Siddhartha: 1 Review Siddhartha is a novel by Hermann Hesse that deals with the spiritual journey of a boy known as Siddhartha from the Indian subcontinent during the time of the Buddha. The book, Hesse's ninth novel, was written in German, in a simple yet powerful and lyrical style. It was published in the U.S. in 1951 and became influential during the 1960s. Hesse dedicated Siddhartha to Ninon Hesse, his wife. The word Siddhartha is made up of two words in the Sanskrit language, siddha (achieved) + artha (meaning or wealth). The two words together mean "he who has found meaning (of existence)" or "he who has attained his goals".The Buddha's name, before his renunciation, was Prince Siddhartha Gautama. In this book, the Buddha is referred to as "Gotama". --Wikipedia 				    	 					 About the Author Herman Hesse (1877-1962) was one of the great literary figures of the twentieth century.Born in Calw to a protestant family,he rebelled against the classical education that he received in Swabian monastery schools.Hesse began work as a locksmith and a bookseller,and later took to writing as a profession.Settled in Switzerland,he travelled extensively,including India.Politically,Hesse was opposed to German militarism,for which he was condemned by the Nazi government.In recognition of his contribution to literature,he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1946.His other classic works include Der Steppenwolf and The Glass Bead Game.