It was an interesting take on someone who met the Buddha and aspired to achieve similar enlightenment but not as a follower but an individual. 
 Hesse also took his time to explore how obsession in addition to the domino effect of decision making can happen and how sometimes one only realizes it much later. 
 I will rewrite this review with more depth but the book deserves not one but multiple reads and time to reflect. 
 Highly recommended.