With parallels to the enlightenment of the Buddha, Hesse's Siddhartha is the story of a young Brahmin's quest for the ultimate reality. Steeped in the tenets of both psychoanalysis and Eastern mysticism, Siddhartha presents an original view of man and culture, and the arduous process of self-discovery that leads to reconciliation, harmony, and peace. Herman Hesse's 1922 Bildungsroman seems to argue that lessons of this sort cannot be taught but come from one's own struggle to find truth. Cover photography by Paul Spremulli.