Reviews

Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic by Sophus Helle, Anonymous

mrpatperkins's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

3.0

One thing I liked: the author’s version of the tale is readable. He admits this isn’t a translation, but he takes the best of different versions and modernizes them.
Two things I didn’t like: his introduction and his endnotes. The introduction is basically a summary and analysis of the entire tale, and once you’ve read it, is there any point to reading the rest of it? Then there’s the notes, which make up a big chunk of the back of the book but aren’t linked in the text. Without numbering, how am I to know to look at the notes? It’s a weird and inefficient system.

andotherworlds's review against another edition

Go to review page

nr // re-read for class

alpaca254's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

3.0

iuvenis_phoenix's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

wizardingwisteria's review against another edition

Go to review page

slow-paced

5.0

monkatx's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging informative inspiring

5.0

fleurdumal's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

thatverywitch's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

jenimahalesva's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous inspiring medium-paced

3.75

from_paradise's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

A favorite that touched something so deeply within me, it's a pity this epic only came to me less than a year ago. Perhaps, it came to me at just the right time. Sometimes, it feels like I've known this epic my entire life. The Epic of Gilgamesh is something I understood immediately upon reading.

There's something so beautiful that this epic, one of the earliest literary work known to men, feels like a reflection of my soul. Even now, no matter how many times I've read Gilgamesh, I still don't have the words to describe how much it means to me, how deeply it spoke to me.

The Epic of Gilgamesh told me many things about myself. I knew this book on a spiritual level. It is a personal testimony, and it is alive within me.