81: James Gomes re-reads the spiritual classic Siddhartha

It’s a new year, 2024, and that means James Gomes re-read Siddhartha by Herman Hesse for the umpteenth time. It’s a short book, it’s in the public domain, and Gomes says he gets something new out of it every time. 

I know that happened for me. He set up an online book club, and I read along with him. I had read the book a few years ago, and based on my reading this time, I didn’t remember as much as I’d thought. I got new insights, but like most things in my brain, they passed away. 

We touch on the biggest themes of existence, life, death, purpose, and more in a wide-ranging discussion this time. They are not resolved. There are big unanswered questions about who the hero is, who's right, and who's wrong. The ending is ambiguous, or open to interpretation. You can get something new every time you read it.

Enjoy. :) 

 

For further reading: 

• You can read see the start to Gomes' Siddhartha reading plan and its resulting posts here. 
• You can read a translation of the book here. 
• You can listen to my last conversation with Gomes on the book here.