Siddhartha is an adolescent boy educated to become a "Brahmin", a priest/scholar.  He is a very kind young man, handsome and intelligent.  He absorbs everything his teachers give him, and soon there is nothing more they can teach him.  Deep inside him there is a thirst for more though, even if he cannot really describe what this "more" exactly is.  So one day he leaves his home and together with his best friend, Govinda, he joins some Samanas where he continues to seek through intense meditation.

He teaches his body to stand extreme heat and cold, and he can live without food for a long time.  But that inner thirst stays in his mind.  After a few years he hears of a man called Gotama, who has reached a "perfect state" and together with Govinda he goes to meet this man.  Govinda sees the truth in what the man says, and becomes a Buddhist munk.  Siddhartha doesn't just accept the words and he moves on with his life.  This time he seeks what he's looking for in more Earthy pleasures;  But when he becomes middle-aged he suddenly realizes how hollow this life is, and that his thirst inside is still there, so he goes on with his search for perfection.  Finally he reaches a river, the symbol of harmony and eternity, of change and transitoriness, and here he finally learns to live, to love life, and to love. 

I can't really say what I expected when I picked up this book, but I can tell I never expected what Siddhartha is.  There's so much in here!  There's so much for everyone! 

I can't think of any other book that is so light to read and yet has so much depth.  Siddhartha's search through life is one we all experience in one form or another.  We all need to find our "river" and more importantly: learn to listen to it.  The strength of this book is just that Siddhartha's journey, stretched out over half a lifetime, is stripped off of all of its ballast.  The bare essential is the man seeking his own self.  The result is an impressive philisophical view on each of our searches.  Hesse makes both that search seem easier, and makes you discover some about yourself in the process.

Not just recommended, no: highly recommended.