Siddhartha by Hesse, Herman - 1922

Berlin: S. Fischer Verlag, 1922 First edition, first printing, with "Erste bis sechste Auflage" to the copyright page. Publisher's orange boards, lettered in black. Near fine, with some light wear and rubbing to the hinges, light toning and some bowing to the boards, former owner's inscription to the front free endpaper, otherwise bright and clean interior. Overall, a very bright and attractive copy. Housed in a custom clamshell box. Siddhartha is the ninth novel by German-Swiss author Hermann Hesse. After traveling to Sri Lanka and Indonesia among other locations in South Asia, Hesse became intrigued with the religions and cultures of the region, and these interests - specifically Buddhist philosophies - became highly influential in his writing. In Siddhartha, Hesse describes the spiritual and physical journey of a young man named Siddhartha who hopes to achieve Enlightenment. Interestingly, the protagonist is based loosely on a young Guatama Buddha, whose was also known as Siddhartha Guatama, but the fictional Siddhartha is not a simple reflection of the Buddha, who is represented in this novel by the religious figure Gotama. Hesse's gift for poetry is evidenced in the lyrical nature of this text, which lends itself to the spiritual subject matter. Although it was first published in 1922, Siddhartha was published in neither a second German edition nor first translated edition until the first American edition from New Directions in 1951. While Hesse was an acclaimed German author, the Nazi Party in Germany suppressed his writing along with other contemporary work that did not conform to the state's regulations. After it was published in the United Sates, Siddhartha experienced a surge in popularity during the counterculture movement.. 1st Edition.. Hard Cover. Near Fine.