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A review by mxmorganic
The Epic of Gilgamesh by Anonymous
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’m docking 1* because my edition features an introduction that makes up almost half of the book (53 pages of intro vs 59 pages of Gilgamesh). There’s nothing inherently wrong with an introduction, or even a lengthy introduction, and Gilgamesh certainly warrants one, but the intro to text ratio leaves me disinclined to keep this on my shelves, taking up space that could go to other texts.
As far as content goes, I really loved Sanders’ rendering of the story. There’s some stunningly beautiful language and imagery here, all in service of a remarkably compelling story about mortality, about learning not to let fear of dying eclipse the wonders of living. I wouldn’t necessarily consider Gilgamesh to be a good person, as many of his actions in the Epic are somewhere between immoral and unnecessary, but there’s an incredibly human element to his extraordinarily grand adventure, and it’s an excellent read.
In short, while it takes up a frustrating amount of space (not very much, to be clear, but I’m still miffed about the length of Sanders’ intro, if only on principle!) I would recommend reading this version of the Epic of Gilgamesh. Absolutely worth the couple of hours I spent reading it through.
As far as content goes, I really loved Sanders’ rendering of the story. There’s some stunningly beautiful language and imagery here, all in service of a remarkably compelling story about mortality, about learning not to let fear of dying eclipse the wonders of living. I wouldn’t necessarily consider Gilgamesh to be a good person, as many of his actions in the Epic are somewhere between immoral and unnecessary, but there’s an incredibly human element to his extraordinarily grand adventure, and it’s an excellent read.
In short, while it takes up a frustrating amount of space (not very much, to be clear, but I’m still miffed about the length of Sanders’ intro, if only on principle!) I would recommend reading this version of the Epic of Gilgamesh. Absolutely worth the couple of hours I spent reading it through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Sexual content