Siddhartha

Siddhartha (first published in 1922) is a novel based on the early life of Buddha, inspired by the author's visit to India before the First World War.  The novel is about the young Brahmin Siddhartha's search for self-realisation.  Disturbed by the contradictions between his comfortable life and the harsh reality around, he takes to the life of a wanderer.  But an ascetic life, and shunning all temptations, does not give him a sense of fulfillment either.  Despairing of his condition, he goes to the riverbank, sitting there quietly.  And then in the silence, he could hear himself, his inner self.  In the end he grasps the wholeness of life, experiencing the sense of fulfillment and wisdom which come with it.  written in a simple style, Siddhartha is considered a classic work dealing with the meaning of life.