Reviews with content warning for Death - Gilgamesh: A New Rendering in English Verse

Reviews tagging 'Death'

Gilgamesh: A New Rendering in English Verse by David Ferry

14 reviews

dmrains's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is my favorite Classic work of literature, and it's so relatable, despite being the oldest work of written literature

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sofipitch's review

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reflective

5.0

I wish I could go back and tell the writers and everyone who loved this that their story about death and what persists after is still read thousands of years later. Also the Noah's ark crossover story was interesting

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epeolatrist's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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kibiiiariii's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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celevstial's review

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adventurous challenging dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I don’t know if it’s irreverent or something to give one of the oldest stories that we know of only 3.5 stars, but I’m going to anyways.

It’s so amazing to read a story and just know that it’s ancient. There’s something about the bluntness and beauty of the language that tells you how long it’s been around for, and it gives me a very eerie but comforting and good feeling to sit and bask in it. There was such a pervading sense of the unknown and emptiness and openness that I guess must’ve been common back then, and it can almost be shocking to return from that back to the internet and instant communication and all the knowledge that we have (or think we have) today. On the flip side, it’s a good reminder that there’s really nothing new under the sun, and danger, love, friendship, death, and grief are things that have been around forever. Maybe I wouldn’t trek across the world in rags if my bestie died, but I can relate!

I think that most of my complaints don’t really make sense considering that this story has been found in literal fragments and this is only one translation, so it’s not the author’s fault at all, but I really would’ve liked more information on the snake and the plant at the end. The story had been building up a lot to that, and then it was rushed and anticlimactic. I also would’ve liked more descriptions of the battles with Huwawa and the Bull of Heaven, and a cleaner ending with a better connection to the twelfth tablet would've been nice. It’s not like these can really be fixed though, it’s written on broken-up millennium-old clay tablets.

I’m so grateful that this story survived and I’m glad I read it, but still - why was everyone horny? And is Utnapishtim Noah? The world may never know.

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