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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
I read this as part of a list of books to prepare for RF Kuang's Katabasis!
I didn't expect this to be so easy to read and fun LOL
I can't get over how Rnkidu and Gilgamesh became besties just like that, and how Gilgamesh "loved Enkidu like a woman" .................🏳️🌈.....?
Also Goddess Ishtar 😭 girllllllllll fix yourself
Overall, pretty engaging. I do love me a good classic that also reads accessible-y.
I didn't expect this to be so easy to read and fun LOL
I can't get over how Rnkidu and Gilgamesh became besties just like that, and how Gilgamesh "loved Enkidu like a woman" .................🏳️🌈.....?
Also Goddess Ishtar 😭 girllllllllll fix yourself
Overall, pretty engaging. I do love me a good classic that also reads accessible-y.
This book is cool because a) it's one of the oldest stories we still have and b) it shows really how little human nature has changed in some 4000 years.
I would recommend this version of Gilgamesh (translated by Stephen Mitchell) to anyone looking to read and enjoy this ancient epic. I would also recommend it to literature teachers: I think students are much more likely to enjoy and/or connect with the story as it is presented here.
The editor/translator has taken the source material (fragmented tablets) and used it to create a cohesive story in a simple, pleasing blank verse. This means he fills in gaps in the original text, occasionally moves a section to a more logical spot and cuts out some stray fragments and some of the instances where the same passage is repeated word for word several times (presuming--correctly in my opinion--that readers find this "convention of Akkadian poetry" irritating). When appropriate, he also opts for a looser translation that is more easily understood or reads better in English over a more literal translation. Most of these decisions are documented in the endnotes.
Basically, this is meant to be a literary/artistic English-language rendering of Gilgamesh as opposed to a scholarly/academic translation. Ancient history students probably want to work with a literal translation of what is on the tablets, but for everyone else this is the way to go.
The editor/translator has taken the source material (fragmented tablets) and used it to create a cohesive story in a simple, pleasing blank verse. This means he fills in gaps in the original text, occasionally moves a section to a more logical spot and cuts out some stray fragments and some of the instances where the same passage is repeated word for word several times (presuming--correctly in my opinion--that readers find this "convention of Akkadian poetry" irritating). When appropriate, he also opts for a looser translation that is more easily understood or reads better in English over a more literal translation. Most of these decisions are documented in the endnotes.
Basically, this is meant to be a literary/artistic English-language rendering of Gilgamesh as opposed to a scholarly/academic translation. Ancient history students probably want to work with a literal translation of what is on the tablets, but for everyone else this is the way to go.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mankind’s oldest yaoi. absolutely epic.
This is the one that started it all, and still to this day one of the best to ever do it.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was really interesting to read such an old tale and get a hazy glimpse of life in ancient Mesopotamia. While the way we tell stories has changed a lot in the last three thousand years, there are still a lot of really relatable and human moments. Enkidu's death, and Gilgamesh's reaction to it, was especially heartrending.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Magnificent. And this seems to be the more complete and faithful translation. Next, I’m going to listen to a lecture by Andrew George on Gilgamesh.