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Gilgamesh
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Check link for latest rating. ( 115,166 ratings, 7,681 reviews)
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Gilgamesh
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See moreVivid, enjoyable and comprehensible, the poet and pre-eminent translator Stephen Mitchell makes the oldest epic poem in the world accessible for the first time
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Description
Gilgamesh is a born leader, but in an attempt to control his growing arrogance, the Gods create Enkidu, a wild man, his equal in strength and courage. Enkidu is trapped by a temple prostitute, civilised through sexual experience and brought to Gilgamesh. They become best friends and battle evil together.
After Enkidu's death, the distraught Gilgamesh sets out on a journey to find Utnapishtim, the survivor of the Great Flood, made immortal by the Gods to ask him the secret of life and death. Gilgamesh is the first and remains one of the most important works of world literature.
Written in ancient Mesopotamia in the second millennium B.C., it predates the Iliad by roughly 1,000 years. Gilgamesh is extraordinarily modern in its emotional power but also provides an insight into the values of an ancient culture and civilisation.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Stephen Mitchell's Gilgamesh has been praised for its captivating narrative verse and fluid four-stressed lines, creating an engaging mythic world where everyday and heroic elements blend seamlessly. Critics highlight Mitchell's ability to present the ancient story with clarity, making it accessible and compelling to modern readers, while not forsaking its otherworldly qualities. Esteemed voices like Harold Pinter and Harold Bloom commend it as an excellent translation, with a balance of eloquence and readability, while others compare it favourably to celebrated translations like Seamus Heaney's Beowulf, noting its ability to rejuvenate the ancient tale.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781861977984
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 06 October 2005
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Profile Books Ltd
Edition: Main
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 22.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 196.0mm
Weight: 220g
Pages: 304
About the Author
Stephen Mitchell is widely known for his original and definitive versions of spiritual writings and poetry. His many books include The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, Tao Te Ching, The Gospel According to Jesus and Bhagavad Gita.
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