Download The Shadow of the Wind – September 24, 2014

The Shadow of the Wind (Penguin Drop Caps) Hardcover – September 24, 2014
Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon ID: 0143126393

From Publishers Weekly

Ruiz Zafón’s novel, a bestseller in his native Spain, takes the satanic touches from Angel Heart and stirs them into a bookish intrigue à la Foucault’s Pendulum. The time is the 1950s; the place, Barcelona. Daniel Sempere, the son of a widowed bookstore owner, is 10 when he discovers a novel, The Shadow of the Wind, by Julián Carax. The novel is rare, the author obscure, and rumors tell of a horribly disfigured man who has been burning every copy he can find of Carax’s novels. The man calls himself Laín Coubert-the name of the devil in one of Carax’s novels. As he grows up, Daniel’s fascination with the mysterious Carax links him to a blind femme fatale with a “porcelain gaze,” Clara Barceló; another fan, a leftist jack-of-all-trades, Fermín Romero de Torres; his best friend’s sister, the delectable Beatriz Aguilar; and, as he begins investigating the life and death of Carax, a cast of characters with secrets to hide. Officially, Carax’s dead body was dumped in an alley in 1936. But discrepancies in this story surface. Meanwhile, Daniel and Fermín are being harried by a sadistic policeman, Carax’s childhood friend. As Daniel’s quest continues, frightening parallels between his own life and Carax’s begin to emerge. Ruiz Zafón strives for a literary tone, and no scene goes by without its complement of florid, cute and inexact similes and metaphors (snow is “God’s dandruff”; servants obey orders with “the efficiency and submissiveness of a body of well-trained insects”). Yet the colorful cast of characters, the gothic turns and the straining for effect only give the book the feel of para-literature or the Hollywood version of a great 19th-century novel.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

–This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Call it the “book book” genre: this international sensation (it has sold in more than 20 countries and been number one on the Spanish best-seller list), newly translated into English, has books and storytelling–and a single, physical book–at its heart. In post-World War II Barcelona, young Daniel is taken by his bookseller father to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a massive sanctuary where books are guarded from oblivion. Told to choose one book to protect, he selects The Shadow of the Wind, by Julian Carax. He reads it, loves it, and soon learns it is both very valuable and very much in danger because someone is determinedly burning every copy of every book written by the obscure Carax. To call this book–Zafon’s Shadow of the Wind— old-fashioned is to mean it in the best way. It’s big, chock-full of unusual characters, and strong in its sense of place. Daniel’s initiation into the mysteries of adulthood is given the same weight as the mystery of the book-burner. And the setting–Spain under Franco–injects an air of sobriety into some plot elements that might otherwise seem soap operatic. Part detective story, part boy’s adventure, part romance, fantasy, and gothic horror, the intricate plot is urged on by extravagant foreshadowing and nail-nibbling tension. This is rich, lavish storytelling, very much in the tradition of Ross King’s Ex Libris (2001). Keir Graff
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved –This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Series: Penguin Drop CapsHardcover: 528 pagesPublisher: Penguin Books (September 24, 2014)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 0143126393ISBN-13: 978-0143126393 Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.5 x 7.8 inches Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Best Sellers Rank: #304,583 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #163 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > European > Spanish & Portuguese #12830 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers & Suspense > Suspense #18105 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary
That it’s so tempting to read SHADOW OF THE WIND is a tribute to clever marketing. Comparisons to Marquez, Borges, and Dickens mix with gushing tributes from Stephen King and references to best-sellerdom in Spain. The literary come-on is hard to resist.

In the end however, the way you respond to this book will depend on what expectations you bring to it. If you anticipate a reading experience worthy of those heady literary comparisons, you’ll be sorely disappointed – Zafon is little closer to Garcia Marquez than Stephen King is. The closest he comes is having the temerity to give a minor character, a boyfriend of Beatriz Aguilar’s, the family name Buendia, the prolific clan from ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE. If you plan, however, on a fantastical romp through a mid-century Barcelona converted wholesale into a gothic swamp of ghosts, shadows, haunted houses, malevolent, revenge-seeking, jilted lovers, swooning virginal maidens, improbably picaresque characters, unbelievable coincidences, parallelisms, and twists of fate, and a host of pseudo-Freudian relationships, you’ll love every minute.

The story line of SHADOW OF THE WIND is so complex and convoluted, it’s nearly impossible to relate in less space than the book’s own 487 pages. Suffice to say, the premise is drawn from the search of a teenaged boy named Daniel for the truth about the fate of Julian Carax, the author of a mystery story (also named "Shadow of the Wind") that Daniel has adopted and read after his bibliophilic father takes him on a "coming of age" excursion to the aptly metaphorical Cemetary of Forgotten Books. Carax has apparently written a number of other books, all of them commercial failures, yet someone has been traveling Europe to find and burn every extant copy of Carax’s works.
Reading "The Shadow Of The Wind" was both a delight and a disappointment. This novel had the potential to be excellent literary fiction. At times Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s writing reminded me of both Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s and Jorge Luis Borges’ work. My expectations rose dramatically as I began to hope for more than a good read. Instead of great literature, however, the novel became an overlong and predictable bestseller, with a most original premise, some brilliant passages and many flaws.

Sr. Ruiz Zafon’s extraordinary idea of creating a Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a labyrinthian library where each book awaits someone to choose it and give it another chance to live by making it part of the new owner’s life, gave me chills. There existed a possibility, as I read the first chapters, that I might be able to list this as one of my favorite works of fiction. Unfortunately, my disappointment when reaching the novel’s conclusion overshadowed the book’s many positive elements.

Daniel Sempere is a young boy who fears he has forgotten the image of his dead mother’s face. His compassionate father, an antiquarian book dealer, introduces him to the book cemetery. Daniel and Sr. Sempere are both memorable and unusual characters, as are many of Ruiz Zafon’s other figures. Fermin, a former Republican agent who becomes a second father to Daniel, and Julian Carax, the author of the book Daniel selects, are both extraordinary men. Daniel’s choice of books ultimately determines the course of his life, as he tries to discover if the author is still alive and solve the multitude of mysteries surrounding him. The setting, post-WWII Barcelona, is fascinating and Zafon depicts a brooding city in mourning as a result of the atrocities of both civil and world wars.
Download The Shadow of the Wind – September 24, 2014 Free PDF

SakuraEliyani605

Download The Shadow of the Wind – September 24, 2014

The Shadow of the Wind (Penguin Drop Caps) Hardcover – September 24, 2014
Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon ID: 0143126393

From Publishers Weekly

Ruiz Zafón’s novel, a bestseller in his native Spain, takes the satanic touches from Angel Heart and stirs them into a bookish intrigue à la Foucault’s Pendulum. The time is the 1950s; the place, Barcelona. Daniel Sempere, the son of a widowed bookstore owner, is 10 when he discovers a novel, The Shadow of the Wind, by Julián Carax. The novel is rare, the author obscure, and rumors tell of a horribly disfigured man who has been burning every copy he can find of Carax’s novels. The man calls himself Laín Coubert-the name of the devil in one of Carax’s novels. As he grows up, Daniel’s fascination with the mysterious Carax links him to a blind femme fatale with a “porcelain gaze,” Clara Barceló; another fan, a leftist jack-of-all-trades, Fermín Romero de Torres; his best friend’s sister, the delectable Beatriz Aguilar; and, as he begins investigating the life and death of Carax, a cast of characters with secrets to hide. Officially, Carax’s dead body was dumped in an alley in 1936. But discrepancies in this story surface. Meanwhile, Daniel and Fermín are being harried by a sadistic policeman, Carax’s childhood friend. As Daniel’s quest continues, frightening parallels between his own life and Carax’s begin to emerge. Ruiz Zafón strives for a literary tone, and no scene goes by without its complement of florid, cute and inexact similes and metaphors (snow is “God’s dandruff”; servants obey orders with “the efficiency and submissiveness of a body of well-trained insects”). Yet the colorful cast of characters, the gothic turns and the straining for effect only give the book the feel of para-literature or the Hollywood version of a great 19th-century novel.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

–This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Call it the “book book” genre: this international sensation (it has sold in more than 20 countries and been number one on the Spanish best-seller list), newly translated into English, has books and storytelling–and a single, physical book–at its heart. In post-World War II Barcelona, young Daniel is taken by his bookseller father to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a massive sanctuary where books are guarded from oblivion. Told to choose one book to protect, he selects The Shadow of the Wind, by Julian Carax. He reads it, loves it, and soon learns it is both very valuable and very much in danger because someone is determinedly burning every copy of every book written by the obscure Carax. To call this book–Zafon’s Shadow of the Wind— old-fashioned is to mean it in the best way. It’s big, chock-full of unusual characters, and strong in its sense of place. Daniel’s initiation into the mysteries of adulthood is given the same weight as the mystery of the book-burner. And the setting–Spain under Franco–injects an air of sobriety into some plot elements that might otherwise seem soap operatic. Part detective story, part boy’s adventure, part romance, fantasy, and gothic horror, the intricate plot is urged on by extravagant foreshadowing and nail-nibbling tension. This is rich, lavish storytelling, very much in the tradition of Ross King’s Ex Libris (2001). Keir Graff
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved –This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Series: Penguin Drop CapsHardcover: 528 pagesPublisher: Penguin Books (September 24, 2014)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 0143126393ISBN-13: 978-0143126393 Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.5 x 7.8 inches Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Best Sellers Rank: #304,583 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #163 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > European > Spanish & Portuguese #12830 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers & Suspense > Suspense #18105 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary
That it’s so tempting to read SHADOW OF THE WIND is a tribute to clever marketing. Comparisons to Marquez, Borges, and Dickens mix with gushing tributes from Stephen King and references to best-sellerdom in Spain. The literary come-on is hard to resist.

In the end however, the way you respond to this book will depend on what expectations you bring to it. If you anticipate a reading experience worthy of those heady literary comparisons, you’ll be sorely disappointed – Zafon is little closer to Garcia Marquez than Stephen King is. The closest he comes is having the temerity to give a minor character, a boyfriend of Beatriz Aguilar’s, the family name Buendia, the prolific clan from ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE. If you plan, however, on a fantastical romp through a mid-century Barcelona converted wholesale into a gothic swamp of ghosts, shadows, haunted houses, malevolent, revenge-seeking, jilted lovers, swooning virginal maidens, improbably picaresque characters, unbelievable coincidences, parallelisms, and twists of fate, and a host of pseudo-Freudian relationships, you’ll love every minute.

The story line of SHADOW OF THE WIND is so complex and convoluted, it’s nearly impossible to relate in less space than the book’s own 487 pages. Suffice to say, the premise is drawn from the search of a teenaged boy named Daniel for the truth about the fate of Julian Carax, the author of a mystery story (also named "Shadow of the Wind") that Daniel has adopted and read after his bibliophilic father takes him on a "coming of age" excursion to the aptly metaphorical Cemetary of Forgotten Books. Carax has apparently written a number of other books, all of them commercial failures, yet someone has been traveling Europe to find and burn every extant copy of Carax’s works.
Reading "The Shadow Of The Wind" was both a delight and a disappointment. This novel had the potential to be excellent literary fiction. At times Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s writing reminded me of both Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s and Jorge Luis Borges’ work. My expectations rose dramatically as I began to hope for more than a good read. Instead of great literature, however, the novel became an overlong and predictable bestseller, with a most original premise, some brilliant passages and many flaws.

Sr. Ruiz Zafon’s extraordinary idea of creating a Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a labyrinthian library where each book awaits someone to choose it and give it another chance to live by making it part of the new owner’s life, gave me chills. There existed a possibility, as I read the first chapters, that I might be able to list this as one of my favorite works of fiction. Unfortunately, my disappointment when reaching the novel’s conclusion overshadowed the book’s many positive elements.

Daniel Sempere is a young boy who fears he has forgotten the image of his dead mother’s face. His compassionate father, an antiquarian book dealer, introduces him to the book cemetery. Daniel and Sr. Sempere are both memorable and unusual characters, as are many of Ruiz Zafon’s other figures. Fermin, a former Republican agent who becomes a second father to Daniel, and Julian Carax, the author of the book Daniel selects, are both extraordinary men. Daniel’s choice of books ultimately determines the course of his life, as he tries to discover if the author is still alive and solve the multitude of mysteries surrounding him. The setting, post-WWII Barcelona, is fascinating and Zafon depicts a brooding city in mourning as a result of the atrocities of both civil and world wars.
Download The Shadow of the Wind – September 24, 2014 Free PDF

SakuraEliyani605

Download Emanuel Law Outlines: Property Keyed to Dukeminier, Krier, Alexander & Schill, 7th Edition 7th Edition

Emanuel Law Outlines: Property Keyed to Dukeminier, Krier, Alexander & Schill, 7th Edition 7th Edition
Author: Visit ‘s Calvin R. Massey Page ID: 0735589976

Series: Emanuel Law OutlinesPaperback: 464 pagesPublisher: Aspen Publishers; 7 edition (April 28, 2010)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 0735589976ISBN-13: 978-0735589971 Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.8 x 11 inches Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Best Sellers Rank: #141,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #37 in Books > Law > Business > Property #241 in Books > Law > Administrative Law #856 in Books > Textbooks > Law
Most Emanuel outlines are amazing if keyed to your casebook. This means the supplement follows along with your casebook and case readings. It has a condensed overview outline at the beginning, followed by more in depth coverage with cases and book notes. Unlike other Emanuel outlines, this does not contain checklists/flowcharts after each topic. However, it does have some issue spotting tips after each chapter and practice hypos at the end. Out of all of my supplements, this was indeed the most useful for class prep and outlining. However for practice and a more in-depth explanation other supplements are necessary. CrunchTime Property 2009 (The Crunchtime Series) is essentially a non-keyed version of this book, minus the in-depth outline, so the full, keyed outline is definitely worth the extra money.

I used various supplements for this class. Before buying all of them, I would go to your law library and look them over, use them for your class and see which work best for you. My biggest mistake was thinking by using supplements I would learn less or get screwed up. Professors tell you whether they like supplements or not, but if you use them to prepare for class, still at least go through the cases and take NOTES from what professors say, you will do far better.

I will explain the supplements I used and how I studied for class and finals. In the both semesters I read
Download Emanuel Law Outlines: Property Keyed to Dukeminier, Krier, Alexander & Schill, 7th Edition 7th Edition Free PDF

SakuraEliyani605

Download Emanuel Law Outlines: Property Keyed to Dukeminier, Krier, Alexander & Schill, 7th Edition 7th Edition

Emanuel Law Outlines: Property Keyed to Dukeminier, Krier, Alexander & Schill, 7th Edition 7th Edition
Author: Visit ‘s Calvin R. Massey Page ID: 0735589976

Series: Emanuel Law OutlinesPaperback: 464 pagesPublisher: Aspen Publishers; 7 edition (April 28, 2010)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 0735589976ISBN-13: 978-0735589971 Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.8 x 11 inches Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Best Sellers Rank: #141,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #37 in Books > Law > Business > Property #241 in Books > Law > Administrative Law #856 in Books > Textbooks > Law
Most Emanuel outlines are amazing if keyed to your casebook. This means the supplement follows along with your casebook and case readings. It has a condensed overview outline at the beginning, followed by more in depth coverage with cases and book notes. Unlike other Emanuel outlines, this does not contain checklists/flowcharts after each topic. However, it does have some issue spotting tips after each chapter and practice hypos at the end. Out of all of my supplements, this was indeed the most useful for class prep and outlining. However for practice and a more in-depth explanation other supplements are necessary. CrunchTime Property 2009 (The Crunchtime Series) is essentially a non-keyed version of this book, minus the in-depth outline, so the full, keyed outline is definitely worth the extra money.

I used various supplements for this class. Before buying all of them, I would go to your law library and look them over, use them for your class and see which work best for you. My biggest mistake was thinking by using supplements I would learn less or get screwed up. Professors tell you whether they like supplements or not, but if you use them to prepare for class, still at least go through the cases and take NOTES from what professors say, you will do far better.

I will explain the supplements I used and how I studied for class and finals. In the both semesters I read
Download Emanuel Law Outlines: Property Keyed to Dukeminier, Krier, Alexander & Schill, 7th Edition 7th Edition Free PDF

SakuraEliyani605

Trauma Competency: A Clinicians Guide Kindle Edition Pdf Download

Trauma Competency: A Clinicians Guide Kindle Edition
Author: Linda A. Curran Bcpc Lpc Cacd Ccdp-D ID: B00EZQ2KD0

Done.
File Size: 2709 KBPrint Length: 222 pagesPage Numbers Source ISBN: 0982039883Publisher: PESI Publishing & Media; 1 edition (May 1, 2010)Publication Date: September 5, 2013 Sold by:  Digital Services, Inc. Language: EnglishID: B00EZQ2KD0Text-to-Speech: Enabled X-Ray: Not Enabled Word Wise: Not EnabledLending: Not Enabled Enhanced Typesetting: Not Enabled Best Sellers Rank: #105,455 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) #45 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Counseling & Psychology > Education & Training #56 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Counseling & Psychology > Psychotherapy, TA & NLP #69 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Counseling & Psychology > Counseling

Astute and highly experienced psychotherapist and teacher, Linda Curran, adds a gem to the rich literature of trauma assessment, diagnosis and treatment with her latest guidebook. I found this well-written and throughly researched text to be incredibly helpful and informative. The organization and explanations are thoroughly developed with a thoughtful but respectful approach. Coming from a systemic, marriage and family background background, I also appreciated that the author included an explanation of Internal Family Systems (Richard Schwartz, et al) and Narrative Psychotherapy (Michael White, David Epston and colleagues) two of the most promising schools of systemic psychotherapy in the treatment of trauma injury. Much can be accomplished and reclaimed if we remember the interconnectedness of individual – family – community. This book is worth every penny and I highly recommend it.

packed with useful information about trauma and its impact. has many easy to practice and effective techniques for dealing with symptoms. helpful for both clinicians and clients. one of the best i have come across in this genre. very user friendly and filled with the latest information. i highly recommend it!

I love this book and will use it often. Breaks down some of the basic skills in self-regulation clearly. Can be used as a self-help book or by a clinician working with clients.

Trauma Competency A Clinicians Guide Kindle edition Trauma Competency A Clinicians Guide Kindle edition by Linda A Curran Bcpc Lpc Cacd Ccdp D Download it once and read it on your Kindle device PC phones or Trauma Competency A Clinician s Guide Linda Curran Start reading Trauma Competency A Clinicians Guide on your Kindle Looking for the Audiobook Edition Author of Trauma Competency A Clinicians Guide Trauma Competency A Clinician s Guide Amazon Buy Trauma Competency A Clinician s Guide by Linda Curran Kindle Edition Start reading Trauma Competency A Clinicians Guide on your Kindle in under a Amazon co uk Customer Reviews Trauma Competency Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Trauma Competency A Clinicians Guide at Amazon com Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users

Download Trauma Competency: A Clinicians Guide Kindle Edition Pdf Download

SakuraEliyani605

Trauma Competency: A Clinicians Guide Kindle Edition Pdf Download

Trauma Competency: A Clinicians Guide Kindle Edition
Author: Linda A. Curran Bcpc Lpc Cacd Ccdp-D ID: B00EZQ2KD0

Done.
File Size: 2709 KBPrint Length: 222 pagesPage Numbers Source ISBN: 0982039883Publisher: PESI Publishing & Media; 1 edition (May 1, 2010)Publication Date: September 5, 2013 Sold by:  Digital Services, Inc. Language: EnglishID: B00EZQ2KD0Text-to-Speech: Enabled X-Ray: Not Enabled Word Wise: Not EnabledLending: Not Enabled Enhanced Typesetting: Not Enabled Best Sellers Rank: #105,455 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) #45 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Counseling & Psychology > Education & Training #56 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Counseling & Psychology > Psychotherapy, TA & NLP #69 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Counseling & Psychology > Counseling

Astute and highly experienced psychotherapist and teacher, Linda Curran, adds a gem to the rich literature of trauma assessment, diagnosis and treatment with her latest guidebook. I found this well-written and throughly researched text to be incredibly helpful and informative. The organization and explanations are thoroughly developed with a thoughtful but respectful approach. Coming from a systemic, marriage and family background background, I also appreciated that the author included an explanation of Internal Family Systems (Richard Schwartz, et al) and Narrative Psychotherapy (Michael White, David Epston and colleagues) two of the most promising schools of systemic psychotherapy in the treatment of trauma injury. Much can be accomplished and reclaimed if we remember the interconnectedness of individual – family – community. This book is worth every penny and I highly recommend it.

packed with useful information about trauma and its impact. has many easy to practice and effective techniques for dealing with symptoms. helpful for both clinicians and clients. one of the best i have come across in this genre. very user friendly and filled with the latest information. i highly recommend it!

I love this book and will use it often. Breaks down some of the basic skills in self-regulation clearly. Can be used as a self-help book or by a clinician working with clients.

Trauma Competency A Clinicians Guide Kindle edition Trauma Competency A Clinicians Guide Kindle edition by Linda A Curran Bcpc Lpc Cacd Ccdp D Download it once and read it on your Kindle device PC phones or Trauma Competency A Clinician s Guide Linda Curran Start reading Trauma Competency A Clinicians Guide on your Kindle Looking for the Audiobook Edition Author of Trauma Competency A Clinicians Guide Trauma Competency A Clinician s Guide Amazon Buy Trauma Competency A Clinician s Guide by Linda Curran Kindle Edition Start reading Trauma Competency A Clinicians Guide on your Kindle in under a Amazon co uk Customer Reviews Trauma Competency Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Trauma Competency A Clinicians Guide at Amazon com Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users

Download Trauma Competency: A Clinicians Guide Kindle Edition Pdf Download

SakuraEliyani605

Download SIDDHARTHA Eine indische Dichtung Kindle Edition

SIDDHARTHA Eine indische Dichtung (Kommentiert) (German Edition) Kindle Edition
Author: Hermann Hesse ID: B013M18A3C

Done.
File Size: 1729 KBPrint Length: 108 pagesSimultaneous Device Usage: UnlimitedPublication Date: August 7, 2015 Sold by:  Digital Services, Inc. Language: GermanID: B013M18A3C X-Ray: Not Enabled Word Wise: Not EnabledLending: Not Enabled Enhanced Typesetting: Not Enabled Best Sellers Rank: #41,065 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) #4 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Foreign Languages > German > Literature & Fiction #10 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > German #28 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > European > German
Set in India, Siddhartha is subtitled an "Indic Poetic Work" and clearly it does owe much to both Buddhism and Hinduism, however the philosophy embodied in Siddhartha is both unique and quite complex, despite the lyrically beautiful simplicity of the plot.
Siddhartha is one of the names of the historical Gautama and while the life of Hesse’s character resembles that of his historical counterpart to some extent, Siddhartha is by no means a fictional life of Buddha and his teachings.
Siddhartha is divided into two parts of four and eight chapters, something some have interpreted as an illustration of Buddhism’s Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path to Enlightenment.
Elements of Hinduism can also be found in Siddhartha. Some critics maintain that Hesse was influenced largely by the Bhagavad Gita when he wrote the book and that his protagonist was groping his way along a path outlined in that text. Certainly the central problems of Siddhartha and the Gita are similar: how can the protagonist attain a state of happiness and serenity by means of a long and arduous path?
Hesse’s protagonist, however, seeks his own personal path to fulfillment, not someone else’s. It is one of trial and error and he is only subconsciously aware of its nature. Although many see Siddhartha’s quest as embodying the ideals of Buddhism, Siddhartha objects to the negative aspects of Gautama’s teaching. He rejects Gautama’s model for himself and he rejects Buddhism; Siddhartha insists upon the right to choose his own path to fulfillment.
The primary theme of Siddhartha is the individual’s difficult and lonely search for self-fulfillment.
Siddhartha is that most unusual of all stories — one that follows a character throughout most of his life . . . and describes that life in terms of a spiritual journey. For those who are ready to think about what their spiritual journey can be, Siddhartha will be a revelation. For those who are not yet looking for "enlightenment," the book will seem pecular, odd, and out-of-joint. That’s because Hesse was presenting a mystery story, also, for each reader to solve for herself or himself. The mystery is simply to unravel the meaning of life.
As the son of a Brahmin, Siddhartha would naturally have enjoyed access to all of the finest lessons and things of life. Knowing of his natural superiority in many ways, he becomes disenchanted with teachers and his companions. In a burst of independence, he insists on being allowed to leave home to become a wandering Shramana (or Samana, depending on which translation you read). After three years or so, he tires of this as well. Near the end of that part of his life, Siddharta meets Gotama, the Buddha, and admires him greatly. But Siddharta continues to feel that teachers cannot convey the wisdom of what they know. Words are too fragile a vessel for that purpose. He sees a beautiful courtesan and asks her to teach him about love. Thus, Siddhartha begins his third quest for meaning by embracing the ordinary life that most people experience. Eventually, disgusted by this (and he does behave disgustingly), he tires of life. Then, he suddenly reconnects with the Universe, and decides to become a ferryman and learn from the river. In this fourth stage of his life, he comes to develop the wisdom to match the knowledge that direct experiences of the "good" and the "sensual" life have provided to him.
Download SIDDHARTHA Eine indische Dichtung Kindle Edition Free PDF

SakuraEliyani605