Customer Reviews

Siddhartha (Modern Library)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Beautifully translated, evoking the majesty in the simple story of a man in his lifelong journey towards the attainment of Enlightenment. Melodic in its tone but true to the original German Susan Bernofsky's translation has set a new standard among the various English translations currently available. As many times as I have read and enjoyed Siddhartha over the years (about 10 or so readings) never have I enjoyed a translation as much as Ms. Bernofsky's - a truly remarkable effort.

When I came upon a new translation of Siddhartha by the revered Susan Bernofsky, I was drawn to revisit this book from thirty years ago. Like many teens of the early seventies, I was affected deeply by Siddhartha. It offered me a way to find and embrace spirituality--spirituality that was more aligned with the Beatles, the anti-war movement, and my own peer culture than was my childhood Episcopalian upbringing. This new volume didn't disappoint. Bernofsky, whose translations I've long admired, pays careful attention to Hesse's musical prose and lyricism. The simple messages and Siddhartha's adventures were even more delightful that I remembered. This is a much more beautifully rendered version than the one I read in my youth. Bernofsky's mastery of German coupled with her understanding of and faithfulness to Hesse's pure and rather innocent lessons make this a refreshing read, like dipping one's feet into a cool brook on an August day. I'm glad I revisited this old friend. Siddhartha has stood the test of time. Bravo to Bernofsky, as well.

A friend and I agreed to re-read Siddhartha. Quite fortuitously this was the edition we chose. Either the book has been stripped of all inelegance in this translation, revealing its poetic and timeless beauty, or we have finally caught up to Hesse's grace and wisdom. I suspect it is more of the former.
Yet, in the translation lies something very structural about the book and its themes. There is a kind of inevitability of the tale that seemed to be missing in earlier versions. It flows just as we, at some unconscious level, imagine it should unfold. Siddhartha's challenges to himself and the people who surround him form a profound framing of his life's quest. It is his acceptance of the results of this quest, and the tone of the revelation of it in this text that flows much more like poetry than in prior versions. One senses that this is the tale Hesse meant to tell, and the feeling he wanted to impart. It is a simple tale of the Jungian completion of the self, but told as a tone poem, a lullaby, a prayer, a myth, a celebration, and ultimately, as a wonder.
The major characters of the book - Govinda, Kamala, Buddha, the boatman, and Siddhartha's son - all play their parts at various points in the tale, but the boatman and the river itself take Siddhartha the farthest. Siddhartha's skepticism of dogma and doctrine (of the Buddha, of Govinda, of the world of business) drives him to find his own way, but it is not until he has been satiated with both the "spiritual" and the material world, and been tortured by the indifference of his son that he comes back to the river and the boatman to find his ultimate way and true peace. It is at once the individual and the universal peace of "solving" oneself - of the self and the Atman united in a very lyrical playing out of the inner theme common to us all. When philosophy becomes art, and when that art becomes mythic poetry, one is in the presence of something truly transformative. That is the sense that this version of the story conveys.
Good for Modern Library for coming out with Susan Bernofsky's translation. It is a new book in many respects, but one that is now being sold as what it will rightfully become - a great world classic in English as well as German.

The book itself is a treasure, I can't add to any of the kudos it's received, but till now I've only been able to appreciate it in the original German (which is pretty simple and doesn't require a PhD in Germanic Studies to decode). The two English translations I have are simply a shame, with as much heart and poetry as the average daily newspaper column. This one, however, judging by the first chapter generously provided above, looks very promising, it drew me in right away and certainly makes me want to order the book, which I'll do as soon as I post this review :-)

So, now I'm wondering why neither this version nor the Hilda Rosner I've seen mentioned are the major translations of the book. Why does the bland version with 496 reviews, and no named translator come up at the top of the list when you search the title here? Very strange...

Translating is an ART, and not everyone who is bilingual can do it well. A good translation can be more difficult to achieve than writing a book from scratch. And, like I said, this one seems to project the voice of the original.

Hilda Rosner's translation for Bantam is the standard as far as "Siddhartha" is concerned, but this new translation by Susan Bernofsky captures the spirit of Hesse's work equally as well, if not better. Her wording is less detached, less archaic, and ultimately more involving than Rosner's, while not as close to the original tone of the novel. Translating is rewriting, as we all know, and Bernofsky does a very good job of rewriting "Siddhartha."

It includes a great foreword by Tom Robbins, one of my favorite authors. The translation is beautiful.

i've only read one other translation before reading this one. this one appears to be smoother. as for the story, it is wonderful, somewhat bittersweet, far different than originally expected, but, magnificent nevertheless. it doesn't take long to read and you won't get distracted by errors. as it is already a classic, it is difficult for me to do anything but highly recommend it. this is a book that is most appealing to individuals who wish to assume a spiritual path, who have an interest in eastern philosophies. it contains no material inappropriate for teens. i give it a solid "A", i don't think, if you're like me, you'll want to lay this aside once you have picked it up!

What a wonderful journey, and to find it underneath the chocolate sauce of a forward by Tom Robbins is almost too much ice cream to eat.

I love this book and am so happy to have belatedly discovered this author. It is written in simple language, in a form resembling a parable, and contains profound implications regarding both the tragic and transcendent nature of life. In a text that is moving, philosophical and spiritual, Hesse has distilled his perception of aspects of Eastern thought into a wholly accessible work. Siddhartha's struggle to let go of the Self, to move beyond it, is a key through line in this story. In his various states of rich and poor and in-between, Siddhartha's senses are awakened, only to be deadened again, at which time he resumes his search, in an effort to discover the root of his dissatisfaction in his various realms of experience, whether material or non-material. He suffers, he is gluttonous, he is ascetic, he is lustful (at least, in the context of a monogamous relationship) and decadent. However, in all of those states Siddhartha observes his life with detachment. He moves on from, and lets go of, anyone who would interfere with his quest, and in doing so still has faith that any of the those who are truly important to him will return, or be returned, to him. All of Siddhartha's mentors/gurus from the different stages of his life have significance, but ultimately none of them have importance. Because all men are part of an overarching unity that includes bad and good, saint and sinner, and all the other complements that exist in life. And within those contradictions lies the key to fully understanding this story. I can actually say I learned something from this book, that being: "Be careful about judging others, because all those others are in you". This is a great book with which to start off the New Year! I am looking forward to reading more of Hesse's work.

Stephen C. Bird, author of "Hideous Exuberance: A Satire"

i bought this book for my father. We read it in highschool and it is just one of those books you must read and have in your library. The story of Buddha, or rather, Siddhartha, is a total classic for any age.