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asparagusfern 's review for:
Gilgamesh: A New English Version
by Stephen Mitchell
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was my first experience listening to an audiobook of an ancient epic, which is strange considering that these stories were all mostly meant to be told orally, but I often get very caught in the details.
Not so with Gilgamesh, translated by Stephen Mitchell and narrated by the legendary George Guidall. I’ve heard this was a looser translation, complied from other translations, and so maybe some of the peculiarity of the original poem have been lost. The tradeoff was that this is immensely accessible. I felt like someone was just reading me a very good story.
The story of Gilgamesh is a fairly simple story too, although a morally complex one. Gilgamesh is an anti-hero who is described terrorizing his own people - throughout the tale he finds love, loss, and wisdom. You absolutely do not need any previous knowledge of the religion, geopolitics, or poetry style, and there is not a huge cast to keep up with.
Not so with Gilgamesh, translated by Stephen Mitchell and narrated by the legendary George Guidall. I’ve heard this was a looser translation, complied from other translations, and so maybe some of the peculiarity of the original poem have been lost. The tradeoff was that this is immensely accessible. I felt like someone was just reading me a very good story.
The story of Gilgamesh is a fairly simple story too, although a morally complex one. Gilgamesh is an anti-hero who is described terrorizing his own people - throughout the tale he finds love, loss, and wisdom. You absolutely do not need any previous knowledge of the religion, geopolitics, or poetry style, and there is not a huge cast to keep up with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Rape, Violence