Simplistic, Meditative
What better style for a novel about a guy who turns toward a simpler life and spends a lot of time meditating, right?
Check it out:
Siddhartha got to know many new things, he heard a lot and spoke little. And thinking of Kamala's words, he was never subservient to the merchant, forced him to treat him as an equal, yes even more than an equal. Kamaswami conducted his business with care and often with passion, but Siddhartha looked upon all of this as if it was a game, the rules of which he tried hard to learn precisely, but the contents of which did not touch his heart. (6.25)
There’s not a lot of action in the above passage. Rather, Hesse outright tells how Kamaswami and Siddhartha’s relationship operates. Furthermore, the word "heart" here demonstrates the meditative tone that runs throughout the novel. Rather than focusing on plot, Siddhartha delves into characters’ emotional lives.