Hippie is an alternative subculture. Being alternative is not fitting in with most of society and being against societal norms. Being alternative has a lot of subcultures, like punk. Being a hippie was a youth movement back in the mid-nineteen sixties. A hippie was a person who rejected the more established by society. This was shown by dressing conventionally, favoring communal living, and living a life of non-violence.
The hippie movement was a countercultural movement, and hippies did not want anything to do with how mainstream society worked. It had nothing to do with crystals, tarot cards, or spirituality. The main thing was advocating for love instead of war.
Therefore, making love, not war, is like the main hippie phrase. They are antiwar, not involved in politics, and have long hair. Typically, they wear unconventional clothing. They advocated for love instead of war, so they advocated for a life of non-violence.
Books about hippies provide insights into a significant social and cultural movement that emerged in the 1960s. Reading them, you can better understand the counterculture, its origins, ideologies, and its impact on society. This historical context can help you make sense of the broader cultural shifts that occurred during that time.
7 Books About Hippies (Realistic Cultural Fiction)
Hippies were known for embracing peace, love, and non-violence, as well as their advocacy for social justice, environmentalism, and alternative lifestyles. They have continued to exist because society has stayed the same crap. There are no rules for being a hippie. All hippies’ direct ties are their foundation, beliefs, values, and morals. To know more, I am going to discuss seven books about Hippies. Let’s go!
1. Hippie
Hippie is the real story of Paulo Coelho’s life at the beginning of the seventies, told from a third-person perspective. It says so in the four words that he did this to give all the characters voices and make them tell their own stories. It tells how Paulo meets a Dutch girl named Karla in Amsterdam. Karla convinces Paulo to go with her on the magic bus to Katmandu. It tells a story about the people he meets on the bus, the emotional experiences with Karla, and the steps they take along this ride.
It was an adventurous, magical ride to go on. I saw a part of the 70s hippie culture based on people and true stories. There were a couple of characters in it that you would love to see. That’s not easy to do when you haven’t had more interaction with them than Paulo did during this trip and have some passages. It is the best book on Hippies I have ever read!
Author: Paulo Coelho
Average Rating: 4.5/5
Category: Metaphysical & Visionary Fiction, Friendship Fiction
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle
2. Schooled
Schooled is the story of eighth-grader Capricorn Anderson (Cap). He lived his whole life on a farm commune, sheltered from reality like hippies. But one day, an accident occurs that causes him to be thrust into the real world. He was armed with only his values and beliefs, knowing nothing about how middle school works. Cap is elected 8th-grade class president of C Average Middle School. But he is oblivious that the position is reserved for the biggest loser in school.
The author claims so many action-packed scenes in a short book that there was never a dull moment. Although it carried many heavy themes and messages, it was also funny. The characters in this book developed extremely well. This book is told from multiple points of view, so you get different characters’ viewpoints throughout the book.
Author: Gordon Korman
Average Rating: 4.7/5
Category: Realistic Fiction, Humor
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Audio CD
3. Siddhartha
Siddhartha is a contemporary of Gautam Buddha. It means he was born simultaneously as Gautam Buddha was teaching. So this is entirely the story of the boy Siddhartha, who learns how to become a Buddha along the journey of his hippie life.
Siddhartha is a boy who was born into a Brahmin family. His father was a Brahmin, and they performed all the Brahmin rituals. So from his early childhood, he was aware of all these rituals and everything related to spirituality. He meditated daily with one of his friends, Govinda, under a tree.
Siddhartha wanted to attain enlightenment or self-realization, which was not happening. So one day, he decided to become an ascetic or a hippie. He asked his father to let him leave his home, renounce everything and become a hippie. His father was very reluctant to let him go. But Siddhartha was stubborn then. His father had to let him go.
From there on, his journey started. He practiced everything that an ascetic does. Both came across Buddha’s enlightened being, and Siddhartha met Buddha. But since Siddhartha was a Samana and was practicing everything he could to attain self-realization, he could not attain it yet.
Gautama was already an enlightened being. Siddhartha told Gautama that he might be enlightened, but he could not teach enlightenment to the people. You can give knowledge, but you cannot provide your wisdom. He denied following Buddha’s teachings and joined his group.
On the other hand, Govinda joined the Gothamist Group. But Siddhartha moved on from there, and from there on, his real journey started and how the journey unfolded. It is amazing. When you read this book, you will learn about enlightenment and how he meets a woman.
Author: Hermann Hesse
Average Rating: 4.7/5
Category: Classic American Literature, Religious Literature & Fiction
Available: Audiobook | Hardcover | Kindle | Mass Market Paperback
4. Slouching Towards Bethlehem
Slouching Towards Bethlehem is a collection of essays that was published in 1968. The author Joan Didion is a journalist, but she writes in various styles. You can find her memoirs, and then she’s also in fiction. The book is broken into three sections. The first section is called Lifestyles in the Golden Land. Those are primarily essays published in the Sixties about California, her time spent in California, and many countercultural revolutions.
The second section is called personals. She has one on keeping a fascinating notebook. Another one on self-respect. The third section is called Seven Places of the Mind. Those are more literary journalism from her, but not set in California set in different places worldwide like hippies.
Author: Joan Didion
Average Rating: 4.5/5
Category: Cultural Anthropology, Historical Study
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Mass Market Paperback
5. The Girls
The Girls takes place in nineteen sixty-nine. The narrator is fourteen years old, and She’s very awkward and insecure, as most 14-year-olds are. Her parents are divorced, and she’s going through several family issues. One day, she meets a 19-year-old Suzanne, who’s beautiful and mysterious.
Evie becomes very infatuated and interested in Suzanne, and she ends up being Evei’s connection to the rest of this group, led by a man named Russell. He is hoping to be a famous musician. The premise of this book is based on the Manson murders.
This is much more of a character study than a thriller. So the writing was fantastic, although sometimes it did start to feel a bit overwrought and pretentious. Author Cline did not attempt to glamorize Russell and his hippie group because this is based on the Manson murders. The cult they were going to try and glamorize that type of lifestyle.
Author: Emma Cline
Average Rating: 3.7/5
Category: Coming of Age Fiction, Historical Thrillers
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle
6. That Was Then, This Is Now
There were childhood friends, but we were even close to the brothers. But then things are changing, and Bryon, the main character, is growing up, spending a lot of time with girls. Mark still lives for the thrill. Mark gets involved with drugs and stuff, and he gets arrested. Meanwhile, Bryon thinks that Mark deserves it for everything he’s doing. As long as you read a long story, it does make sense.
If you read Outsiders before reading this book, Some characters from The Outsiders, like Playboy and Hippie, will also be mentioned. You will get present and past scenarios that are very realistic.
Author: S. E. Hinton
Average Rating: (4.7 /5)
Category: Realistic Fiction, Classic
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Mass Market Paperback
7. Another Roadside Attraction
Another Roadside Attraction is about a man named Marx Marvellous telling the story of Amanda and her soul mate, John Paul Zeller. Within hours of meeting, the couple was married, joined in matrimony by people from their former hippie circus.
So the couple starts are unorthodox Zoom and Hot Dog Stand and then steals the corpse of Jesus Christ from the Vatican. John Paul is assumed dead. When they’re undecided and don’t know what to do with the corpse, they realize that the government is following them and trying to find them.
Marx and Amanda later learned that Plucky was killed while helping John Paul Borden’s experimental balloon bound for Earth’s upper atmosphere. The corpse is destroyed, and they are both disintegrated by solar radiation. Marx concludes the story by suggesting the reader considers Amanda a messianic replacement for Jesus.
This is Tom Robbin’s first novel, epitomizing the decline of religious devotion, especially Catholicism, in America during the nineteen sixties. The book doesn’t jump around, but it has a lot of different things that can be going on at once, and you have to follow it closely.
Author: Tom Robbins
Average Rating: 4.6/5
Category: Contemporary Literature & Fiction, Fiction Satire
Available: Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Mass Market Paperback
Romance Books About Hippies
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe: This non-fiction book provides an immersive and colorful story of the 1960s counterculture, including the hippie movement. It follows the adventures of author Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters. They are on a cross-country road trip, experimenting with drugs and exploring alternative lifestyles.
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins: This novel tells the story of a woman with abnormally large thumbs who hitchhikes her way across America and finds herself immersed in the counterculture of the 1960s. The book explores freedom, individuality, and unconventional love humorously and imaginatively.
The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac: This novel captures the spirit of the Beat Generation and its influence on the counterculture movement of the 1960s. It follows the adventures of Ray Smith (based on Kerouac himself) and his friend Japhy Ryder as they explore Buddhism and nature and seek spiritual enlightenment.
Love, Janis by Laura Joplin: This book is a collection of letters and personal writings from iconic rock singer Janis Joplin. It offers an intimate portrayal of Joplin’s experiences and relationships during the 1960s, including her exploration of love and sexuality within the hippie culture.
The Haight-Ashbury Love Story by Shannon Lee: This novel is set in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district during the 1960s, a hub of hippie culture. It follows the story of a young woman searching for love and meaning in a time of social change—the book focus on self-discovery, relationships, and the challenges of living in an unconventional community.
Fiction Books About Hippies
Drop City by T.C. Boyle: This novel follows the story of a group of hippies who establish a commune in the wilderness of Alaska. It explores their ideals, struggles, and clashes with the outside world.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac: This classic novel is not exclusively about hippies but offers a glimpse into the bohemian and free-spirited lifestyle that influenced the hippie movement. It follows the adventures of Sal Paradise (based on Kerouac himself) and his friend Dean Moriarty. They go on a series of road trips across America, seeking freedom, excitement, and self-discovery.
The Hippie House by Katherine Holubitsky: This young adult novel tells the story of four teenagers who decide to form a commune in a dilapidated house in the woods. It explores the dynamics of their relationships, their exploration of spirituality, and their pursuit of an alternative way of life.
Modern Books About Hippies
The Last of the Hippies by Penny Rimbaud: This book offers a contemporary perspective on the hippie movement and its legacy. It shows the author’s personal experiences as a member of the punk band Crass and reflects on the countercultural values of peace, love, and resistance in the modern world.
Hippie Food: How Back-to-the-Landers, Longhairs, and Revolutionaries Changed the Way We Eat by Jonathan Kauffman: This non-fiction book explores the influence of the hippie movement on the modern food landscape. It examines the rise of natural and organic foods, vegetarianism, and the farm-to-table movement, tracing their origins back to the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s.
The Hippie by Paulo Lins: This Brazilian novel follows the life of a young man named Alvarenga, who grows up in a working-class neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. Alvarenga becomes a hippie and goes on a journey of self-discovery and resistance against political oppression.
These modern books offer contemporary perspectives on the legacy and influence of the hippie movement. They explore how the ideals of peace, love, and alternative lifestyles resonate in the modern world and how they have shaped various aspects of society, ranging from food culture to personal freedom and social resistance.
These books inspire you to reflect on important social, cultural, and personal aspects of life. It’s an opportunity to learn from the past, explore different ideologies, and find inspiration for your journey of self-discovery and engagement with the world around you.
Travel & Survival Books:
Books Like My Side Of The Mountain
Aviation Books About Flight Attendants
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