Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$3000.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: "Siddhartha. Eine indische Dichtung" by Herman Hesse. S. Fisher, Berlin. 1922 first German edition, first issue with "Erste bis Sechste Auflage'' printed on the copyright page. Book in very good condition, rebound in half leather binding. Name to front endpaper, with second front fly leaf with a tipped in portrait of Hermann Hesse (14.5 x 10 cm) monogrammed and dated in ink "H. H. 1927" by the author. The 1922 novel by Hermann Hesse that deals with the spiritual journey of self-discovery of a man named Siddhartha during the time of the Gautama Buddha. The book, Hesse's 9th novel, was written in German, in a simple, lyrical style. It was published in the U.S. in 1951 and became influential during the 1960s. Hesse dedicated the first part of it to Romain Rolland[1] and the second part to Wilhelm Gundert, his cousin. The word Siddhartha is made up of two words in Sanskrit language, siddha (achieved) + artha (what was searched for), which together means "he who has found meaning (of existence)" or "he who has attained his goals". In fact, the Buddha's own name, before his renunciation, was Siddhartha Gautama, prince of Kapilavastu. In this book, the Buddha is referred to as "Gotama"
Seller: Neverland Books, waalre, Netherlands
HESSE, Herman. SIDDHARTHA. EINE INDISCHE DICHTUNG. S. Fischer, Berlin, 1922.
Price: US$12500.00 + shipping
Description: Thin octavo (5-3/4" x 8-3/4") bound in the publisher's heavy brown wraps with black lettering on the front cover and a later cloth tape hand-lettered spine; [1-8], 9-146, [-147], [1, blank], [2, publisher's ads]. The true First Edition with the text in German of one of this Nobel Prize winner's two famous and important novels, the other being of course STEPPENWOLF. This copy is SIGNED in ink by the author with a brief inscription on the front endpaper. Hesse based this book on the early life of Gautama Buddha. The story of a son rebelling against his father's teaching and traditions and eventually finding true enlightenment resonated with those maturing in the 1960s and 1970s making this title something of a cult classic. It was made into a beautiful film in 1972 by Conrad Rooks. George Goetz was a Danish Jew living in Sweden because of persecution. He maintained a correspondence with Hesse, only recently discovered, from 1939 to 1951. Their letters discussed everything from the trivial to Hesse's work and its place in Nazi Germany. One common point of interest was the German-Jewish philosopher Constantin Brunner (Goetz would later become President of International Constantin Brunner Institute.). This book as well as several other titles inscribed to Goetz were discovered with the letters and is now being offered for public sale for the first time. Owner name of George Goetz dated 1939 on the front endpaper well above Hesse's inscription with a small stain at the bottom corner well below Hesse's inscription. A few marginal pencil notations, likely by Goetz. Some aging to the paper but at least Very Good and very scarce when signed
Seller: Charles Agvent, est. 1987, ABAA, ILAB, Fleetwood, PA, U.S.A.