BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
Prince Siddhartha lives a charmed life in a beautiful palace with all his needs and whims met. However, he is frustrated as his father, the king, will not allow him to leave the palace as he claims the outside world is too dangerous and holds nothing for the prince. No longer able to accept his perceived imprisonment, Prince Siddhartha leaves his life of privilege, wife, and child to seek out an understanding of suffering and overcoming humanity’s cyclic existence.
Although above the title on the cover in tiny font there is the statement, “a fictionalized tale,” this version of Buddha’s history is presented in a way that makes it appear as fact rather than one of the many stories of his origin. The story that the author has chosen to retell is one that is mythical and so the presentation as fact could lead to misinforming and confusing readers who have no previous knowledge of Buddha or Buddhism. If a reader supplemented this reading with other non-fiction books and/or guidance from someone with knowledge of Buddha and Buddhism, it could be worthwhile.
AEB
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment