Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actually changed your life?

Re:Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actual... by unmole on Thursday September 13, 2018 @10:49PM (#17984371)

Perhaps I'm still not at that time and place in my life where I'd appreciate Siddhartha. I found it thoroughly nauseating. And the forced translation of Sanskrit idioms was especially cringe inducing.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actual... by icc97 on Friday September 14, 2018 @06:44AM (#17986163)

I didn't find it nauseating, it's an interesting tale, but I'll agree that it didn't make any profound influence on me beyond any other fiction book that I've read.

Perhaps reading it as an eBook on my phone, means that I didn't take it in well enough.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actual... by svat on Thursday September 13, 2018 @11:34PM (#17984504)

I haven't read Siddhartha, and expect I won't like it, but perhaps the Sanskrit idioms translate better into German? (https://shreevatsa.wordpress.com/2014/07/01/sanskrit-and-ger...) Did you read the book in German? Or if not, which translation (Wikipedia lists at least six: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Siddhartha_(novel...)?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actual... by unmole on Friday September 14, 2018 @12:53AM (#17984758)

I read the Hilda Rosner's 1951 English translation. Maybe I'll give one of the newer translations a try.

[ Parent | on HN ]