Is it worth a read? It’s a short book so why not

Yes, you will be enlightened at the end.

>>24474128 (OP)
I was reading it few moths ago and had mixed feelings. On one hand being an Indian I could connect to the kind of spirituality presented here. But it becomes painfully obvious that this is written by a western liberal hippie.

The writing itself is fine and may enjoy it.

>>24474137
Literally ancient hindu wisdom is wasted on modern day indians. We westerners should absorb the Bhagavad-Gita and the Vedas in our own culture and then genociding you bugs, you are not worthy of your own ancient culture.

>>24474128 (OP)
Something about Hesse always put me off. Tried reading Steppenwolf and quit after 30% of it. Kind of seemed like it won't get anything out of it.
Tried reading Siddhartha and I was cock-blocked on the first page. Don't know what happened there. I've read far more boring books. So thats probably not it. I probably won't try reading him again. Just try and see. Shouldn't be expensive to try

>>24474147
>ancient hindu wisdom
>Like fuck orthodoxy bro, find your own path bro

>>24474128 (OP)
Seeing the cover for this book always makes me want to masturbate to swarthy indian girls.

>>24474156
No such thing as your own path, in the year of our lord 2025 there is not one (1) person alive who can surpass the wisdom of old.

>>24474128 (OP)
only if you’re a teenager
>be me
>18
>steal this book from a bookstore
>start taking LSD
>have a wildly clear vision of the enlightenment of all mankind
>all human beings arrayed in perfect equanimity exactly like pic related (which I didn’t see until years later)
we are ALL gonna make it

>>24474128 (OP)
Any time spent reading Hermann Hesse is time spent not reading Thomas Mann

>>24474128 (OP)
if you want to reflect about your own life and mature as a person yeah.
if you won't take any teachings from the book itself and see it as an isolated adventure and not a lesson for you, then don't read it.

Hesse is a bit sappy but its still worth reading

No. This book is terrible. You don't want it on this board. Why stop thinking?

All I remember about this book is he is a monk, becomes a merchant, and gets a prozzie preggers

Read Narcissus and Goldmund

>>24474188
sexy

>>24475156
That's probably the platonic ideal of how to engage with this book. But hopefully you didn't go off and join a cult or something

>>24474128 (OP)
I hated it, and Hesse in general, but as you say it's a short book. Worth giving it a shot I suppose- lots of people love it. But don't be surprised, also, if you don't.

>>24474137
>western liberal hippie
lol, pretty much. I get why esp. US leftists went crazy for the guy for a while, but it's harder to take him seriously today. He's a hybrid of writer and spiritualist, but falls frustratingly short as both.

>>24474151
>Tried reading Steppenwolf and quit after 30% of it. Kind of seemed like it won't get anything out of it.
It doesn't get better; you made the right call. I liked it just barely enough to finish it, and idk if it was worth it. He's just really not good at writing characters.

>>24475156
>only if you’re a teenager
Yeah I too read it when I was younger and it blew my mind and got me into classic literature

>>24474128 (OP)
this is the most blatant example of pseud spirituality

>>24475547
Worst book I ever read, only book I've thrown out

>>24477924
Sad

>>24474128 (OP)
I was pretty disappointed. It's a preachy sugar-coated orientalist moral tale.

>>24474128 (OP)
I went in without any expectations and absolutely loved it.
There is a lot of wisdom in it.
Made me want to read all of Hesse's works.

However, if you're a pseudo intellectual nihilistic narcissist like a lot of commenters on this thread, you probably won't get much out of it.

Those who have beared witness to the truth will recognize that Hesse's seen the truth. Hesse had a near-death experience and spent a lot of time near death; I think you can trust his word over people who haven't even had a grandparent die yet.

>>24477942
>>24476692
I like the book but I do think you guys are right.

>>24474137
>>24476685
Yes

Hmmm much to think about

yes

>>24474128 (OP)
I think Hesse is doing something deep across his works that I just can't quite come at. It's not a failing of his, but mine. I don't think I have the cumulative life experiences to cross the bridge to where he is. Maybe in another decade or two.