A tad bit religious for my tastes, but other than that, profound. The highlight of the book for me was in part 3 of the first short story, where he writes about solitude.

“I sought solitude in order to keep from seeing the faces of men who sell themselves and buy with the same price that which is lower than they are, spiritually and materially.
“I sought solitude in order that I might not encounter the women who walk proudly, with one thousand smiles upon their lips, while in the depths of their thousand hearts there is but one purpose.
“I sought solitude in order to conceal myself from those self-satisfied individuals who see the spectre of knowledge in their dreams and believe that they have attained their goal.
“I fled from society to avoid those who see but the phantom of the truth in their awakening, and shout to the world that they have acquired completely the essence of truth.
“I sought solitude because my soul wearied of association with those who believe sincerely that the sun and moon and stars do not rise save from their coffers, and do not set except in their gardens.
“I sought solitude because I never obtained kindness from a human unless i paid the full price with my heart.
“I ran from the office-seekers who shatter the earthly fate of people while throwing into their eyes the golden dust and filling their ears with sounds of meaningless talk.
“I sought solitude because I loathe that great and terrible institution which the people call civilization – that symmetrical monstrosity erected upon the perpetual misery of human kinds.”