Siddhartha (Penguin Classics): (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

A superb book which seems to encapsulate the essential teachings of Buddhism. This book benefits from an excellent translation which faithfully conveys the meaning of the text in a thoroughly eloquent way. A pity that it is not available as an eBook.

A timeless classic that everybody should read at least once per decade

Totally worth it

Please note: The pages of this product are "deckle edged", that is they have a subtle, irregular "cut".But, as I have just recently learned from a certain vendor of this product, this "cut/finish" of the paper is NOT an imperfection but a very intentional effect styled by the publisher owing to which the book is valued more as compared to conventional, smooth paper "cut" edition(s) by the same publisher.Hence, this edition of the book is sold as the Penguin Deluxe Edition -- because of the deckle edge binding of the pages, the seemingly, perhaps ostensibly, larger size of the font, and other so called 'changes/improvements' as compared to the other edition(s) sold by Penguin.Again, I am not advertising or encouraging anyone to buy this product. Personally, I find the conventional smooth paper edges more aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. But then, I don't really have any complaints about this product other than this trivial cosmetic trait that does not otherwise undermine my personal reading experience.To be honest, the deckle edged pages, now that I have read a few pages, makes me otherwise feel as if I am turning over the parchments of some medieval book. An innocent experience worth its own honest dime.

The best thing I can say about this book, Siddhartha, is that it is indeed a classic jewel. I am happy to have been able to find such a literary work of art; not only in the form of a great novel, but as a novel that simultaneously professes great spiritual enlightenment in everyday general terms. There are dozens of “best” paragraphs I could quote, but I will randomly quote the following, not because it is better than most paragraphs, but because it is just one of the many forceful paragraphs:“Siddhartha learned much among the samanas, he learned to follow many paths away from his ego. He followed the path of unselfing through pain, through the voluntary suffering and overcoming of pain, of hunger, of thirst, of fatigue. He followed the path of unselfing through meditation, through thinking till the mind was empty of all notions. He learned to follow those and other paths, he left his self a thousands times, for hours on end and days on end he lingered in the nonself. But though the paths led away from the ego, in the end they always led back to the ego. Though Siddhartha fled his ego a thousand times, dwelling in nothingness, in animal, in rock, the return was inevitable since he found himself again, in the sunlight or in the moonlight, in shade or in rain, and again was ego and Siddhartha, and again felt the torment of the onerous cycle.”

Beautiful book inside and out. I know I'll be reaching out for this book throughout my life again and again.

Amazing