learns to love the experience and the children of Little Princes.

One day, not long before Conor’s scheduled flight out of Nepal, a woman arrives at the orphanage’s door, claiming to be the mother of two of the Little Princes orphans.  It is then Conor realizes that the children of Little Princes are not orphans—they are trafficked.

What follows is a story of adventure, integrity, and devotion told with self-deprecating humor that inspires one to believe that one ordinary person can make a difference in even the most remote and dangerous places.

There is much about the Nepalese culture in Little Princes to provide opportunity for discussion.  There is also a civil war occurring during the events, which facilitated the child trafficking.  Religious traditions (Buddhist and Christian) are briefly mentioned in the book as Conor considers his own spirituality, but this is a very small part of the book.

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The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, and Issa edited by Robert Hass

Every now and then the book lover may discover a volume that might invoke a library rather than a book, and as the pages are turned everything seems to be in it. The Essential Haiku, edited and partly translated by Robert Hass, is one of these “libraries” – albeit (and as the title suggests) a specialized one.
Hass’ book offers much more than just haiku poems: there are essays devoted to Basho, Buson, and Issa; there are examples of each poet’s prose; one chapter is dedicated to Basho’s thoughts on poetry; there are notes on different Japanese genres; a note on translation; and an extensive list of further readings – all in all a generous source.

Japan’s poetry tradition is rich and ancient, but outside of the country the knowledge of Japanese verse is usually limited to the seventeen syllable haiku. There are quite a few traits of the haiku poems that make them untranslatable – puns are, as Hass explains, often lost; Syllable count? Don’t bother! The syntax? Well… – but some elements do survive the passage from Japanese to English. For example, the spirit of haiku requires plain language, and this can certainly be a building block of a translation. And then there is matter of nature and seasons, and the presence of Zen Buddhism.

Basho once said that a poet should detach his mind from self, and enter into the object, sharing its delicate life and feelings, and this monastic mindset can transcend language barriers and give a sense of the original poem, as in this interpretation of Basho by Hass: The winter sun – / on the horse’s back / my frozen shadow.

Haiku can be understood as purely descriptive (although some poets would shun this notion), but it is also symbolic. The ever-present seasons are what they are, but they also stand for something else. However, a reader doesn’t have to study Japanese culture, history, and mindset in order to embrace haiku – like art in general, haiku can be grasped on many different levels, and (to use Basho’s words once again) perhaps it’s enough if the poem seems as light “as a shallow river flowing over its sandy bed,” as in this Basho haiku: Winter garden, / the moon thinned to a thread, / insects singing.

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Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

Do you ever wonder why we’re here and what is meant for us?  I’m sure that, like me, many of you have had several careers, or have had other large changes in your life such as marriage, raising kids, going back to school, divorce, starting over, dealing with aging parents or the death of loved ones.  Here’s a story about someone else searching to find his true path in life.

In this novel a young man named Siddhartha is in line to be the next ruler of his noble family, and eventually the kingdom.  But he leaves this all behind for an ascetic and contemplative life.  Then, restless, he discards it for one indulging in all the senses of the flesh.  He conceives a son, but bored and sickened by lust and greed, moves on again.  Near despair, Siddhartha comes to a river where he hears a unique sound.  This sound signals the true beginning of life —the beginning of suffering, rejection, peace and, finally, wisdom.

This is one of my favorite novels of all time.  I first read it the summer I turned 18 just after high school and before going away to college.  It was a gift from a friend and mentor, and this novel taught me that there is a path for everyone, and that not everyone’s path through life is supposed to be the same.  It’s a modern classic that is still read widely and if you haven’t discovered it yet, you should.  Or, if, like me, you read it years ago, maybe it’s time to pick it up again and see what it has to say to you now.

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If you like this book, you may also enjoy The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac, Buddha: a Story of Enlightenment by Deepak Chopra or the other novels of Herman Hesse.