Siddhartha examines the human condition and the pursuit of meaning in life. It is one of the easy reads for anyone interested in Far East Buddhist philosophy.
The book tells the story of a young man named Siddhartha who embarks on a journey of self-discovery with his friend Govinda. Siddhartha and Govinda leave home and family and join a group of Samana (ascetics). Siddhartha, however, becomes disillusioned with his path and sets out on his own, meeting Gotama Buddha on his way. Among other things, the book explores the Theravada tradition of Buddhism, which holds that the meaning of life cannot be taught or given to an individual but must be discovered through one's own life struggles and experiences.
Here is one of my favorite paragraphs from the book: "When someone seeks," said Siddhartha, "then it easily happens that his eyes see only the thing that he seeks, and he cannot find anything, take in anything because he always thinks only about the thing he is seeking, because he has one goal, because he is obsessed with his goal. Seeking means: having a goal. But finding means: being free, being open, having no goal."